Proposal Archives • Groom to Groom

Articles Tagged with: Proposal

May

The Speech

So, by now your bum has definitely been twitching like a rabbits’ nose! How am I going to stand in front of 100+ people and tell them how much I love my wife, be ‘cool’ and funny at the same time?

Chill the beans Shapeshifter – Let’s bring this back to basics! People love the truth, the whole truth and nothing bet the truth; with a big slice of humour and a side of flattery for your gorgeous wife.

DO NOT try and be Billy big balls,

DO NOT embarrass your wife and;

DO NOT have 10 ‘Dutch courage’ nerve settlers before-hand!

However, your speech is YOURS and you should say whatever you feel is right. Now, I’m no expert and by no means a professional speaker, but what I do know is, by the time the wedding speeches come around, most of your guests are five beers deep, and whilst your speech is important, the tipsy rabble are ready to party!

Keep it funny, keep it to 10 minutes and most of all… Keep it real!

For those struggling with ‘speechspiration’, I’ve found the ultimate speech guide, check it out here:

https://www.hitched.co.uk/wedding-planning/organising-and-planning/grooms-speech-top-tips/

We’re looking for some #speechspiration

If you’d like to share your speech with us to inspire fellow Grooms, please email us at: hq@groomtogroom.com or comment below.

Mar

The Stag

As soon as the engagement ring hits the finger, the lads are on you! Well.. In fact you have no say in the proceedings, and as the boys like to say…’it’s their stag, not yours!’

You sit in fear for months, wondering what they have in store for you. If you’re lucky you get to find out snippets of information alluding to your fate!

Those who aren’t so lucky spend months pleading with the best man to ‘make sure you stay alive’ to which the reply is always a ‘you’ll find out soon enough’ smirk!

The day arrives and you wake up as nervous as a 5 year old before an egg and spoon race. She kisses you goodbye and emphasises the final goodbye statement.. ‘BEHAVE YOURSELF!’ The best man gets hold of you and you’re on your way!

For those stags that have been through the above, all you know is that you probably never want to do it again – even though it was the best weekend (second to the wedding of course!)

We’re looking for some #stagspiration

Get in touch with your best Stag locations hq@groomtogroom.com or comment below.

Mar

Saving the Sheckles

It was a miracle she said yes and with the 2 weeks of Facebook and Instagram hand selfies all but over, it’s time to chat about the reality… ‘When are we getting married?!’

Your initial 5 year thoughts are firmly overturned with a mere raise of the eyebrow!! Moving in 6 monthly increments; if you’re lucky you agree between 2-3 years, or if not, the words ‘I don’t want a long engagement’ go down like a warm Guinness on match day, and it’s agreed; 18 months and counting!

Checking your bank account, you knew the repeated weekends of jaeger bombs and cheeky chilli’s at 3am would catch up with you at some point. The harsh reality hits.. You couldn’t buy your socks for the wedding let alone anything else!

You sit around a computer spread sheet and tentatively work out the cost of your wedding. Everything in multiples of thousands and you wonder why the hell you proposed in the first place!! Sweating like a nun in a cucumber factory, you don’t know whether to laugh or cry!

After 2-3 painful hours you finally agree your monthly saving rate and know that even that isn’t going to cut the mustard. You’ll need help… What are family for ay?!

With family contributions looming you spend your weekends confined to the house with a glass of water and a worm for sustenance (ok, maybe a bit too far!) But the reality is, you know that if your family are saving for YOUR wedding, you can’t be seen to spend money on takeaways, clothes or nights out on the town!

The lads torment you, and after the 10th time of saying no, you sneak to a house party like a covert ninja and get absolutely shit faced by 9pm!

Nursing a hangover the next day (without a Maccy D’s due to cost), you suddenly realise the true sacrifice made in the name of love. The days of freedom and lavish spending are over… you’re a husband now Harry!

