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What I Wish I Had The Morning I Got Married As A Groom
30
items Nobody tells the groom what to actually pack for the morning of the wedding. I showed up with a drugstore razor and borrowed deodorant, and spent the first hour of my marriage with razor burn in every photo. This list is for guys who want to look sha...
Sections
6
Skin Prep So Your Face Doesn't Look Angry In Photos
Shaving Without The Razor Burn Disaster
Hair That Stays Put Through Vows And Dancing
Smell Good Without Fumigating The Altar
Emergency Kit For Things That Will Definitely Go Wrong
Comfort Items You Won't Think Of Until It's Too Late
Skin Prep So Your Face Doesn't Look Angry In Photos
Flash photography picks up every red spot, dry patch, and razor bump you thought was invisible. I learned this the expensive way when I saw my wedding proofs.
Slap this on the night before and morning of. My face looked like it had never seen a winter in its life. Perfect for guys who think moisturizer is “too much” because it disappears in seconds.
Neutrogena® Hydro Boost City Shield Water Gel with Broad Spectrum SPF 25, 1.7 Oz
Use this before anything else hits your face. I was breaking out from stress the whole week before the wedding, and two days of this calmed everything down without drying me out.
Burt's Bees® Sensitive Solutions Gentle Facial Cream
Grab this if you know you won't sleep the night before. I looked like I'd been on a red-eye flight, and a little of this under each eye made a real difference in photos.
CeraVe Moisturising Cream 454 g
Swipe this on after washing your face. It tightens pores without that burning alcohol feeling. My best man borrowed mine and now he uses it daily, which tells you something.
Customer reviews for Thayers Alcohol-Free Rose Petal
Keep one in your pocket all morning. Chapped lips in close-up kiss photos are forever. I forgot mine and had to borrow chapstick from my mother-in-law, which is a story I'll never live down.
Blistex Medicated Lip Balm, SPF 15 ingredients (Explained)
Shaving Without The Razor Burn Disaster
Every groom thinks they can just use their usual razor and rush through it. Then the redness shows up right as the photographer arrives. Don't be that guy.
Switch to this for wedding week even if you normally use something else. The guard between the blades actually prevents those red bumps that flash photography loves to highlight.
Gillette Skinguard Razor each
Ditch the foam can for this one morning. A tiny squeeze covers your whole face and the blade just glides. I went against the grain without a single nick, which felt like a miracle.
Cremo Original Concentrated Shave Cream, Classic, 6 oz
Pat this on right after shaving. No sting, no white residue, and my skin looked calm instead of irritated. For any guy whose face turns red just thinking about aftershave.
Nivea Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm - 3.3 fl oz
Toss this in your kit as insurance. If you do get a cut, this stops the bleeding in seconds without leaving white residue. Way better than walking down the aisle with toilet paper on your chin.
Pacific Shaving Company Nick Stick Aftershave Treatment
Start using this three days before the wedding on your neck. I used to get bumps along my jawline no matter what razor I used, and this cleared them up before any camera got close.
Tend Skin, Post Shave Ingrown Hair and Razor Bump
Hair That Stays Put Through Vows And Dancing
My hair looked perfect at 9 AM and like a bird's nest by the first dance. The photographer caught every stage of the decline. Here's what would have prevented that.
Scoop a dime-sized amount and work it through damp hair. Holds all day but doesn't turn your hair into a helmet. I switched to this after my trial run with gel looked crunchy in photos.
Suavecito Original Hold Pomade for Men, Medium Hold, 5 oz
Grab this if you want texture without looking like you tried too hard. Works on shorter cuts especially. My barber recommended it the week before and it was the best advice anyone gave me.
American Crew Fiber 85g | High Hold, Low Shine
One light pass over your styled hair locks everything in place through hugs, wind, and dancing. Not just for women. My groomsman sprayed me down and my hair didn't move for 14 hours straight.
TRESemmé, Hairspray, 11 oz, Extra Hold with 24H Frizz
Use this before styling to get rid of any weird sleep shapes. Sounds basic but I almost showed up trying to style over a cowlick that a quick brush-through would have fixed.
