You’ve popped the question, set the date, and decided on who you want as groomsmen. Now the only thing left to do is figure out how to ask them. Don’t overthink it–chances are, some of your friends will know you’re planning to ask them.
However, if you’re trying to think of creative ways to “propose” to your groomsmen, you can get some inspiration here. You may wonder, are groomsmen proposals a thing? They definitely are. Read on for our picks for the 8 best groomsmen proposal ideas.
Send a Formal Invitation
There are multiple ways to do this. If you are sending out save-the-date cards, you can include a formal invitation along with the ones you’re sending to the friends you want to be groomsmen. Or, you can send these separately.
This can be a fun opportunity to get creative and design something that reflects your personality.
Go Out for a Special Dinner
Invite your potential groomsmen out for dinner at your favorite place and propose to them towards the end of the night. You can be casual about it, or do something different like having the waitperson deliver your request with dessert.
If you want to make it personal, take each possible groomsman out one at a time instead of all at once. If you’re nervous about asking, catching up over a meal with your buddy can make you feel more relaxed. Chances are, the subject will come up naturally.
Prepare a Wedding Day Tool Kit
Put together a box of things your groomsmen can wear on your special day like dress socks, a tie clip and/or tie, cufflinks, and a pocket square. Pack everything up nicely and include a card asking them to stand with you on your special day. It can be something as simple as, “Will you be my groomsman?,” or you can make it more personal by alluding to an inside joke the two of you share.
Plan a Guys’ Night
Have a guys’ night in or out, or rent a private room in an arcade or other venue and gather your future groomsmen for a night of games, drinks, snacks, and bonding. At some point in the night, tell everyone why they’re there and ask them all at once, or pull people aside individually.
Take a Weekend Trip
This is similar to the guys’ night idea above, but instead of just one night, spend a few days together. Rent a cabin, go camping, or get a nice hotel room in a fun city and make a weekend out of it. If you want to ask your groomsmen individually, having a weekend away will give you more opportunities to pull them aside one at a time.
Make It Personal
You can find all sorts of personalized items on Etsy, so ask your buds to be your groomsmen with a personalized keepsake. When we checked out the options, we found custom-made beer bottle labels, flasks, money clips, shot glasses, sunglasses, and socks, but these model head bottle openers were our favorite.
Give a Gift
When someone is a groomsman, it’s traditional for the groom to give them a gift. A nice shave kit, a bottle of their favorite whiskey, and cigars are classic choices. But you know your friends better than anyone, so if usual gifts aren’t their style, get them something better suited to their tastes. Is he outdoorsy? Does he enjoy films? Is he a great cook? The possibilities are endless. Wrap the gift and include a card asking them to be in your wedding party.
Do It Together
Once you and your future spouse have both decided on your wedding party, invite all the potential groomsmen and bridesmaids over for drinks and appetizers, game night, or dinner. Sometime during the evening, you both can formally ask everyone all at once to stand up with you on your special day, and the celebration can really get started.
Now that you’ve read our suggestions for groomsmen proposal ideas, which one appeals to you? Let us know in the comments. And if you need any help planning your honeymoon, check out our trip planning page or our many articles on honeymoons like the best tropical honeymoon destinations, best honeymoon destinations by month, best Sandals resorts for honeymoons, Caribbean honeymoon destinations, best beach honeymoon destinations in the U.S., and 70 honeymoon destinations for every sort of couple.