Grooms can take part in wedding planning

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Weddings are full of references to the bride. From the traditional "Bridal Chorus," played during the ceremony, to friends and family members making up the "bridal party" to the holding of a "bridal shower" where the bride-to-be is doted upon and presented with a myriad of wonderful gifts, one might wonder just how the groom fits into the grand scheme of things. After all, it seems he doesn't share equal weddingday billing.

In the past, grooms did take a backseat when it came to weddings, preferring to have their fiancees do the majority of the planning. However, these days men are becoming involved in more activities that were traditionally thought of as womanly tasks - caring for children, helping with housework, and taking an active role in wedding planning. The trouble is, the majority of wedding resources are still skewed toward the female audience, leaving men searching for advice catering to the masculine ear.

"The groom has wedding responsibilities and wants to help with wedding planning, but he's often in the dark about what to do," says Mark Walerstein, founder of GroomsOnline (www.groomsonline. com), an informational Web site offering tips, pointers and timesaving hints designed to make the planning process more fun, relaxing and rewarding for the man.

The groom, best man or groomsmen can check out the site for wedding-day checklists, attire pointers and bachelor party planning ideas. In addition, there's even a full-service online gift shop so that gifts can be purchased for wedding party members, parents ... and the ladies, too.