The Sexes Compared: And Other Essays (1895)

We’ve all heard that a wedding is all about the bride, so what does that mean for the groom and his fellow gentlemen?

Are grooms simply cogs in the great wheel of marital merrymaking whose only function is to show up and say, Well, yes, I think I do ? Very likely, the wedding planning may seem like a full-scale production, directed by the bride and stage-managed by her mother. The talk of the simple, perfect ceremony dissolves into a haze of white tulle, clever party invitations, suggested menus from the caterer, and endless hand-wringing over just how many people really can fit into the church.

But before the groom starts to feel like the forgotten man of the hour he should know how important his role really is. A Gentleman Walks Down the Aisle will help the groom-to-be and his gentlemen know what to do, where to stand, what to wear, and what to say, so he can add to the joy, rather than the jitters, as the day approaches. He may even give cause for amazement when the bride frantically asks, Where should the groomsmen go to pick up their rentals? and he calmly takes her hand and says, Don’t worry, dear, I already took care of that.