The LDS Groom and your Responsibilities for your LDS Temple Wedding and Wedding Reception Planning
Planning your LDS wedding and the wedding reception are major undertakings for both your future bride and YOU. Some grooms mistakenly view the wedding reception as something for his fiance to handle. But as the groom you need to be actively involved and help out in a significant way in many aspects of the wedding planning. Yes, your bride may want to handle picking out the wedding decorations, the colors, the wedding flower arrangements and the place settings with her mother or best girl friend but don’t assume that it something she may not want to do with you.
You should be very involved in this event of a lifetime and especially offer to listen to her all ideas with real interest (Lesson don’t jump in to solve problems – just attentively listen!). If your bride wants your involvement in any aspect she will most definitely let you know. Be flexible! After all, your LDS temple sealing and wedding reception is all about the two of you, not just her. And remember, a genuine offer of help from her groom will be deeply appreciated; even if your offer to help is declined. FYI- there are details you, the groom, are in charge of also.
To begin your new life together, you need act maturely and responsibly. You will have a number of personal responsibilities and some that involve others, especially your fiance. Planning a temple sealing and wedding reception(s) and a honeymoon are all important decisions for both the LDS bride and groom as they are some of your first major decisions together. (Yes, that was receptions, as some times the LDS bride’s and LDS groom’s family may come from different part of the Country or the World). A few of these decisions are very important to you and your bride-to-be:
1. Which LDS temple will you be sealed in for the time and all eternity?
2. The date and time of your LDS wedding (Call the temple of choice for availability)
3. The wedding theme?
4. The wedding colors?
5. The size of the guest list of those folks who will be invited to your LDS temple sealing?
6. The guest list of those who will attend the wedding reception(s) only?
7. Decide how you will politely and lovingly address possible issues with non-member guests
8. Who will be the members of your wedding party?
9. The type of wedding invitations to send?
10. Select and book wedding entertainment in advance for the wedding receptions/
11. Select the wedding vendors needed such as:
Wedding photographers
Florists
Caterers
Videographers
12. Select and book in advance the wedding reception site(s). You may decide to:
Book with a private wedding venue
Use an LDS Church cultural hall
Have a garden wedding
Have your wedding reception at the beach or the lake
And you need to set a wedding budget together. You should consult with parents or other family members who are helping out with expenses. We recommend that you use the free Wedding Budget Planner that WeddingsLDS provides on it’s websites that are dedicated to the LDS bride and groom, the entire wedding party and the bride and groom families.
