Looking your best on your wedding day is as important for boys as it is for girls. It’s perhaps a less thoroughly discussed topic, however, so here we present the beginner’s guide to grooming for the groom.

As an aside – this is no bad thing but there is an associated caveat. Don’t forget that the photos from your wedding are going to be some of the longest-lived images that are ever taken of you. Whether you’re getting married at an exclusive use wedding venue, a church or even getting married abroad, you’ll look back at your wedding photos and showing them off for decades to come. It’s important to consider how you’ll feel about them when fashions have completely inverted – as they unavoidably will. We know this might seem horribly traditionalist, but for this reason we’d always counsel against any particularly “of the moment”/new/trendy looks, haircuts or outfits in favour of looking timeless, elegant, and classic.

The pressure associated with looking good on your wedding day can be the main cause of grooming disasters on the big day. Most of these are the direct result of doing something that you don’t normally do – a wet shave when your skin isn’t used to it, a posh new hair gel or, god forbid, self-tanning gone-wrong. If in doubt, stick to what you know.

Decide how you want your hair to look as far in advance as you can, and do a test run. Go to a hairdresser, have the cut, and see when it looks its best after that. It will usually be at least two weeks after cut-date – no one looks their best right after a visit to the barber. Once you know roughly when it looks its best, you can schedule your pre-wedding trim (at the same hairdresser!) for the appropriate date to have it at its optimum when you wake up on the big day. Do NOT leave it too late and end up having to go for a tidy up 48 hours before you walk down the aisle!

Do the same with your facial hair (or lack of it). If you’re going for scruff, decide how many days’ growth you want and do a few dry runs to get your skin used to it. If you’re going clean-shaven, make sure that your face is up to it. Wet-shaving out of the blue can tear your skin apart and have you looking like one big blotch in the all-important wedding snaps. Get a trimming utensil and tidy up those nose hairs, those sideburns and those eyebrows. Tiny details but you won’t regret it when the close-ups come back from the photographer.

Consider teeth whitening or at least book in a dental hygienist appointment. There are some excellent teeth-whitening options out there at very affordable cost. Don’t forget that you’re likely to be competing with a bright white dress – your average tooth will look decidedly off-white in comparison

Tidy up those nails – they’re going to be featuring in some close-ups, especially when it comes to the moment of exchanging wedding rings.

Subtle is good. You’ll be up close and personal with a lot of people today and you don’t want to overpower them. You may find groom wedding fragrance ideas here!

There will be bright lights, camera flashes, alcohol and speech-nerves. Make sure to take care of your skin on the day, but not to overdo it. As with all the previous advice, stick to your normal routine. You will feel more confident.