• by Tanya Gazdik , June 12, 2013

With the height of wedding season upon us, research shows that many grooms are overwhelmed with the planning for the big day.

Mintel found that men are becoming just as flustered as women, with 32% of men saying that planning a wedding is overwhelming, compared to 42% of women reporting as much.

The men surveyed in the study have gotten married in the past two years, or are engaged to be married within the next three years.

As grooms take on a more active role in wedding planning, it's understandable that their stress level surrounding these decisions will escalate, said Fiona O'Donnell, lifestyle and leisure analyst at Mintel.

“They aren't exactly 'groom-zillas,' but they are feeling the pressure,” she says. “The implication for industry players is to acknowledge the groom's role in wedding planning and help him feel more at ease and less overwhelmed by the whole process. There are numerous planning tools marketed to brides, but opportunities exist to engage men."

It also seems that men might be taking a more active role in planning, as 39% of men reported that they were solely/mostly responsible for picking the ceremony site and a surprising 19% said they were solely or mostly responsible for choosing the bride's wedding dress. Meanwhile, a quarter (25%) were solely/mostly responsible for picking the bridal party gifts.

"Women are still the primary wedding planners, but the bottom line is that the groom is a key consumer for industry players to consider when developing marketing strategies, particularly in regard to groom and wedding party attire, food or catering, music, ceremony site, and reception venue,” she said.

“The groom is still somewhat an untapped target in the wedding market. Forward-thinking innovators will recognize the increasing influence the groom has in the wedding planning process and seek to connect with him in unique ways.”

When it comes to the big day, couples differ on what they think is the most important aspect. Forty-six percent of men, compared to 36% of women, said the ceremony site was the most important, followed by the wedding dress (12% of men vs. 30% of women) and the reception venue (15% of men vs. 13% of women).