Getting married isn’t all ball & chains. There’s a lot of hard work to do before you spend the rest of your life wondering what the heck you were thinking. Planning a wedding is no small feat and while you may find out (if you haven’t already) that although virtually none of the decisions are yours, you still have to do almost half the work. Consider it like owning a 49% interest in your fiance’s company.
All joking aside, while there are no hard and fast rules to who-does-what when it comes to weddings there are traditions that are somewhat entrenched. The bride is usually responsible for everything that involves the “look†or “theme†of the wedding (wedding reception hall, flowers, wedding invitations, wedding photographer, etc) and very little else. Believe me, those decisions will take her unfathomable amounts of time. I know you’re thinking, “How long could it take to pick an invitation out of a book?†but trust me, just let it slide.
Most often, the groom is responsible for:
- Your side of the guest list (note I did not say “halfâ€)
- Make arrangements to get the Marriage License
- Make arrangements for blood tests (if required)
- Transportation / Limousine Service
- Wedding Band / DJ
- Toast at the end of Rehearsal Dinner
- Best Man / Groomsmen Gifts
- Wedding Night Accomodations (if you’re not leaving immediately on Honeymoon)
- The Honeymoon itself
For the marriage license & blood tests you will both need to be there, so make sure you schedule it with your fiance. Take care of this first, as it might be the most difficult to find time for.
Make sure you discuss everything with her and be absolutely clear on who is responsible for doing what. You just might impress her by knowing what you’ve got to do before she does and being proactive.
Once everything is decided don’t slack off. Weddings are stressful for everyone involved and you’ll have enough stress coming at you from your “better half†when she starts to melt down as the date closes in so don’t even think about procrastinating. Get your list done with plenty of time to spare and stand ready to run interference and help out during the final countdown.
Good luck, you’re going to need it! 
Michael Wangner is a consultant for Gifts and Otherwise, an internet retailer of cheap bridesmaid gifts, groomsmen gifts and other wedding stuff.
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