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181 Things To Do Before You Get Married
Are you having enough trouble just remembering to get your groomsmen gifts? Well it turns out that before you make it to the altar, you have a much longer list of things to accomplish than just that. We asked everyone from single guys to married women for their advice on what to do before you get married, and compiled an exhaustive list of everything that needs to happen before you tie the knot. Get ready, guys! Before you start checking off this list, shop for personalized groomsmen gifts at https://branddepot.com/collections/groomstand Get your finances in order Have a bachelor party Buy new underwear Go to Las Vegas Buy a house Travel to Europe Get a prenup See her without makeup Take a good long look at why you are getting married and be able to know why Make sure you're financially ready- SAVE, SAVE, SAVE Throw away all traces of past relationships Get premarital counseling. Reassure friends that they will remain important and spend time with them Pick at least one planning task and be involved and enthusiastic Make sure you have a decent job. Make sure you have a place for both of you to live that will be big enough. If you haven't already, a guy might want to get going to a strip club out of his system in case the wife doesn't approve. If you're sexually a bit curious, visit a gay bar to check out those feelings before taking the plunge. Do something really, really nice for the future mother-in-law. Call it "insurance." Get in shape Plan and pay for an adventurous honeymoon Get plastered and then sleep as late as you want. Fart whenever and where ever you want without being jabbed in the rib cage. Have as much sex as possible, before the wedding band cuts off circulation. Lock out all the channels on the cable service that do not have sports on them. 1 more night out with the guys. Get a hooker Get rid of all your porn Order and pay for all the tuxes Discuss money with your spouse Get a marriage license Decide where you will live Plan a wedding Get a gift registry Insure the wedding rings. Find a location for the ceremony and the reception. Do a cake tasting. Make sure she's the one Relax! Get acquainted with your bride's parents and friends Tell her all the truth about your past relationships and your health /if you have any health problems. Go on a road trip Clean out the basement. Get rid of all old girlfriend pictures. Buy all new underwear. Evaluate life plans and goals/future plans Go away for a weekend by yourself for your last real alone time. Define the chores and who does what Seriously diet. Pick out your tux Make a list of people to send announcements to so you aren't hitting your head or apologizing to those you forgot after the wedding Call your mom. Send out invitations Order alcohol for reception Get horribly drunk on your stag night. Rethink if you really want to get married Have your hotel reservation done for the wedding night Decide what type of birth control you are going to use before the wedding night Pick a best man. Go over health insurance information, legal papers and will. Buy a wedding ring Choose a best man Pay off as much credit card debt and student loans as possible. Become well liked by her family and friends. Hang out with your boys Talk about kids. Talk about future finances. Talk about family Go diving Go Skydiving Go SCUBA diving Have a wild time out on the town without your spouse to be. Begin pulling away from the friends you tend to spend most of your time with because you will need the additional time with your new spouse for a healthy solid marriage. Start thinking like a married person. Singles can be very self-centered because they are used to living by themselves, eating by themselves, choosing what they want to watch on TV, and when they want to go to bed. Marriage means you will need to take into consideration the other person's wants, desires and needs. So you might as well start practicing early. Rehearse proposal Clean the diamond Cook dinner for the future in-laws. Do something ridiculous like skydive or bungee jump. 79. Have sex with 50 other girls Find the one woman in your life that meant the most to you before you started dating your future wife, and make sure you're not still in love or have any "special feelings" Find out if your fiancee has any debt that you may be inheriting by marrying her. Find out if she is on any medication for a mental illness or has ever been hospitalized for a mental disorder. Listen to everyone if they are all saying you should not marry this woman even if you have already sent out invitations and made other financial commitments. Go on a camping trip with your prospective bride, one without electricity or water, and in a location where cell phones don't work, then see how well you get along. Revisit all of the sports you like to personally do, or watch and see if she minds you playing or watching them. Write a list with her about pros and cons of marriage and see how you two match up. Enjoy your