Page 161 - Wedding Essentials & Essential groom Issue 8

ne of the few things most men DO know dreds of hours researching, travelling to and trying on
about getting married is that you’re not sup- dresses. She will have consulted with her closest confi-
posed to see the bride in her wedding dress dants. She wants to feel special, and she’s finally found
Obefore the big day, but I realised I had no idea a dress that makes her feel just that. The absolute last
why that is. Bad luck? Surely there has to be more to it thing she needs is me ruining all that work in an attempt
than that. Why can’t I see my bride in her dress before to be
the wedding? practical and helpful!

Tradition When it comes to our big day, all I’m going to care about
is that she’s happy…and that she has actually turned up!
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. This tradition ac- Every man knows that his bride will be beautiful on their
tually goes back to a time when arranged marriages were wedding day, and it will have little to do with the dress.
the norm. Marriages were arranged by families, and only
after everything was agreed would the lucky couple get Reassurance
to meet each other. However, this brought with it some
risks, and it was not uncommon for some men to back out Now we’re talking. I know from first-hand experience
at the last minute after seeing the woman they were to that some bride’s will worry that their husband-to-be
spend their lives with. won’t love their wedding dress. Fear of disappointment
is something grooms understand implicitly – especially
So how to deal with this issue? Perhaps consult the pro- those that have selected their own engagement ring! It’s
posed couple on whether they found each other attrac- a completely natural concern, albeit one that is rarely
tive? Of course not, that would make far too much sense! justified.
Instead, the couples were often forbidden from meeting
each other until the day of their wedding at their cere- However, if the worry is strong enough that it’s causing
mony. It’s rather difficult to run out of your own wedding issues, allowing the groom to see the dress in advance
when everyone is already there! does make sense. The reassurance that both of you love
the dress can go a long way to easing minds before the big
Although the tradition of arranged marriages has largely day.
fell by the wayside, the superstition that seeing the bride
in her dress before the big day has lived on. So superstition is out the window, I’ve no fear of bad
I’m not a superstitious man, so that’s not an issue. So are luck, and seeing the dress might give my fiancée some
there any positives to me getting an advance screening of peace of mind. Does that mean I want to see it?
the main show?
Nope. Not a chance
I Don’t Like It The more I think about it, the more I just don’t want to
know. I can’t help but want that special moment in the
What if I don’t like it? What if she absolutely loves it but church. I want to be blown away on the day, and I want
it’s the complete opposite of what I had expected. Surely her to see that. Music, entertainment, food, venue, hell
by getting to see it early I can voice my opinions that it even the flowers are things we can decide on together.
wouldn’t be what I had gone for?
The dress? Not for me – I have some fields that need
Wrong! By the time my fiancée eventually decides on a exploring.
dress, she will have most likely spent tens, if not hun-

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