It has been an quite a year at Dream Design Weddings, we've had the pleasure to plan and design weddings for several grooms from the NFL! As a tribute to opening of the 2013 season, Dream Design looks back on a few of our NFL Grooms
Dream Design Weddings by Tiffany Cook Groom ESPN Analyst Kordell Stewart and former Steelers QB
Dream Design Weddings by Tiffany Cook NFL Groom Johnathan Joseph CB Houston Texans
Dream DesignWeddings by Tiffany Cook NFL Groom Lee Evans Ravens WR
This is one of my favorite times of the year. NFL camp has broken and we book more clients at this time of the year than any other!
Whether you chose to go the over dinner proposal route or go all out and book a trip to Paris and propose in the city famous for love, you can't go wrong!
The most important thing is that you do it! If she's been there since the couch money digging sessions since college, then now is the time to make it official. You know she's not going anywhere, so you need to show her your not either! Put that ring on it!
Grooms want to be involved with the wedding planning process! But only a few want to be committed to every single aspect. In all of my years as a husband to a wedding planner there has only been one groom that was on every single conference call. Don’t worry I won’t give out your name. Nor will I name the pro athlete grooms that found us on Platinum Weddings! The majority of grooms are interested in the following items and could pretty much gloss over the rest!!
Food! Of course, this is a no brainer! Guys this is your time to put your “Man Stamp” on the wedding. Share your ideas and thoughts to your planner. She can help bring your craziest ideas to fruition and help it blend in with the rest of the menu or find a way to hide it!
Music! Time to break out those cd’s ( do they still have those?) and go thru a time warp and relive those songs from your early days together. Bring back a couple of classics that will make her laugh or cry! Here’s your chance to earn a few points by putting some time into it.
Cigar Roller! One of the coolest things you can have at your wedding. You get the most bang for your buck with this option. Besides some really cool photo’s, this totally puts a “Man Stamp”on a normally girly event. Even if you don’t smoke cigars, it’s pretty cool to watch someone roll a cigar that is just for you and your guests. It will make it seem like you went all out even though it didn’t cost that much. Remember if you don’t have an outside area to smoke you can always wait to light up later or have the cigar roller package them for travel.
Vodka Ice Luge! Another “Man Stamp”item! Another "Platinum Wedding" item that won’t break the bank. Nothing gets the party going like food, music and alcohol.
Vodka Icebar Another "Man Stamp" item! Throw in some shooters down an ice luge and you’ve got some great times!! If you wish to spend more there is always the whiskey bar sampler or ice bar with ice champagne buckets!
Suits/Tux! Your wedding photos are going to around for a long time. It amazes me to see so much thought, time and money put into the brides gown and most of the time little to none put into the grooms attire. “I will just rent a tux!” A rental seriously?? Think about it she’s going to have hair & makeup professionally done plus on average she will spend $5000 plus on a gown and you’re going to go rent a tux and show up? You don’t have to be a metrosexual to see that the rental tux will fit you in the shoulders and nothing else. And nothing makes you feel like a $100 than rental shoes! Guys there are alternatives, buy a nice suit which you can do for less than a thousand dollars, have it tailored and you get to wear more than once. Change it up for the ceremony by adding a bow tie and vest.
John A. Cook The Groom Concierge
Then remove both and maybe change your shirt for the reception. Most brides are opting for the dress change after ceremony. Now you can do the same with out breaking the bank. Grooms, there are so many things you can bring to your wedding…or simply ask your wedding planner for ideas!! John A Cook is married to WE TV's Platinum Weddings Planner Tiffany Cook that specializes in pro athlete weddings and events. In addition to providing his services as a Groom Concierge he is an avid golfer that uses any excuse to take a groom golfing…
So you've found the person you want to spend and share your life with! Congrats! Now how do you propose?
For my proposal I booked a trip to Paris for Valentines Day and everyone from her friends & family were covinced I would propose. But I wasn't going to make it easy for her. Guys, this is one of the times we have her right where we want her. She knows something's up, but it's our job to make her confused and off balance. Have some fun with it. One of our NFL clients pulled the old bait and switch. The girl was convinced she was getting an engagement ring, but he pulled out a jewelry box with earrings in it. While she loved the huge diamonds earrings, she was expecting more. While she was in the ladies room putting on the new gift, he brought out the engagement ring and put it at her spot. She didn't notice it at first and seemed a lil off that she didn't get a ring. THEN she noticed the other box and her face lit up and she squealed! Guys, change it up and make it fun!!
So back to Paris. I ordered Tiffany's engagement ring before we left Palm Beach but it wasn't ready by the time our flight left so I figured I would just do the family dinner proposal when we got back. But once I was in Paris I was overwhelmed and knew I would not leave that amazing city with out proposing to my baby! But what was I going to do about a ring, even though we were staying a short metro ride from the Champ de Elyesses i didn't want to spend a small fortune on the "other" ring. So I decided to sneak out while she was shopping and find a ring that is suitable but won't upstage my real ring. You can see the story here...
So I finally have a ring and now I have to figure out where to propose. So after 5 days in Paris there were few places we haven't seen so I suggested a trip to the top of the Eiffel tower. We walk to the tower and there is this long line. And I am ancy as hell! After 5 minutes I decided to scrap the tower plan and decided to take a walk thru the champ de mars and propose there. As we are walking thru the park I am trying to open the box with gloves on, with out giving it away. Finally I find a bench and ask her to sit. She feels kinda crazy because I'm all over the place. First the tower, then a walk the the park, now I want to sit. The snow had melted and left a pretty good size puddle in front of the bench. But being a true southerner and romantic, I took off my hat, put one knee in the mud and got the ring out. For someone who might've had an inclination she was TOTALLY blown away. She said yes and I was able to breathe again!! Even after all our time together I was still nervous! We enjoyed the rest of walk as an engaged couple!
Guys, remember besides the wedding day this will be your best chance to blow her away. Make the most of it!
You don't have to break the bank with your proposal, but spend some real time planning it out...make it the other big day!
