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Essential Wedding preparation tips for the Groom

Grinning groom in window

Wedding preparation tips for the Groom and Groomsmen

While most blogs generally relate to the wedding preparation of the bride and her bridal party, there’s not much out there about Wedding preparation tips for Men. So when bespoke diamonds – a wedding ring designer from Dublin, Ireland – sent me this infographic to share on my site, I figured it was a fairly good idea!

As a wedding photographer based in Adelaide, I’ve been to hundreds of weddings, and at every single one, the men tend to need as much help as possible. I mean sure, some are better than others, but even at my own wedding I mistakenly forgot a few of these tips despite being a wedding professional! – pro tip men, iron your shirt BEFORE your big day 😉

groom and groomsmen on road

This list of Wedding preparation tips for the groom and the men of the wedding would be perfect reading for those of you planning a wedding together, but sometimes the groom doesn’t have much of an idea of what, or how to contribute. So if you brides out there looking for some help, send him this way to have a little read. It’s his big day too, so it can’t hurt of brush up on the basics.

I love infographics like this, that outline quite complicated concepts such as organising a wedding in such a simple way you’d think that it’s the easiest thing in the world. It really isnt though, and having as much help as you can get should be a welcome sight to anyone going through the process. Organising the men can often be even more complicated so having this list of Wedding preparation tips should help out quite a bit. Enjoy!

Wedding preparation tips for Men

Here are some helpful wedding preparation tips for the groom to ensure you feel confident and relaxed on your big day:

  • Plan your outfit early: Finalise your attire, including shoes and accessories, well in advance to avoid last-minute stress.
  • Get a haircut a week before: This gives your hairstyle time to settle and look natural in photos.
  • Practice grooming habits: Follow a simple skincare routine for a fresh, photo-ready look.
  • Prepare a checklist: From cufflinks to vows, list everything you need so nothing gets forgotten.
  • Stay well-rested: A good night’s sleep helps you look and feel your best.
  • Trust your photographer: When wondering how to prepare for the wedding, grooms, remember that capturing genuine moments is easier when you’re at ease—something SvenStudios ensures for every couple.

Common Wedding Day Mistakes Grooms Should Avoid

Here are a few key mistakes to steer clear of during wedding preparation for groom:

  • Forgetting the rings or important documents
  • Skipping meals or staying dehydrated
  • Running late for the photography session
  • Not coordinating with vendors or the wedding planner
  • Overlooking outfit checks or last-minute grooming needs

Avoiding these can ensure your special day goes smoothly and stress-free.

Morning-of Wedding Preparation Checklist for Grooms

Here’s a simple and effective wedding preparation for groom checklist to ensure a smooth start to the big day:

  • Have a hearty breakfast to fuel up and stay energised.
  • Hydrate well—it’s easy to forget water in the excitement.
  • Lay out your outfit: suit, shoes, cufflinks, tie, and watch.
  • Grooming check: shave, trim facial hair, and apply your fragrance.
  • Charge your phone and keep emergency contacts handy.
  • Confirm timings with your photographer and groomsmen.
  • Take a moment to breathe and stay calm before the celebration begins.

These steps will help you stay relaxed, focused, and photo-ready.

Men

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Thorngrove Manor engagement shoot – Rya & Evan

It was quite an exciting time when Rya contacted me from Indonesia asking me to shoot her engagement shoot as she was coming out to Adelaide specifically to use the Autumn colours around the Thorngrove Manor for her engagement shoot. I had never shot there before, but I had seen it’s beauty in the past through other wedding photographer colleagues in the AIPP. Rya was quite keen on having a castle-style photo shoot and chose the Thorngrove Manor as her ideal location. She also originally planned to go on a whirlwind tour of Adelaide, shooting at the Manor, Mt Lofty Botanic Park, then head up to Cleland nature preserve to hug a kangaroo, and also head into the city to use Veal Gardens and North Terrace, all within 3 hours. We ended up only going to two of these locations, but I think they turned out great!

Thorngrove Manor Shoot

The Thorngrove Manor is a small luxury hotel located amongst the side streets of Crafers. Despite it’s medieval looks, the hotel was actually built relatively recently, only around 32 years ago. The hotel is billed as one of the most romantic and intimate places to hold a wedding, or photoshoot as the surrounds are something out of a fairytale. It really is quite an incredible place to shoot at.

