Is this taking a look too far?

My pal BW sent me this link earlier today, which points to an item in the New York Daily News about Sanna’s thong-jeans combo. Now most guys aren’t going to be the ones telling people to wear more clothes, but as StyleDash alludes to, doesn’t it kind of defeat the purpose if you’re getting this look ALL the time?

Another reason to read Gear Patrol

Because we weren’t sure that Gear Patrol was relevant before, now we’re going to have to pay MORE attention to them with the advent of Gear Patrol Protocol, their new Q&Aish series of commentary and counsel on all things that the males of the world might be interested in. It’s pretty obviously that they’ll drop SOME knowledge that’s going to hit home with Groomify readers, and we’ll make a point to either drop a line their way or keep you apprised if it’s not something you keep an eye on right now.

Kudos, Gear Patrol, and good luck with the new column!

Why are you getting married, anyway?

Shawn Fremstad at inclusionist writes on Tuesday about an interesting statistic from a Kaiser Family Foundation Poll, that 5% of those surveyed got married for access to health care benefits. That doesn’t mean that they discussed it, or that was part of the overall decision that maybe had them get married earlier, or anything like that - it’s that they “mainly” chose to do so for that reason.

So, here’s a question for all of you potential grooms out there - is that a “valid” reason to be the priority for getting married?

More on name changing

Our last post about brides changing their names after marriage is probably one that we could talk about until the cows come home, and I thought it worthy to bring the discussion up again today after reading this post from Feministe regarding the flipside of that. By now, most of us should know that it’s not totally out of the realm of reality for a guy to change his name to that of the person he’s marrying, though it’s clearly not that “common” as other changes might be.

That said, though, is it something that’s done for creativity reasons, one not liking their name, problems with parents, or what? I’d *love* to hear from some men who’ve changed their names upon marriage, as I don’t know anyone personally, though do have a colleague who has a friend who’s done so. For those of you who are reading this, would you consider making a name change, do you dig your future spouse-to-be’s last name more than your own, or are you coming up with a third option, maybe “hybridizing” - as some of the Feministe commenters suggest - or making up a whole new one?

Photo Frenzy: April 29, 2008

Today’s Photo Frenzy includes a kiss, an apprehension (not really), some glam brides, and an interesting Flickr group.

• Photog Carly McCray snags an excellent kiss in the background of this shot.
• Looks like some Stormtroopers are taking in this bride-to-be. [Danacea]
• This “glam” shot by movements by Shar is absolutely gorgeous, featuring a batch of brides
• Well, well, well. There’s a group on Flickr called Sexy Brides! ???
• At least we got the drink in this one, right? An interesting one from Studio One-One.

The ultimate do-it-yourself project

Now, I know one person in particular who’s got the capability to do this at his house (you know who you are…), but I haven’t really seen anyone attempting to press their entire batch of invitations before. jratlee sends us some pretty awesome photo/video links featuring Peter Baker and his fiancee, Michelle, getting their production groove on.

Impressive, to say the least.

It’s called a “holidate” now, you know?

The Globe and Mail’s Ellen Himelfarb writes this week about the concept supposedly known as a “holidate,” meaning that you and your significant other head off into the hills (or at least a decent hotel) for a weekend away, seeing how you make it on “your own.” Turns out that it’s not just a concept (and who hasn’t gone on one, right?) to talk about, it’s something that hotels are actually building packages for, whether you’re married or not.

It’s not as simple as what you think is happening here, though. There’s the whole shared bathroom thing, actually being with the person you’re potentially interested in sticking around with for more than just a few hours at a time, and so on. And yes, some hotels are even figuring out ways to program against that, too. Who knew?

This brings new meaning to “wifebeater,” no?

In what has to be one of the more horrid things I’d read in awhile comes this story from the Associated Press about a couple who got into a throwdown with one another, in Pittsburgh, after their reception. They got their jail on that night, and apparently didn’t get to see what the wedding dress looked like in the corner.

I mean, I’m sure that I’ll have a drink or four at my wedding reception, but I’m not getting caught throwing metal planters at anyone, let alone “two good Samaritans.” Sheesh.

Let’s learn some language

Ross Hill posted some VERY useful links that we should all pay attention to this week. One list is nine words / phrases that women use, the other with nine words / phrases that men use. One of my favorites on the women’s list is “Fine,” which is something I think a lot of guys are guilty of using, and meaning exactly the same thing. As for the guy list, clearly “I’m ready” is the choice, right?

To boot, The Onion enlightens us all with “Man Use Big Word.”

Popping and locking

There’s nothing better than a groom who can dance, right? This groom throws down some popping and locking like it’s going out of style.

Welcome!

Say hello to Groomify.

