It’s the final night of freedom, so they say. The groom is away from his soon-to-be bride. Or is he? Where does he stay and who with? Here is what you need to know.
So, where does the groom stay the night before the wedding? A groom will traditionally stay with close friends or groomsmen at home, in a hotel, or at the venue. A lot depends on where the wedding is and where the bride chooses to stay. The decision will also depend on preferences and any plans and activities that are organized for the night.
Traditionally speaking, the bride and groom should not see each other until the ceremony on the wedding day.
It’s been deemed bad luck, and no one wants to start their marriage off with some bad luck!
Whether you believe in superstitions or not, this is one that is generally followed!
But this leaves many questions regarding who stays with the groom and what they typically do the night before the wedding.
Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered!
Where Can The Groom Stay The Night Before The Wedding?
While it may be a very sentimental night for the bride, it is also possible that the groom feels the same way too. In this case, you may see that they prefer to stay with their family and have a calm night. Other’s enjoy the bromance company of their groomsmen and opt for a friend’s house or a hotel.
Here are some of the main options for a groom when separating from his bride for the night.
Home
Believe it or not, the groom has to be rested just like the bride does.
While ultimately, the bride may have a long day or wedding responsibilities to get ready, it is still vital for the groom to get a good night’s sleep as well.
They may opt for home because of the following.
- Sleeping in their bed and having a chill night is very normal for a groom. Likely the bride is to go out with her friends and continue to do pre-wedding stuff. The groom may just stay home and relax at his wedding party or just a friend or two.
- The whole party may stay at home because they have some heavy lifting and transporting to do with whatever wedding things they were assigned by the bride. This stuff likely is coming from the house to the venue, or if the venue is the house, they can start setting up nice and early.
Moms/Dads
If your mom or dad has a lake house or an ideal place to set up and spend the night with your friends, then it’s never a bad idea to hang out with them the night before the wedding.
Sometimes grooms would rather spend the time with their family doing traditional things that have meaning to them.
Friends
One of the more common places that grooms escape to if they have a local wedding is their buddies.
The reason being is that men traditionally have offered the bride the first option to stay at home to be courteous.
Then that leaves them all crashing at a buddy’s house, having a total dude night filled with pizza and video games.
Hotel
If none of your friends are up for hosting a bachelor night, then staying in a hotel is also a very popular choice.
The groom and his men can rent out a few rooms and spend most of the day doing local activities.
This usually falls in line with weddings that aren’t local, and the wedding venue does not have rooms right on site.
Venue
If you’re having a wedding at a country club, then there is no better place to stay.
You can easily coordinate with the bride and her mates to make sure that your golf outing doesn’t cross paths with their activities.
Often venues will offer discounts for certain activities for the wedding party when they agree to host the wedding.
What Should A Groom Do The Night Before The Wedding?
The groom should do something that suits his preferences, whether that is more laid-back or more involved. It is ultimately up to him to decide what he does and who with.
So with the locations being nearly identical to where a bride can stay the night before, the answer to what a groom can do remains similar as well.
It’s their wedding so what a groom wants to do is completely up to them.
Having said that, there are some more common activities among others that grooms tend to choose.
Here are some of the most common activities for grooms to do the night before.
At Home
If your bride was courteous enough to give the groom and his men the pad, there is a good reason for it!
Kidding.
Well, maybe not.
While most of the activities can be fun at home, it doesn’t hurt to look at a few final things that need to be done for the wedding.
- If there is any setup left to do, it is not bad to get it done if possible the night before. This could be anything from tables that need to be put out if there is no rain in the forecast. The only thing that the groom wants to be careful about here is not straining themselves by trying to do it alone. This is a job for all the buddies at the wedding.
- Video games, anyone? We all know Call of Duty can start to feel like the Olympics, so why not make a game night out of this occasion. Pair it up with some pizza, and it doesn’t get much better than that.
At Moms/Dads
As mentioned, if your mom and dad have an ideal setup for hosting a great party, then it is worth taking a look here.
It is also genuinely worth spending some time with family the night before since it is such a special occasion the next day.
- No reason you can’t have the same video game and pizza night at mom and pops like you would at your own home.
- Spending time with the family doing traditional things your family used to do but incorporating your friends is a great way to bond the parties. This could be sitting out at the firepit, going to a local restaurant, etc.
With Friends
Staying at a friend’s is one of the most common destinations for grooms the night before the wedding.
This is because normally the groom offers the home for a local wedding for his bride so they can get things ready and relax at home.
- We’ve said it before, and we will say it again games, games, games! Poker night, anyone? A poker game is a great option for those who don’t love video games, or why not combine the two?
- A round of golf, fishing, or any active activity that suits the groom and his friends is worth doing. If it’s hot, beware of sunburn. No one wants a lobster for a groom for the wedding.
At The Hotel/Venue
For any sort of travel or destination wedding, then it’s incredibly common for both parties to stay at a nearby hotel or the venue itself.
- As mentioned, it’s not unheard of a venue to offer special promotions on golf or tennis if this is where you are hosting a wedding. Take advantage of any and all amenities.
- If you’re staying in a hotel nearby, there is likely touristy activities in the area that can be explored the day before the wedding. It may be a brewery or a local casino.
Do Groomsmen Stay The Night Before The Wedding?
It’s not as common for the groomsmen to stay as it is for the bridesmaids. Having said that, it is something that is sometimes done.
Besides, the groom can appreciate good company partaking in any of the activities listed above.
This becomes even likely when it is a destination wedding or requires a bit of travel for everyone.
The other time where it is pretty common to have the groomsmen stay over is when help is required in setting up.
The Grooms Final Night
Because the groom will not be staying with his soon-to-be-wife, that only leaves for the night to be a solo one or one filled with friends, family, and wedding party members.
While there are many options for where you can stay the night before your wedding, it mainly depends on where your wedding is.
When you stay local at your house, your family and friends become a great option.
When the wedding becomes a little more of a distance, then likely, you are staying at the venue or a hotel.
Regardless of where you stay, there are some great options revolving around good food and great activities.
This may be sports like golf, tennis, and fishing, or it may be a great night of poker and losing all your money.
Just don’t lose too much, or you may find yourself with a runaway bride or a swift marriage!
The final night is about enjoying yourself and preparing yourself for what is supposed to be one of the best days of your life.
The same goes for the bride and where she chooses to stay.
Whatever will make you feel happy and prepared physically and mentally for the next day is fair game.
Hey, I’m Allison – a recent bride, an expectant mother and the chief editor here at Everlasting Occasion. Here I document all the knowledge and experience I accumulated while researching and planning my dream wedding and ahead of our new baby. Here, I try to answer those many questions couples have when planning their dream wedding, while equally, helping expectant parents ahead of their new arrival!