life... Figure out what your fiance wants to do before that time and help her. Meet with the officiant Have a fling Buy a special wedding day gift for your new spouse Purchase a tux; you'll love owning one and the rentals are universally awful and ill-fitting. Establish whether and when you will have children. Hang out with your single friends. Remember to ask permission from the in-laws if you didn't do it before. Find a caterer Prepare your vows. Go on a week long bender Buy a motorbike Discuss future career, education, and moving plans Get life insurance Make sure you're going to live in another town as the in-laws Tell all the other girls you're seeing it's over...at least for some time Make all your ex-girlfriends jealous Kill your soon-to-be mother-in-law Experience a threesome Travel to Australian Outback Buy your dream item (ie: a Hummer) Tell your families and friends that you got engaged Dating Kissing Flirt with others Have sex with another woman. Travel somewhere without the future wife. Discuss religion of kids w/ future spouse, if relevant Discuss who will be paying for wedding, if relevant Make sure that ALL of your previous relationships have closure so that none of your former girlfriends come back to haunt you later. Make sure that you're okay being with this same woman for the rest of your life...even when she begins looking like her mom! Open an account in a Cayman Island bank and stash a good percentage of your net worth there (and continue to do so even after your married). Watch as much football as you can...you know you ain't going to once she owns "half" the remote. Do all those activities your future partner loathes, in excess Be a slovenly selfish pig in your own home, because it will never be acceptable to be so gross ever again! Start a joint checking account Experience any sexual fantasies you may have Return ring and be forced to buy the "right" ring. Listen to everything she tells you about the wedding arrangements, else, no wedding. Have a one on one talk with her parents. Make sure you're sexually compatible before dedicating the rest of your life to her. Prepare a speech... don't wing it. Agree that you will be combining your finances when you are married - the number one cause of divorce in North America is money fights and money problems. Don't get caught up in how expensive and extravagant your wedding has to be - smaller weddings are much easier and often less stressful! Identify any relationship problems before you get married - remember, you have to live with this person for many years to come! Sure, counseling may help, but it's better if you really have a healthy relationship. Get the haircut you always wanted. Take a crash course on how to do house cleaning. Inform your buddies not to prank call your phone number while drunk in the early morning anymore. Select your groomsmen. See at least one more naked woman (see nothing else). Give her your list of wedding invitees immediately and don't add or subtract from it - ever. Talk to married friends about their experiences - find out what to expect in marriage. Keep focused on each other so that you keep your sanity Go to financial counseling together Set a monthly budget Live together to try it out Buy your groomsmen gifts Have a relationship fail and learn why Start a savings account Embark on a difficult project together Listen for problem signs (ie. friends saying that she's not right, family, etc) Visit New York City Snowboard the Alps Play all the video games you own again, because you won't get to again. Make sure your rings fit each other BEFORE going to the altar Pay off the ring. Think once Think twice Think thrice Buy yourself something that's as expensive as that damn engagement ring was. It'll be your last chance! Change your cell phone number so ex-girlfriends don't call you. Visit far off relatives and personally invite them to the wedding. Go by yourself to the movies. Dance with a stranger. Hire a wedding planner. Go out on dates--it's important during this stressful time! Play golf. Buy a large supply of condoms Pick out which of your things you're willing to get rid of and which you've got to keep. It's a partnership, you won't get to keep everything she hates, but if you're smart, you don't have to get rid of all of it. Make peace with an old girlfriend Practice taking care of a baby for a day Make sure you have your own place... NO ROOMMATES!! Move out of your parent's house. Save $1500 for a rainy day. Find out how the other person deals with having a bad day. Get a lap dance Keep your bride sane during the wedding planning. These things make people nuts, be a rock. Book flowers to be delivered for the day of the wedding to your bride to be Clean up your wardrobe and your life to make place for her Approve the cake for the wedding Spend an entire day on the couch in your pajamas. Call an ex-girlfriend - to remind you of all of your faults, so you can improve on them. Come to the realization that no matter how much you improve - it is never enough. Prepare papers for divorce.
