Groomsmen's Drinking Guide for Wedding Day - How to Pace Yourself
Here on the Stag Pack blog, we’re here to help grooms and groomsmen stay ready for the big day, so they don’t gotta get ready for the big day. If you or someone you know is planning on getting married soon, and you’re in the wedding, you have a big responsibility.
We aren’t talking about making sure you remember your shoe shine or your hair jelly. We’re talking about DRINKING responsibility. One of the most important jobs of any groomsmen is maintaining your level of respect for yourself, your groom, the bride, and the guests, and not getting SHWASSTED before the ball’s even kicked off.
Alcohol is often socially accepted at weddings, and there will be no shortage of opportunities, but it’s important to pace yourself so you can enjoy the day and have “no regerts.”
Today, we’re breaking down the groomsmen’s guide to drinking on wedding day!
The Night Before.
There’s no sense in starting off the day on a bender. It can be easy to get right into the action the night before, and let the libations carry you into the morning, but you should plan on just getting a good night's sleep. This goes for groomsmen and grooms.
Depending on where everyone is staying, it can be difficult not to tie one on if all the guys are getting together, but getting a good night's rest will enable you to truly enjoy the next day and feel comfortable and confident.
Don’t start the day off feeling like you’re going to throw up and hiding from the sun.
Pre Game Festivities
Depending on your group of friends and the groom, you may have guys who are trying to get right into it the morning of the big day. Flasks, shots, mimosas all go down really easy on the big day, but remember this is a MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT! You SHOULD honestly just stay sober and support your groom in staying sober til after the ceremony.
Understandably, this may not be the case for everyone, so if you do have any alcohol before the ceremony, keep it light!!! You should not appear, smell, or seem inebriated when you walk down the aisle with your team!
Everyone has a different culture, but being a gentleman means being in control.
FUEL UP
If you do plan on eventually letting it rip, you should properly fuel yourself up. This begins with the night before, proper hydration, and good food. Don’t eat anything that’s going to give you the shits. Nerves will be high regardless, so don’t make your tummy restless.
Get a good breakfast and/or brunch the day of. This comes from planning ahead.
If you don’t have your tux, shoes, and bag ready to rock the night before, you might be scrambling around in the AM, and forget to eat something. Make sure you properly hydrate all morning as well, so that you can maximize your tolerance later on in the evening.
Don’t skip breakfast, or you’ll be wasted by dinner.
Pace Yourself, Soldier!
It’s hard not to get right after it as soon as possible. With all the pressure and tight buttholes leading up to this day, you and the groom are probably about ready to just shotgun a couple and call it a night. There are tasks to be accomplished! This is especially the case for the role of the best man. The best man not only has to deliver his speech, but he also has to handle the rings and be up close and personal at the ceremony.
Regardless of if you're the first groomsmen or the last in line, you have a job to do and you owe it to your groom and his new wife to do the best you can! That means saving the majority of your drinking until after they say, “I may now pronounce you man and wife!”
Sip slowly, take breaks, and wait til after dark.
When the Wedding Music’s Over, Turn Out the Lights.
So long as you’ve been a good boy until after the ceremony, it’s fair to say you’re in the clear to go about as hard in the paint as you want. You may not want to go full Jim Morrison and scream obscenities into the microphone, but once you clear the ceremony, the game is on.
Let yourself enjoy the night as the hard part is done, but remember to show respect, and you never know who’s around. Don’t embarrass yourself, your girl, or your buddies. Know your limits, and by all means, once that music starts, don’t stop dancing.
Now your job went from making sure the ceremony was good, clean fun, to making sure the reception is one that no one in attendance will EVER FORGET!
When it comes to drinking at weddings, it’s not easy to restrain yourself. Social pressures, stress, and a lot of moving parts can force someone to drink just to take the edge off.
The truth is, you will truly feel so much better afterward if you save your partying for the party, after the ceremony. Nobody likes someone who’s lost control of themselves, but especially if that person’s got puke on their tux. Don’t be that guy!
Follow us on social media for more tips for grooms and groomsmen! Looking for a sweet gift for your buddy? We have personalized flasks, cigar classes, and much more here at Stag Pack! Check out our custom groomsman gift packs for a truly 1-of-a-kind memorial gift!
