Wedding Day Tips for the Groom & Masculine-Presenting Partners

Let’s be honest for a second.

Wedding advice tends to be aimed at one partner.

There’s endless content about dresses, getting-ready robes, first looks, and skincare routines. Meanwhile, the advice for the partner wearing a suit usually boils down to, “Show up on time and don’t forget the rings.”

You deserve better than that.

Whether you’re wearing a classic tuxedo, a tailored suit, boots, sneakers, or something that feels authentically you, your role on your wedding day is so much bigger than simply showing up. You’re half of this story! Your experience matters just as much, and a few little things can make your day smoother, your photos even stronger, and your memories that much sweeter.

After documenting countless wedding days, I’ve collected plenty of wedding day tips for the groom and anyone rocking a suit or masculine-presenting look. Here are a few things I wish every partner knew.

Wedding Day Tips for the Groom: Start With Your Suit

If you only remember one piece of advice from this entire blog, let it be this.

Please, please unbutton your jacket before you sit down or head to the dance floor.

Suit jackets are designed to lay correctly while you’re standing. However, sitting with yours buttoned pulls at the fabric, creates bunching, and isn’t particularly comfortable.

The same goes for dancing.

If you’re about to attempt your best dance moves (or your friends convince you to join them for an enthusiastic rendition of “Mr. Brightside”), do yourself a favor and unbutton your jacket first.

While we’re on the subject, here’s the golden rule:

If you’re wearing a two-button jacket, the top button gets buttoned while you’re standing. The bottom button? Never.

And when you sit?

Unbutton the jacket completely.

Think Thanksgiving dinner rules.

Take Your Damn Phone & Keys Out of Your Pocket

While we’re talking about suits, can I ask one tiny favor?

Take your phone, keys, wallet, AirPods, pocket knife, golf tees, loose change…all of it…out of your pockets before photos.

I know it feels weird not having your phone on you for a few minutes. I promise you’ll survive.

Nothing ruins the clean lines of a well-tailored suit faster than a giant rectangle stretching your pocket. Likewise, a bulky wallet can make it look like you’re smuggling a small paperback novel.

I know they’re your comfort items, but they don’t need to make an appearance in your wedding gallery.

Instead, find a trusted friend, hand them your everyday carry, and forget about it for a little while. Your pockets (and your photographer) will thank you.

Write Your Vows Somewhere Other Than Your Phone

I know your notes app is convenient.

But your wedding vows deserve a little more permanence than 3% battery and an incoming group text.

A handwritten set of vows in a vow book feels intentional. It photographs beautifully and keeps you focused on your partner instead of a glowing screen.

Best of all, your vows become something you can tuck away and revisit on anniversaries for years to come.

Trust me, future you will be grateful you took the extra five minutes.

One of My Favorite Wedding Day Tips for the Groom: Be the Calm in the Room

One thing I’ve noticed over the years? Your wedding party usually mirrors your energy.

If you’re relaxed, they’re relaxed. When you’re present, they’re more likely to stay present too. On the other hand, if you’re running around stressed, everyone else starts feeling that pressure.

You don’t have to manage every detail. After all, that’s why you’ve hired amazing vendors. But you can help set the tone.

If everyone starts wandering off or getting distracted, don’t be afraid to gently gather the group back together.

Or not gently. That’s your call.

Better yet, appoint one organized friend as the unofficial “people finder.” Every wedding party has someone who knows exactly where everyone is at all times.

Let them shine.

Pack a Few Extras (Because Someone Will Forget Something)

I’ve seen a lot of things on wedding days.

Forgotten ties. Missing socks. Belts left hanging in hotel closets.

And yes…I’ve watched the sole completely separate from someone’s dress shoe because they decided their shoes from senior prom still had one more event left in them.

Spoiler alert: they did not.

Fortunately, a small backup kit can save the day. Toss in an extra tie or bow tie, dress socks, a belt, safety pins, fashion tape, a lint roller, bandages, and a few stain-removal wipes.

You may never need any of it.

But if you do, you’ll instantly become everyone’s favorite person.

Your Wedding Party Should Look Like Your Life

One of my favorite wedding trends isn’t really a trend at all.

It’s couples choosing the people who matter most instead of worrying about tradition.

Your wedding party doesn’t have to be divided by gender. Maybe your sister has been your best friend since day one. Perhaps your closest friend is someone of a different gender. Or maybe your chosen family has supported you through every chapter of your life.

Invite the people who have shown up for you.

Ultimately, those relationships are what make your wedding day meaningful, not whether everyone’s outfits fit into a certain category.

Trust Your Photographer

If you’re thinking, “I’m awkward in front of a camera,” I have some good news.

Almost everyone says that. Seriously, even I have said it.

In fact, one of the most common things I hear after an engagement session is:

“That was actually way more fun than I expected.”

You don’t need modeling experience. You don’t need to know where to put your hands, either. And you definitely don’t need to memorize poses.

My job is to guide you in a way that feels natural, comfortable, and true to who you are as a couple.

Of all the wedding day tips for the groom I could give you, this might be the easiest one: you don’t need to perform for the camera.

Your job is much simpler.

Love your person.

I’ll take care of the rest.

Wedding Day Tips for the Groom: Don’t Be Afraid to Feel It

Some of my favorite photographs have nothing to do with perfectly straight ties or polished shoes.

They’re the quiet breath before the ceremony. The laugh that catches you completely off guard. A hug from your dad. The tears you weren’t expecting. That grin that takes over your face the second you see your partner.

You don’t have to be the “strong, silent” one.

More importantly, you don’t have to apologize for being emotional.

Your wedding day is one of the few days in your life when every person you love gathers in one place to celebrate your story. So if tears come, let them. When laughter bubbles up, don’t hold it back.

Those are the moments you’ll treasure for the rest of your life.

At the End of the Day…

No one is going to remember whether your pocket square was folded perfectly.

Instead, they’ll remember the way you looked at your partner.

They’ll remember how you laughed with your favorite people, hugged your grandparents, and danced without worrying what anyone thought.

So show up, be present, and love your people well.

Everything else is just details.

A Wedding Day That Lets You Be Fully Present

The best wedding photographs don’t happen because you memorized a list of poses or spent the entire day wondering what you’re supposed to do with your hands.

They happen when you feel comfortable enough to be yourself.

That’s the experience I want for every couple I photograph. I’ll guide you when you need it and help you feel confident when the camera comes out. However, I’ll also step back when the moment deserves room to breathe.

Because years from now, I don’t just want you to have beautiful photographs of how your wedding looked.

I want those photographs to bring you right back to how it felt.

Ultimately, that’s one of the most important wedding day tips for the groom or any partner: give yourself permission to actually experience the day you’ve spent so much time planning.

If you’re looking for a photographer who will help you stay present, celebrate with your people, and document all the beautifully unplanned moments in between, I’d love to hear your story.