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Groom's Checklist
Sorry to tell you, but even if you're feeling relieved because she said "yes," you're not out of the woods yet. Sure she is going to do the majority of work for the wedding, but rest assured, there is a lot of stuff that can go into the Big Day-and that includes details that are the groom's responsibility. Our advice is that you rent a convertible and head strait to Vegas. That way, you don't have to deal with all the wedding hoopla. If this isn't an option, however, and there's no getting out of throwing this shindig for all of those relatives you've never seen before, we give you The Lighter Side of the Groom's Check List. 6-12 Months Before The Big Day... You've Got Plenty Of Time On The Clock Buy the ring. Promise rings don't work, and stay away from the eBay. Discuss with fiance the date and type of wedding you want. Make sure it doesn't conflict with your sales meetings, important playoff games, etc. Choose your best man and wedding party. This is your starting lineup. Start on your guest list. Think about who will give you large amounts of money. Discuss and finalize a budget. Very important, fellas. Ever go into a strip joint with unlimited funds? It's the same idea with women and weddings, so get control quickly. Limit asking yourself if she's the one to 16 times a day-that's once every waking hour. She must be the one...after all you asked her to marry you, right? 3-5 Months... Second Half Of The Game Has Started Shop with fiance for wedding rings-the band that goes with her diamond ring and your ring. In other words, keep forking out the cashola. Complete guest list and include names, addresses and phone numbers- a major pain, to say the least. Better learn how to use Microsoft Excel. Select tuxedo with fiance. Try to go on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, because tux shops are less busy on these days. Get tux measurements of all attendants in your party. Discuss the honeymoon, and begin working with a travel agent, or start scouring the Internet for great travel deals. This is an area you can pretend to be interested in, especially if you can find a fantastic honeymoon package. Decide on a band or DJ and choose the music. Again, an area you have some interest in. Bring your iPod with all your favorite music so you can easily reference songs with the DJ. Trust us, your fiance (and the DJ) will be impressed. Discuss moving in together or buying a new home. Hats off to you if you can afford one after the wedding. Budget check time. You are the Chief Financial Officer in this case. Ask your fiance for a recap. Warning: don't wait until you're 60 days away from the wedding or you can count on her being to be over budget. Notify your business associates of the dates of your wedding and honeymoon. Stop thinking about one last fling-well, you can think about it, just don't do it! It's time to be man and welcome married life with open arms! 2 Months... Better Start Making Some First Downs Meet with officiant to finalize ceremony details. Be prepared to answer how you fell in love, what you both do to resolve conflict and your religious backgrounds. Your goal here is to be politically correct. Discuss with your best man his responsibilities. He's the team captain, so make sure he takes his role seriously. You will need the help, trust us. Plan your rite of passage - yup, it's your bachelor party, with booze, poker and strippers. Don't go out to a NICE dinner with the guys because she says so. Arrange accommodations for out-of-town guests. Get this off your plate and give the responsibility to your fiance. Stay out of any family disagreements. It's a no-win battle. Might as well start practicing this now. Figure out seating chart with your fiance. Your fiance doesn't know Auntie Bee hates Uncle Bob unless you tell her. Start jogging a couple of times a week. It's a good stress reliever, and if you can't take the pressure anymore, just keep running, running, running...just kidding, you aren't going anywhere. 1 Month... The Blitz Is On! Purchase gifts for the guys in your wedding party (aka groomsmen gifts). If you both agreed to a prenuptial agreement, have it drawn up and signed. If gifts are being exchanged, buy the present for your fiance. Spend, spend, spend! Hey, it doesn't get any better when you're married. Again, might as well get used to it! Make sure all of your guests have RSVP'd, wedding rings are in hand and tux details are complete. If moving, give change of address card to post office, contact utilities companies, etc. Buy Tagamet and/or Zantac for your stomach. You can purchase it over the counter now, and don't worry-it's not a tumor, just nausea. 2 Weeks... Out Of Time-outs With your fiance, gather necessary documents and get your marriage license - yes, it's really happening. Eat toast in the morning, no eggs...keep it bland. Arrange wedding-day transportation. Get your hair cut. Don't wait 'til the day before. Allow your hair to grow in. You don't want that new haircut look in your wedding photos. Now you can offer to assist your fiance if needed, because by now everything should be taken care of anyway. Reconfirm all honeymoon details. Finalize all business responsibilities and prepare to be gone for a couple of weeks. Have your bachelor party, because it's your night and you're going to need it! Remember, no pictures. Use the air conditioning a lot. It helps keep the clamminess away. Buy six sessions at the tanning salon if you're looking pale at this stage. Remember to get those groomsmen gifts! Won't do to tick off your teammates... 1 Week... 4th Down, No Time-outs Pick up tuxedos and make sure you try it on again. Nothing like high waters to kill the look. Take off a few days from work. You will have a lot to do this week. Notify your wedding party of the time of the wedding rehearsal and dinner. Throw out your little black book. What part of "it's all over" don't you understand? The Night Before... Throw The Hail Mary Bomb & Hope Stay calm because chances are there will be problems that will arise. Anytime your mom and mother in-law are together, there are bound to be problems. Have a brew and rent a video. We recommend Dead Man Walking with Sean Penn. Congratulations! You're Ready For A Wonderful Wedding Day. Hey, you made it, buddy. Enjoy, because it's your day too!
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