Welcome to a new way for the groom to participate in his pre-nuptial experience, without having to deal with all the fluff. Just because you aren’t interested in whether or not your reception will feature satin, damask or lace tablecloths doesn’t mean you don’t have anything to do, right? This site aims to feature the best gear - from tuxedos to shoes - details on the hottest places to head off on your honeymoon and what kind of music you need to be all about for that dance with your mom. Beyond that, though, we’re making it a lot more casual, and talking about things that you could associate with your wedding or related activities, but can look at without wedding pricing, and hopefully give you an idea or two that’s “out of the box” or at least a little less pre-packaged.

This site isn’t meant to be simply an FAQ or a version of About.com for grooms looking for wedding-related info, but a constantly evolving blog and community. Our goals are to keep a close eye on what people are interested in reading, whether it be more focused on ill-fitting tuxedos and how to avoid them or how to keep bridesmaids at bay from your groomsman brother, and make sure we’re providing you with what you want to read.

We hope you’ll stick around, subscribe to our email or RSS feed, and feel free to drop us a line anytime. Thanks for stopping in!

Keeping blemishes to a minimum

Last week, Tris Hussey shared some pretty awesome tips on getting rid of the zits that might be plaguing your face (among other places). I’ll chime in with a comment that the hot compress (dude, it’s just a towel or washcloth that you get filled with mega-hot water) definitely works on the reg, and is obviously the first recommendation most people who know what they’re talking about give. From personal experience, I’ll say that while this works for me, this Tweezerman blackhead / whitehead remover is by far the most effective tool.

The only trick with the remover is that having help is the way to go. While I’m definitely not a fan of actually participating in the process, I know it works, every single time. Thankfully, my fiancee is on point with it and makes sure to take care of this for me as much as possible. Combine that with a cleanser (and yes, you can use it in the shower) like Kiehl’s Blue Herbal Gel Cleanser and Blue Herbal Spot Treatment (after trying a million things, I’ve found Kiehl’s to work so much better than a lot of others - but try ‘em out yourself), and you should be able to keep yourself looking good for that big day - and beyond.

To groom cake or not to groom cake

Over the years, there are surely hundreds of wedding traditions that have come and gone with time, and sometimes crop up again. Of late, something curious I’ve seen a lot more of in reading - but not in practice at weddings I’ve been to - is the groom’s cake. Groom’s cake, you might ask? Who needs another cake with the 87 types of passed desserts, primary wedding cake, and whatever else is floating around at a reception, right? Well, as it turns out it’s not necessarily just for the reception, and can actually be shared at a rehearsal dinner, or so Wikipedia and other sources day.

So, what exactly would make you decide to drop some extra coin on a groom’s cake? And I ask about the extra coin because I most certainly seen any mention of a groom’s cake being included in any wedding reception packages to date. From that aforementioned Wikipedia article, the groom’s cake might show something having to do with hobbies or interests of the groom. If that’s the case, then I’m guessing that this cake from Pink Cake Box is supposed to let us know that the groom enjoys fishing, huh?

At first glance, the cynic in me looks at this and says “well, this gives the groom something that the groom picks since the bride probably picked the wedding cake.” But, maybe it’s not as much about compensation as it about showing something interesting about the groom, who might not be one to share too much with others, even if it’s with the friends and family of the son-to-be-betrothed. I’m also wondering if this offers an interesting opportunity for the uninvolved groom to work a little something-something into the events.

Does that mean that I, along with a bunch of other random grooms, will start buying groom cakes for our nuptials? Probably not. But, with the popularity of Charm City Cakes via Food Network’s “Ace of Cakes,” it’s not such a terrible idea, is it? Plus, you know your spouse-to-be isn’t going to let you put Super Mario Bros. mushrooms on your cake, right?

[photo credit: penywise]

Photo Frenzy: April 27, 2008

The latest batch of photo frenzy shots feature a pretty awesome bachelor party idea, some great perspective, and more.

• A fascinating perspective on glassware from squishies
• Photographer Matt Penning shares an excellently-composed “final shot” of a bride and groom
• For those of you who wonder where the bride and groom are while you’re chowing down at cocktail hour, a lot of times they’re taking photos like this one from Claire de Lune
• I’m a huge fan of shots of clothing and other accessories when they’re “on their own” pre-nuptials, and this great shot from Rafaela Azevedo hits the mark perfectly
• I don’t know about you guys, but this might be one of the more badass bachelor party ideas I’ve ever seen, and in full color. Check out Wes’ Bachelor Party, where the participants apparently got donuts and fired guns. Hmmmm. Thanks, KidMoxie!
• I’ve seen some doozies when it comes to wedding cake ornaments, but this one featuring a bride dragging the groom across the ground as shot by LightStamp is pretty fantastic.

Boom Chicka Boom

Okay, before you get the wrong idea, this isn’t “bow-chicka-wow-wow” a la the porn movie music you’re thinking about, it’s the “I said a boom-chicka-boom” that you are probably familiar with, especially if you’ve gone to summer camp.

Check out a groom leading the “Boom Chicka Boom” recital at his wedding. It’s … interesting.

[update] - looks like this vid has been taken down and is now private, sorry you’re missing it!

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