Too often, men get overlooked when it comes to wedding planning and preparation. Men, looking your best and having squeaky clean, radiant skin is just as important for you as it is for the ladies! You’ll want to be proud of the man standing beside the love of your life, so here’s our male grooming countdown for the week leading up to your big day!
Lads, don’t be afraid of a bit of man-scaping. With our practical advice and timeline, you’ll look your best on the day. The golden rules of male wedding grooming are:
- Keep a classic hair style–nothing that will look ridiculous in 10 years time on your wedding photos. While they’re on trend now, will fauxhawks and man buns still make women weak at the knees in a decade or two?
- Be clean shaven–this rule was made to be broken, especially if your Mr or Mrs to-be loves you with a bit of scruff on your cheeks. We’ll admit, we’re partial to a wee bit of stubble but a full-on Santa beard? That’s rarely sexy.
- Keep an eye on spots and blemishes–no one and we mean no one digs a spotty face. As best you can, keep your spots under wraps.
- Bear no marks of the stag night–what happens on the stag night should stay on the stag night or at least, it shouldn’t manifest itself in your wedding photos. If the lads decide to draw penises on your face, ensure they don’t use a permanent marker, eh?
We’ve got one week to get you altar ready! Let’s go:
Seven Days Before You Do
Trim those split ends. Yes, guys get split ends, too. Haircuts are always best about a week before a big event–gives your hair time to relax into the new length and gives you time to adjust. Plus, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to experiment with wax, mousse or gels. If you’re going whole hog and changing your colour, do this at least a month before the big day.
Six Days Before You Do
Tackle spots and prevent break outs. The best way to do this? Book yourself in for a facial at a spa. You don’t have to opt for a frilly package, a no-frills facial will do nicely. In fact, you don’t even have to go to a spa. Whip up a homemade sugar scrub (scour your bride-to-be’s Pinterest boards, she’s bound to have loads) and apply it to your face and rinse away. Your skin will feel smooth, shine will be reduced and those spots will be tamed.
Five Days Before You Do
Book an appointment to get your teeth cleaned or whitened using a non-invasive procedure. We don’t suggest laser treatments at this late stage, but there are loads of methods and whitening procedures you could undergo safely under the guise of an expert hand.
Four Days Before You Do
You might want to call in the pros this day: it’s time to tidy that unruly jungle of armpit, pubic and ear and nose hair. If you’ve got particularly unruly eyebrows, consider having them brushed, shaped and trimmed. You should be able to manage tackling your ear and nose hair, but a male groomer’s could assist with this. Trimming your armpit hair isn’t a requirement can help to keep down on body odour, while tidying the pubes is greatly recommended.
Three Days Before You Do
Give yourself a break. All that plucking, pulling, waxing and trimming is bound to leave your body feeling a bit vulnerable. We prescribe a day lounging with your favourite series or the footy and a pint. Take it easy and allow yourself to indulge just a little. You’ve got a busy weekend ahead and could do with a bit of me time.
Two Days Before You Do
Head to the gym. (Only if you’re a gym buff. If you don’t usually hang out in gyms, now’s not a good time to start.) Get a good workout in, whether it’s taking a brisk walk, going for a three mile run or lifting weights. Exercise will help you feel confident and release any stress and anxiety you may be feeling before the big day. After you’ve exercised, book yourself in for a manicure. There’ll be lots of photographs of your hands on your wedding day and ragged, dirty nails and overgrown cuticles are not flattering and they will be visible in photos.
One Day Before You Do
We’re going to say it: send your future Mr or Mrs a quick text to say you love them and you’re looking forward to vowing your life to them tomorrow. Then spend the rest of the day making sure everything is in place. You’ll probably need to lend a hand to the reception decorating and ensuring out-of-town guests have settled into hotels and have everything they need.
The Big Day
If you’re going for the clean shaven look, start the day with a shave. Take extra careful to avoid nicks! Settle your nerves with a half pint of your favourite ale and spend the morning with your best man and mates, preparing for the day. There shouldn’t be much for you to do now, expect think about the person you’re going to marry!