Mar

The Proposal – Part 2

The decision on location had been made, and there I was, removing any metal before walking through the airport detector. An engagement ring hidden deep inside my hand luggage and my heart beating like Ringo Starrs’ foot drum! Please don’t stop and search, please don’t stop and search…

‘This way please sir… is this your bag?’ Holding back the palpitations, I nodded as a gloved-up security woman started to unzip my bag. Toothbrush, moisturiser (yes, I moisturise, I’m a modern man!) aftershave and finally, the travel wallet… Oh sh*t! To my amazement she placed it to the side. Was I home and dry? The moment of elation quickly dwindled as she pulled my favourite eyebrow tweezers from a hidden pocket. ‘You can’t travel with these sir!’ TAKE THEM. TAKE THE WHOLE BAG, JUST LEAVE THE TRAVEL WALLET!

We were with friends; both were in on the big secret. My blissfully unaware fiancée-to-be was all set, G&T and snacks in hand – Vegas here we come! Nobody mention the ‘E’ word!

We spent a few days in LA before taking Interstate 15 and heading North through the desert. A number of pit-stops later and we were approaching the bright lights… The King was in touching distance. We turned downtown in search of our hotel as the sun was setting. What a place!

The night was here. New Year’s Eve. If you’re looking to splash the cash, you can spend upwards of $3K for a table in a swanky hotel and drink champers on tap. I wasn’t feeling that flash after blowing six months wages on ‘the rock’. We took to the street party, armed with our retro ‘2013’ plastic drinks containers filled with vodka (Natalie’s filled with extra lemonade to ensure she would actually make it to midnight), we hit ‘the strip’, ending up at the Bellagio Fountains at 11:45.

This was it. The moment of truth. The minute countdown to New Year had started. Our friends slowly retreated to ‘watch the fireworks’ as Natalie and I stood watching the fountain display. 10, 9, 8… As nervous as a turkey at Christmas, I took the ring from my pocket. 5, 4, 3… I started to bend my shaking knee (for a moment I considered tying my lace – jokes!) 1… Happy New Year! – As I took to one knee and opened the box. I remember Natalie looking at me for a split second with a bewildered face and then a squeal of a YES! – I had pulled it off!

Many kisses, selfies and phone calls home later, we were in a hotel lobby with Natalie and her ring (that was about four sizes too big!) She insisted on wearing it, so a bit of Blue Peter DIY and we had the ‘perfect’ ring. As pissed as a fart in a vacuum cleaner, she decided she wanted to ride the rodeo bull… only in Vegas?! Now I could relax, I sat at the bar enjoying a well-earned drink with one of my best-men to be while we watched the bucking bronco have his wicked way with our women!

For those men who have dirtied the knee, we’re looking for ‘proposalspiration’ and the best suggestions for an engagement to remember.

Credits: #thebuckingbronco

Mar

The Proposal – Part 1

The thought hit me. I put it to the back of my mind! And again. REALLY? This can’t be right? Am i Ready? Is this the one? What if she says no..!?

As a 25 year old rugby lad, the thought of getting married was an all too distant thought through my early twenties. Then suddenly, from nowhere, the thought was ever prevalent in my mind.

Natalie and i had been together for 3 years with fun and good times forming the basis of our relationship. If i’m honest, I suppose i knew early on that she was the one, but the thought was pushed firmly to the back of my mind. I’m a lad, the weekend warrior, enjoying myself far too much to get married. Right?!

Before I knew it I was in the jewellers, massively out of the comfort zone!! I left with the bank account a lot lighter and a little black box. Could i really pull this off? How was i going to do it? What an idiot. I should have thought of this before!

In my haste I was now in struggle street and in need of THE BEST proposal idea ever!

For those lads in the same boat, Groom to Groom are on the hunt for the 10 best proposal ideas of all time…

Email us at hq@groomtogroom.com or comment below.

Mar

Asking Dad

The thought makes you shake like a squatting dog! How am I going to pull this one off? More to the point, What’s he going to say?

