A list of tuxedo terms and their definitions.

Men may be from Mars, and women may be from Venus, but when you’re planning a wedding that will hopefully take place on the same planet, you need to figure out a way to communicate effectively with one another. And because a wedding involves so many people in your world—your parents, her parents, friends and family—now is the time to work on your communication skills with all parties involved.

Many of us see images of Julia Roberts in “Runaway Bride” or her real-life counterpart Jennifer Wilbanks, who lied to police about being kidnapped in order to avoid her own wedding, when we think about cases of pre-wedding jitters gone overboard. While these examples are at the extreme edge, it is not uncommon for both women and men to can experience waves of fear, anxiety and dread as they plan for their upcoming nuptials.

The formality of your wedding attire will probably depend on your bride’s choice of gown and time of day your ceremony takes place.  Luckily, there are no hard and fast rules you have to follow anymore, only guidelines.  And the most important I’d stress is, bride and groom’s look should be in simpatico.  This means if she’s in a formal gown and long veil, you the groom can’t show up in a casual linen suit without setting your unity as a couple off-balance.  Realize this day is symbolic; you’re creating the harmony you hope follows the rest of your life. 

There are plenty of ways for a groom to be active in wedding planning, while bringing his areas of expertise to the table. By figuring out which details the man can and will take responsibility for, he can lift some of the burden off his fiancée and feel more invested in his wedding day in the process.

He might not admit it to his friends, but today’s groom is very much into helping with the wedding plans. After all, it’s his day too. The wedding reflects who both of you are as a couple, so it’s important to him to have his say on many parts of it as well. Working together on your wedding is a bonding experience, even when things get stressful, and so many couples tell me they actually grew closer and learned even more about each other’s likes and dislikes, values, family traditions, faiths, and creative sides. It’s a win-win situation, one that more and more couples are enjoying today.

Years ago, grooms pretty much gave their groomsmen a standard, traditional gift. Maybe a money clip, an engraved flask. But today’s groomsmen gift options have moved beyond the stereotypical. The key is to give the guys something modern, something useful that fits into their lifestyles, and many groomsmen say they like getting something that’s a conversation piece too. So here are the top new trends in groomsmen’s gifts.

The time has come: you have found the woman you want with whom you want to spend the rest of your life. You’ve figured out the time and place you’re going to pop the question. You’ve probably even practiced what you are going to say.  Now only one thing stands in your way: you must figure out how to buy the perfect engagement ring.

Wedding planning may still be a bride's ball game, but nowadays grooms play many more innings. "In less than 20 years, the groom's responsibility has shifted from '... get me to the church on time...' (his only obligation) to 'How much is the church going to cost me?,'" says Deborah McCoy, a professional wedding consultant and the author of four bridal books.