Conair, Velvet Touch, Paddle Hair Brush, 1 Brush
Keep this nearby if you're getting married in summer. By cocktail hour my hair was getting greasy from sweat, and a quick hit of this at the roots brought it back to life instantly.
What's The Best Dry Shampoo for Your Hair Type?
Smell Good Without Fumigating The Altar
Your bride is going to be inches from your neck during the ceremony. You want to smell great, not like you bathed in cologne at a department store counter.
Two sprays max, one on each wrist. Clean and fresh without being overpowering. My wife still mentions how good I smelled during our first dance, and this is why.
Versace Pour Homme Eau de Toilette 100ml
Apply this the night before AND the morning of. Nervous sweat is real and it hits different on your wedding day. This kept my suit jacket dry through a July ceremony.
Degree Ultra Clear Black + White Men's Deodorant
Swap this in if you want something that smells more interesting than standard deodorant. Subtle woodsy scent that layers nicely under cologne without competing.
Duke Cannon Antiperspirant Deodorant Stick
Spray this anywhere your suit traps heat. Nobody talks about this but you will be standing, sitting, dancing for hours in layers. Future you will send a thank-you card for this one.
Gold Bond No Mess Clear Invisible Body Powder
Use this in your morning shower instead of whatever bar soap is lying around. Light cedar scent that fades into the background and lets your cologne do the talking. For guys who layer scents without realizing it.
Every Man Jack, Body Wash, Cedarwood Amber, 16.9 fl oz
Emergency Kit For Things That Will Definitely Go Wrong
Something always goes wrong. A button pops, your shoes scuff, you spill coffee on your shirt at 7 AM. Having these on hand saved my groomsmen more than once.
Pack two of these, not one. I used mine on a coffee drip at breakfast and my best man needed the backup for a salsa incident during the reception. They actually work if you catch it fast.
Tide Pens Instant Stain Removers
Run this over your dress shoes right before you walk out. Takes ten seconds and makes scuffed shoes look fresh. I found a big scratch on my shoe an hour before the ceremony and this saved me.
Customer reviews for KIWI Express Shine Sponge
Keep this in your pocket for right before the ring exchange. Dry, cracked hands in ring close-up photos are not the vibe. A tiny squeeze makes your hands look normal and camera-ready.
O'Keeffe's Working Hands Night Treatment Hand Cream
For the groom who was up until 2 AM with the groomsmen and now has to look well-rested in 400 photos. Two drops and nobody will know you only slept four hours.
Visine Comfort Redness Reliever Red Eye Relief Drops
Toss this in someone's bag. A button came off my vest during photos and we fixed it in two minutes with a needle and thread. Without it, every photo from that point would have been a disaster.
SINGER Simple 3337 Lightweight & Portable Sewing
Comfort Items You Won't Think Of Until It's Too Late
Standing for hours in new shoes and a tight collar does things to your body you don't expect. These are the “why didn't anyone tell me” items every groom needs nearby.
Slide these into your dress shoes the morning of. New dress shoes on concrete and hardwood for 12 hours straight will destroy your feet. I danced pain-free until midnight because of these.
Thin Insoles | Full Range
Bring these even if your shoes feel fine right now. By hour six, your heels will be screaming. These stick on, stay invisible, and let you keep dancing without limping.
Band-Aid Hydrocolloid Bandages Large
Tuck one in your pocket for right before the ceremony. Dry mouth from nerves is real, and you don't want to be clearing your throat during your vows. Subtle enough that nobody will notice.
Can I take cough drops like Halls or Ricola while pregnant?
Different from regular eye drops. These wake your eyes up and make you look alert when you're running on adrenaline and no sleep. Use them 30 minutes before the ceremony starts.
Rohto All-In-One, Redness Reliever, Cooling Eye Drops
Bring a small pack in your jacket pocket. Between the new shoes, the stress headache, and the dancing, something is going to hurt by evening. Pop two at dinner and finish the night strong.
Advil Dual Action Coated Caplets With Acetaminophen 36