You dwell over the perfect moment, but in reality, it never comes. The other half pops out and you know it’s at least a half hour hair appointment of shopping trip. This is your chance! You tell yourself ‘You’re the Daddy’ and this is going to be a breeze, but in reality you stumble at least 10 times on ‘The Green Mile’ march!

The 11th time and you’re too far gone to turn back. You have to say something. You consider making small talk but you’re here now and this is YOUR MOMENT! You stammer slightly as you say something like, ‘I was hoping we could have a chat.’ – This outlaw knows the crack! They smirk under their cold exterior.

Again you stumble trying to find the right words, and eventually, somehow end up in a big future son- in-law man hug! Back slapping and handshakes consume the situation and a celebratory pint is suggested.

Now you’ve asked the main man, sh*t just got real! The mother-in-law to be needs to keep the inevitable secret while you begin the psych-up session for the biggest moment of your life – No pressure!

For those feeling the heat, stick around, the best is yet to come! We’re looking for your #proposalspriation

Get in touch with us at hq@groomtogroom.com or comment below.

Mar

The One

How will I know? – Dude, you’re in way too deep! If this question still remains, get back on the flaming sambucas and carve up that dance floor, you’re not ready my son!

For those of us who do know, you’re going to get some banter from the lads when you eventually dirty that knee, the wolf pack will soon be one less mutt!

But you’re a man right?! A guy who knows what he wants from life?! Don’t let the mockery of the single crowd put you off your game… You’ve got this!

Most likely, your girlfriend is one of your best mates, if not THE best mate! Your relationship is one of a kind. You make each other laugh (most days). Why would you not want to spend the rest of your life laughing?!

What’s the alternative; cuddling up on a hungover sofa Sunday to hairy Dave? (I think we all know the answer to that question).

Stop doubting your feelings and embrace what’s meant to be – You’re destined to be a husband however weird it sounds!!

Mar

The boy behind the buck

Grooms, Ushers, Bestmen and anyone else that will listen… I’d like to introduce myself and explain to you what Groom to Groom is, and how it came about.

I’m Greg from South Wales, 5ft11, dark hair, green eyes and struggling with strawberry facial hair (awkwardness over).

Now thats out the way, let me start with where the idea of Groom to Groom began. In 2014 I married Natalie, a graphic designer and overly zealous Pinterester. Like many guys I was really struggling to get excited about the wedding planning. Whilst my fiancée was trawling the internet on a daily basis and planning for what seemed like twenty weddings, the only thing I had to look forward to was a new pair of shoes and a tie i’d never wear again. I do joke, but in reality, I found there wasn’t anything out there tailored to men getting married, and very little to get me anywhere near as excited as my wife to be.

Now I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy my wedding, in fact, I absolutely loved it. And I did manage to find a great suit, awesome cars and had an amazing Stag Do – But I did have to work pretty hard to find it all. What if there was a place us grooms could visit, with the inspiration we need all in one place…

So post wedding, I set about thinking up the Groom to Groom idea. My wife and I discussed it over a few beers and I bought a domain name. And, drum roll… That’s where it all ground to a halt! Work, baby, two house moves and renovation later, the idea dwindled into the abyss (a bit like my bank account leading up to our wedding day!).

Then, during a catch up with a mate (who happens to be a best man at his friend’s wedding), I mentioned the idea. Many flat whites later, ‘The home of Groomspiration’ was alive.

So how does it work? We’ll share inspiration of the latest trends and artisan makers in the wedding industry all focused on the Groom. From the suit to the stag and anything in between. We’d love to work with bijou companies to showcase what there is out there for guys and, how easy it is to find these places if you know where to look.

But ultimately, allow guys a place to interact, share ideas and to enjoy the wedding process as much as their better halves, because if we’re honest, this is probably the most amount of money we’ll ever spend on one day in our whole lives!