Smiling bride
Engagement ring
Hugs on the balcony
Couple next to the fire
Engaged couple at the door of Thorngrove Manor
Castle awning
Wedding dress
Couple next to the fire
Holding hands
Looking at each other
Thorngrove Manor engagement shoot
On the balcony
Bride framed in the castle fixtures
Playing the harp
Castle awning
Thorngrove Manor
Kisses
Playing the harp
Bride and groom standing in front of their hotel door
At the gate of Thorngrove Manor
Smiles

Mt Lofty Botanic Park Shoot

After the shoot around the Thorngrove Manor, we head down the road to the Mt Lofty Botanic Park to make use of the waning autumnal colours still present around the gardens. With the sun popping over the hills, the colours came to life quite quickly however and created some lovely bright  scenes – much to the delight of Rya. 🙂

Bride and Groom holding one another
Bride and Groom walking
Autumn colours
Bride and Groom at Mt Lofty Botanic Park
Bride and Groom on bench
Bride and Groom walking
Bride and Groom on bridge
Autumn colours at the Mt Lofty Botanic Park
Bride and Groom in autumn
Autumn colours at the Mt Lofty Botanic Park

It was a lot of fun shooting at the Thorngrove Manor and I hope Rya and Evan enjoy their photos! 🙂

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Royal SA Yacht Squadron Wedding – Anika & Phil

  • Anika & Phil

    Royal SA Yacht Squadron Wedding

    Sitting on the yacht together

The wedding of Anika and Phil took place on the sunny day in April, amongst the wonderful surrounds of the Royal SA Yacht Squadron. I was asked to be their wedding photographer for the entire day so I was shooting from both locations of preparation, through to the end of their reception. The entire day from the Ceremony took place on the grounds of the Royal SA Yacht Squadron and we were lucky enough to be able to utilise a yacht that was moored within the marina – which is a very rare occurrence! Was fun.

Preparation

I arrived at the house where Phil and his groomsmen were getting ready, only to find that no one was there! Apparently the guys were chasing some choice sushi in the city before heading back to get ready. Once there, we had less time than usual to shoot some choice photos, so the morning was a bit rushed, but still pretty organised regardless!

Groomsmen getting ready
Wedding rings
Groom getting ready
Cufflink
Putting on the flowers
Groomsmen getting ready

The girls on the other hand were nice and organised, sitting about waiting for the makeup artist to finish, and having set up all the items I needed to take photos of before I arrived. The atmosphere was laid back and they were keen on having a good time and some fun leading up until they left. They ended up leaving a little late,m but that’s just to be expected. 🙂

Looking in the mirror
Putting on wedding dress
Smiling bride
Putting on wedding dress
Wedding dresses
Putting up the hair
Bride leaving the house
Engagement ring
Talking ladies
Flying veil

Royal SA Yacht Squadron Wedding Ceremony

The wedding ceremony took place on the decking area located next to the bar behind the boat shed. This was a major difference to the other times I had covered wedding ceremonies here, with others opting for having their ceremony on the large, open grassy area located nearby the boat house. The location Anika and Phil opted for however was wonderful for such a sunny day however, as the sun provided for a wonderful backdrop to the ceremony, and it helped keep their guests cool under the umbrellas.

The Sailing club has been on this location since 1924 after having been founded at Birkenhead in 1881. The Royal SA Yacht Squadron has recently been renovated into what has become quite a popular wedding venue, with myself heading there quite a few times a year!

Wedding ceremony at the Royal SA Yacht Squadron
Drone shot of the Royal SA Yacht Squadron
Holding each other
Bride and father
Smiling bride
Exchanging wedding rings
Wedding ceremony
Wedding ceremony
Married!
Groom’s first look
Walking back down the aisle
Wedding ring exchange

Glamour Photos

After the group photos and family shots on the grassy area, we used the inside of the historic boatshed for a few shots, then walked about the marina taking some shots with the magnificent sunset as a backdrop. We were lucky enough to be able to use a family member’s yacht for some photos, in which case I was super keen to bust out my drone to get some unique angles of the bridal party on the yacht from the water.

Sitting on the yacht together
Royal SA Yacht Club Boat House
Royal SA Yacht Club Boat House
Kissing in the marina
Sunset at the Royal SA Yacht Squadron
Bride and her bridesmaids
Bridal Party
Catching a bride
Sitting on the yacht together
Walking into the sunset
Dancing in the boat house
On the stern of the yacht

Royal SA Yacht Squadron Wedding Reception

Anika and Phil had set up the Royal SA Yacht Squadron’s function hall with a slightly nautical theme, making sure that their personalities and heritage was on show. With Phil’s affinity for fishing, and a beautifully cultural wedding cake the night was topped off with a live band which kept the dance floor full the entire night! Anika’s bouquet throw was quite a bit different as she held a ‘reverse’ bouquet through were only married women were allowed to be in contention. The MC then had them all dance and having them leave the dance floor the longer their wedding has gone on, with the winner being the longest married women receiving the bouquet. I thought it was sweet and a great way to hold a bouquet throw when there arent many single ladies in attendance!

First Dance
First Dance
Speech
Bride and groom entry
Night shot on the dock
Bride dancing with brother
Listening to speech
Guys at the bar
Wedding Cakes
Wooo!

Anika and Phil’s wedding was a blast to be part of, and I very much hope they enjoy their photos as much as I enjoyed taking them!

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Wedding Shoe Game – How to play this fun reception game!

