S&G’s “Speech Therapy” section, says Hanage, promises to keep a groom from “cracking a joke during his speech that’s so inappropriate that everyone cringes or bursts into tears.” Grooms’ priorities have changed: nowadays the engaged man wants a suit that’ll suit his style, a vintage Rolls for wedding-day transport and a gift list packed with high-tech gizmos. Most of all, he wants to be more than arm candy.
tip sheet’s guide to the new groom’s duties (hint–it’s more than just showing up):
THE REGISTRY Then: Teakettles and towels–chosen by the bride. Now: Champagne and scuba gear. If, like most engaged couples, you’re already cohabiting, you won’t want more cutlery. Confetti.co.uk recommends drawing up an adventure-based gift list for trips you’re planning (like your honeymoon), whether it’s to the Great Barrier Reef or the slopes of Gstaad. Or point guests to Finest wine.com, where you can register for cases of Petrus to be delivered to your door.
THE BACHELOR PARTY Then: Strippers and beer. Now: Connect with your best buddies on a getaway weekend. Budget airlines make flying to Tallinn, Estonia, a great option for Londoners. (stag abroad.com), or bond over target shooting, white-water rafting or parachuting. Some men even use the stag to get spiffed up for the big day, with back waxes, facials and tanning. Elizabeth Arden (reddoor salons.com) offers a “Red Door Men’s Club” spa treatment at salons across Europe and the United States.
THE WEDDING DAY Then: “Her big day.” Now: “Our big day.” Men are increasingly interested in helping choose everything from the cake to the bridesmaids’ dresses. OK, maybe not the flowers.
THE HONEYMOON Then: A week on the beach. Now: A six-month sabbatical. More couples are taking a leave from their jobs and traveling. Volunteerabroad.com helps couples share a meaningful experience–from living with nuns in Ladakh to teaching English in Gambia. And because you’ll be working, the whole thing costs no more than a week in the Maldives.
TRAVEL Hobbit Trails
Since the success of Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, tours of Middle-earth (a.k.a. New Zealand) have popped up. TIP SHEET’s favorite ways to follow Frodo’s footsteps:
BY HELICOPTER: Fly over the slopes of the Misty Mountains and the thick forests of Isengard. Heliworks pilots transported the cast around the South Island and have stories to tell (heliworks .co.nz; from US$198).
BY BOAT: Raft past the Pillars of the Kings on the Great River Anduin (extremegreenrafting .com; from $90). Kayak down the Dart River (dartriver.co.nz; from $158).
ON WHEELS: Take a safari on the road to Mordor in a four-wheel drive (nomadsafaris.co.nz; $80),
BY FOOT: Walk through the rolling hills of Hobbiton and the Shire, located south of Auckland (hobbitontours.com; $34). Use a GPS device to find movie locations (redcarpet tours.com; from $2,200). -Sarah Sennott
BEAUTY Spring Tresses
Spring means warm breezes, budding flowers–and, of course, luxurious new locks. We talked to top hairstylists to find out what’s in this year. The verdict: soft, ultrafeminine and movie-star glamorous.
CASCADING CURLS: For a relaxed, fun and sexy look–Julia Roberts, anyone? –go for bouncy, textured hair you can tuck behind your ears. “It’s measured messiness,” says Mark Garrison of New York’s Mark Garrison Salon, “giving high design to otherwise frumpy hair.”
ROLLING WAVES: Polished and elegant, this look was popularized by leading ladies of film’s golden era, such as Jean Harlow and Brigitte Bardot. Charlize Theron updated the look at last month’s Oscars; her platinum bob had stylists scrambling for old-fashioned wave clamps. “Bold, beautiful hair is back,” says New York stylist Frederic Fekkai.
THE MICROSHAG: Not as short as a boy cut but shorter than a bob, it’s “shag meets pixie” as Garrison says–short in the back but with “movement and swing.” Kirsten Dunst wore the style to ravishing effect.
BANGS: More for the buck, as Jennifer Garner made clear. “Everyone wants to know about bangs,” says Garrison. “The momentum is out of control.” A bang that angles up from the cheekbone is a great way to revitalize straight hair.
FOR MEN: Bag the ’70s shag in favor of James Dean cool. As Tom Cruise proved at the Oscars, short and defined is in; scraggly rock and roll is so yesterday. –Karin Bennett
SLIM FIT Last week McDonald’s announced it would downsize its Super Size french fries in the United States, from 610 calories to 540 calories. Portions in Ireland and Great Britain were also slated for slimming. But as tip sheet discovered, different choices of oil and cheese, and smaller hunks of meat, meant that one Super Size does not fit all. -Karin Bennett
NIGHTLIFE DRUNK ON AIRCOHOL
Want to get drunk? Take a deep breath and relax. The new Alcohol Without Liquid (AWOL) machine promises a breathable buzz by mixing booze with oxygen. Users inhale the vapor through a hookah-like mouthpiece. Is it safe? Medical experts are divided, but AWOL creator Dominic Simler insists it’s no worse than drinking. “The two elements–alcohol and oxygen–are safe and legal,” he says. According to Liz Lewitt, owner of Il Bordello bar in Bristol, England, machine users consume only one shot of alcohol an hour. “It’s as much the oxygen that gets you giddy,” she says. “Honestly, you get bored before you get drunk.”
Il Bordello has had a waiting list since it added the machine to its bar in February, and Lewitt says the main appeal is the taste. “Doing it with oxygen really brings out the flavor,” she says. Sales of the new machine have mostly been to private consumers, but nightclubs are picking up on the fad. “It’s a really chilled-out feeling,” says Simler. “You pass it around, it’s very sociable.” But the best part? No hangover–and no calories, either, he says. So would you like your martini shaken, stirred or vaporized? –Kyle Monson
HEALTH Skip The Jet Lag
Planning the trip of your dreams and worried you’ll spend it in a daze, catching up to the local time zone? Check out the Argonne Anti-Jet-Lag Diet at anti jetlagdiet.com. For about $11 the site will give you a plan to prevent jet lag based on your itinerary. (You can actually glean enough info to figure out your own program free of charge.) Developed by the U.S. Argonne National Laboratory, the program has real science behind it. In a test on 186 National Guard members flying across nine time zones, nondieters flying east were 7.5 times more likely to experience jet lag; on the return trip west, nondieters were 16.2 times more likely to feel rotten. And don’t let the word “diet” scare you: you won’t be counting calories. The plan starts three days before your flight by alternating high-protein meals with high-carb meals. No use celebrating, though. Cocktails are strictly forbidden.
