20 Real Grooms Share Their Wedding Advice for Couples

While we often share the advice real brides give future brides-to-be, the perspective of the groom is also significant. Brides typically take charge of wedding planning, but it's important to remember that it's not just the bride's day. Weddings celebrate the love between couples, so grooms should be involved in some way too. Whether they decide to go all-in on the planning process or take a step back, grooms-to-be should always support and assist their fiancées.

Since grooms vary in their level of involvement, we've gathered the best advice from a number of real grooms featured in some of the latest issues of Inside Weddings to lend their wisdom. Future grooms: read these tips to ensure the planning process goes smoothly and your wedding day is the best day of your life. Click the grooms' names to see the real weddings!

Read the best advice from 20 real grooms featured in Inside Weddings below:

"Don’t forget the small things and pay attention to the details... For example, umbrellas to help provide shade in the heat, using locally sourced goods, having barbers come to do fresh shaves and touch ups the morning of wedding, and creating playlists for the band breaks or in between moments." - Travis (See Real Wedding: Fairy-Tale Outdoor Summer Wedding at a Vineyard in Wine Country)

"Trust your fiancée." - Gerrit (See Real Wedding: MLB Pitcher Gerrit Cole's Luxe Destination Wedding in Santa Barbara)

"The bride knows best. Do your best to support them throughout the inevitably stressful planning stages, and then when the time comes, make sure to take it all in and share in the joy with everyone who came to support you." - Steven (See Real Wedding: Museum Wedding with Gorgeous Rooftop Ceremony in Washington, DC)

"Invest in a wedding planner and don’t sweat the small stuff." - Chase (See Real Wedding: Luxury Hotel Wedding with Personalized Elements in Dallas, Texas)

"Be supportive of your fiancée’s vision for the day and make sure you speak up on aspects that are important to you – like having or not having a 'first look' or the cake flavor (two important parts for me!). There is so much that goes into the big day – I was amazed by the whole process." - Aron (See Real Wedding: Catholic Winter Wedding with English Traditions in Chicago)

"Two things. First, do not miss the cake and meal tastings. I’d say it’s free, but it isn’t, so enjoy it when possible. Second, immediately after your ceremony, plan to take 15 minutes to be alone with your bride. Have a room set up with food, drinks, and just space from the chaos that is going on outside. I promise it’s worth it." - Issa (See Real Wedding: Ethereal Tented Wedding Inspired by the English Countryside)

"Create a budget and stick to it. It’s the key to a successful wedding." - Adam (See Real Wedding: Actress Brittany Daniel's Rustic-Chic Wedding in Downtown LA)

"Try to remember that this is a celebration of your relationship, the people you are together, and the life you’re building, and it should feel like you... Despite the stress of planning, our wedding was a tremendous reminder of why we wanted to get married. We don't always agree in our daily lives, and wedding planning was no different. But compatibility has been an achievement of our relationship – not a precondition for it. Over nearly a decade, we've learned to navigate the world as partners, growing for each other as much as we've grown with each other. So, even when we didn't see eye to eye on the particulars of the menu, we never wavered in our shared vision of an event that felt like the life we've worked so hard to build together; warm and inclusive and joyous and celebratory." - Sam (See Real Wedding: Elegant Winter Wedding with Frosted Décor at a Museum in Brooklyn)

"As far as the planning goes, my suggestion would be to not forget about the purpose of the event. Yes, the wedding day itself is incredible, but what is even more incredible is the marriage that follows. Spend time during your engagement to focus on the marriage itself. For us, that meant meeting with our pastor for marriage counseling. Those meetings have helped us far beyond the wedding day and have made our marriage a unity between God and us." - Jered (See Real Wedding: Gorgeous Blue, White & Gold Wedding with Lush Greenery in Texas)

"Participate and give your opinion – it means a lot to her that you care enough to share your opinion. Don’t worry, you won’t lose your manhood for doing so." - Michael (See Real Wedding: Elegant Wedding with Gold & Champagne Color Palette in Chicago)

"Remember that this is your event. If you are deciding between what you think will make you happy or what will make your guests happy, choose yourself. If you are enjoying, there’s a fairly certain chance your guests will enjoy too." - Max 

"Enjoy the process as much as possible and don’t let the stress get to you. It will truly be the most memorable experience of your life." - Frank (See Real Wedding: Opulent Destination Wedding with Luxe Tropical Décor in Palm Beach)

"The best advice I got was to stay with [your wife] the entire night. It is really easy to get pulled in different directions, but at the end of the day you will want to experience that night with the other person, not just at the same event. That doesn’t mean missing out on a shot of tequila with the guys... it means bringing her and her friends [and] family along for the ride." - Sean (See Real Wedding: Classic & Elegant Country Club Wedding in Los Angeles, California)

"Enjoy and live in the moment, and be appreciative of all the hard work from both families to put on such a joyous occasion. And make sure you’ve got all the honeymoon plans sorted out well in advance." - Jason (See Real Wedding: Rustic Fall Nuptials with Custom Details in Beaver Creek, Colorado)

"Stay out of the way but always be available." - Layne (See Real Wedding: Childhood Sweethearts Say "I Do" at Luxury Wedding in Dallas, Texas)

"Have a friend as the officiant; I think it makes it so much better. Also, this is a small piece of advice but it was given to me and I am so glad we took it: at some point in the ceremony, have the officiant invite the bride and groom to turn around and look out over the crowd of people for a few solid beats – these are the people who have come from far and wide to celebrate you, these people are your family and support system. It was a memory from the wedding I’ll never forget." - Jonathan (See Real Wedding: Destination Rustic Fall Wedding at a Farm in North Carolina)

"Make sure you like your photographers. You end up spending more time with them that anyone else on your wedding day so being able to vibe with them becomes hugely important." - Dave (See Real Wedding: Modern + Romantic Wedding with Glam Geometric Details in Chicago)

"Get a videographer. We wondered if we really would ever watch the video that much, but we do and couldn’t imagine not having it." - Timothy (See Real Wedding: Destination LA Wedding with Natural, Rustic & Organic Décor)

"No matter how much you plan or prepare, the unexpected will happen, be ready to roll with it and be sure to try to slow it down and savor the moments." - Anthony (See Real Wedding: Classic Ceremony + Beachfront Ballroom Reception in Santa Monica)

"Always remember the big picture: it’s about the marriage, not the wedding, so compromise is important. This is the start." - John (See Real Wedding: Opulent Wedding with Enchanted Forest-Inspired Décor in California)

For more wedding advice, discover 25 real brides' tips, find out what real brides found the most surprising about planning, and read tips from expert wedding professionals!