One of the most prevalent and interactive games that’s bound to put a smile on your wedding guest’s faces at your wedding reception is the Wedding Shoe Game. As a wedding photographer, I’ve come across quite a few different little fun games the bride and groom can play with their guests, or for their guest’s amusement, and the Wedding Shoe Game is one of my favourites!

Bridal shoe gBridal shoe gameame

How to play the Wedding Shoe Game

Basically, the idea of this fun game is to make your guests laugh at your antics as you answer wedding shoe game questions about your relationship together, and to see if you both have the same answer to questions that you ‘should’ have the same answers to 🙂 For example, a common wedding shoe game question might be “Who of you said ‘I love you’ first?”. Now if both the bride and the groom were paying attention to their relationship, one would assume both would answer the same – but this is where the fun comes in as sometimes answers differ.

The reason why it’s called the ‘Wedding Shoe Game’ is because in order to play, both the bride and groom sit on two chairs back to back from each other – usually in the middle of the dance floor – and take off their shoes. They then trade one of their shoes for their partner’s shoes so that each has one of the groom’s shoes and each has one of the bride’s.

The MC, or whomever, then reads out a list of questions about the couple’s relationship. In order to answer, the bride and groom holds up one of the shoes – if the answer in their mind is the groom, then they hold up the groom’s shoe, if the answer is the bride, then the bride’s shoe.  Hilarity ensues when they both hold up different shoes as neither of them know what the other’s answer is.

Shoe game from groom POV
Wedding shoe game at Chateau Yaldara reception
Shoe game

Sample Wedding Shoe Game Questions

The great thing about the Wedding Shoe Game is that you are able to customise the questions that are asked based on the bride and groom’s personality and interests. There are the usual overarching questions such as the ones below, but say for example the bride and groom used to play against each other in Table Tennis; perhaps one of the questions might be ‘who is better at table tennis?’

The idea is to keep the questions not too serious, but light and fun, also it might be an idea to narrow the list down to around 20 questions, just so the game doesn’t take all night.Whose idea was it to play this game?

  • Who said “I love you” first?
  • Who is more romantic?
  • Who is a better dancer?
  • Who is the most organized?
  • Who has the most clothes?
  • Who has the most shoes?
  • Who spends more time on Facebook?
  • Who spends more time on Instagram?
  • Who eats the most junk food?
  • Who will fall asleep first tonight?
  • Who is the better driver?
  • Who calls their parents the most?
  • Who will pay the bills?
  • Who will wake up first?
  • Who works out more?
  • Whose friends will be over more?
  • Who buys the best gifts?
  • Who is more likely to be running late?
  • Who is in better shape?
  • Who is a better dresser?
  • Who has more shoes?
  • Who spends more money?
  • Who will be doing the grocery shopping?
  • Who has the best taste in (anything)?
  • Who is more likely to get a traffic ticket?
  • Who will be doing the laundry?
  • Who has the crazier family?
  • Who is the biggest baby?
  • Who is the loudest?
  • Who has the smelliest feet?
  • Who did more of the wedding planning?
  • Who planned the honeymoon?
  • Who is the better shower singer?
  • Who has the better shower singing voice?
  • Who has a better fashion sense?
  • Who eats healthier?
  • Who has a better taste in music?
  • Who wears the pants in the relationship?
  • Who is the better kisser?
  • Who is the bigger party animal?
  • Who will be making dinner every night?
  • Who always replaces the toilet paper roll?
  • Who chooses where you eat for dinner?
  • Who is the better cook?
  • Who got better grades in school?
  • Who has a bigger butt?
  • Who usually falls asleep first?
  • Who plans the best date nights?
  • Who tells the best jokes?
  • Who has the better hair?
  • Who made the first move?
  • Who is better at keeping secrets?
  • Who is the messiest?
  • Who would drive on a road trip?
  • Who remembers family and friends’ birthdays?
  • Who will squeeze the toothpaste from the middle of the tube?
  • Who will make the bed?
  • Who loses things the most?
  • Who will make the coffee in the morning?
  • Who has had more car accidents?
  • Who is better at sports?
  • Who is more creative?
  • Who watches the most tv?
  • Who is more likely to kill a spider?
  • Who mows the lawn?
  • Who wants a baby first?
  • Who will pick your next vacation spot?
  • Who will clean the house?
  • Who will use up all the hot water?
  • Who always knows what time it is?
  • Who will determine the next car you buy?
  • Who has the craziest family?

And of course the last wedding shoe game question that should be asked is

  • Who loves the other more?

Alsways gets a bit of an ‘awwww’ from the guests!

Shoe game
Shoe game
Shoe game under the lights
Shoe game fun
Shoe game 2

It’s a great game to play to break up the evening, and there are tonnes more silly little games that people have thought up over the years, but if you’re looking for a sure winner that will make people laugh, try the Wedding Shoe Game!