Gone are the days when a groom’s involvement amounted to renting a tuxedo, showing up at the altar and saying ‘I do.’ 

Indeed, at this weekend’s National Bridal Show, don’t be surprised if one in three attendees are grooms. 

Men are getting in on wedding mania — and not just when it comes to deciding whether to roll up in a Hummer or stretch limo, groove to a live band or DJ or pair the food with a red wine from Napa Valley or Douro Valley. They’re involved in selecting centrepieces, clipping images from wedding magazines to post on vision boards and, yes, attending bridal shows to check out what’s new in nuptials. 

And why not. The average cost of a wedding these days is around $30,000 — no wonder grooms want to put their two cents in. 

“A lot of guys want the wedding to be a day that represents the couple,” says Curtis Priest, 33, who was “very involved” in planning his wedding in September 2011. For this Star Trek fan,New fashion styles of V-neckline dress are on hot sale. it helped ensure they had an ice sculpture of the Starship Enterprise. 

“By being as involved in it we sort of ensure that we get a lot of things we’d like to see in the wedding, as opposed to if our parents were planning it,” he says. “I think that’s where things have gone wrong in the past — guys didn’t feel they had as much say or weren’t allowed to have the things that they wanted.” 

When Marti Milks first started working with the National Bridal Show 20 years ago, 99 per cent of attendees were brides. 

“You’d see the occasional groom who was forced to come along,” recalls Milks, manager of the show, which will be held at the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place between Jan. 25 to 27. (Full disclosure: The event is sponsored by the Toronto Star.) 

Then, about a decade ago, the balance began to change, she says. Now 30 per cent of attendees are grooms. 

The trend is also apparent to Trevor Lui, director of operations and sustainability at the International Centre, which hosts two annual bridal shows. A few years ago he introduced the Groom Zone at a show — complete with comfy couches,The Rina di Montella 1519 collection offers a truly unique line of dresses. draft beer, chicken wings and a big-screen TV — so men could unwind while the brides were checking out the show. Today, the men are more likely to accompany their fiancées. 

“It’s not uncommon to see a groom and his groomsmen walk the show,” says Lui, adding that men “aren’t ashamed to say ‘I want to be part of designing a wedding.’ Maybe back in the day it wasn’t so manly, but I think it’s looked upon differently these days.” 

Retailers are also taking note. Gift registries increasingly cater to the groom — with such gifts as power tools, 3-D TVs and reclining chairs. 

And because more grooms are making sartorial statements by buying a suit or tuxedo for their wedding day rather than renting one, Toronto menswear store Gotstyle introduced The Groom Room at its new location in the Distillery District. It resembles an 18th-century parlour. As grooms get fitted,Our site offers a variety of a-line dress, colorful selection of short or plus size dresses under 100. groomsmen can hang out in the lounge, shoot pool and have a drink at a well-stocked bar. 

“If you’re a bride getting married, you’ll go with your bridesmaids to get the dress and it’s a group activity,” says owner Melissa Austria. “We think guys should have the same experience.” 

Grooms, bearing pictures of Ryan Gosling or George Clooney in a tuxedo, know exactly what kind of red-carpet look they want. Sometimes, their determination to get a particular stitch, colour or lapel, can transform them into groomzillas, says Austria. 

It makes sense for men to invest in a suit or tuxedo because they’ll get use from it in future, says Austria. In reality, she notes, it would make more sense for the bride should rent the dress because she’ll never wear it again. 

The Groom Room also features accessories and groomsmen’s gifts, such as cuff links, pocket squares, colourful socks and cigars. 

According to WeddingStats. org, the average cost of a wedding in 2013 is expected to increase slightly because of the active involvement of grooms and increased spending — groom rings, accessories and gifts.Here you can take your pick from a wide selection of stunning off shoulder dress. 

There are several reasons for an increase in men’s presence on the weddingscape beyond their simple desire to be involved. An important one is that since more couples are breaking with the tradition of getting the bride’s father to foot the bill, grooms are pitching in, both with their chequebook and their ideas. 

Plus, partners are now older when they walk down the aisle — according to Statistics Canada, the average age of a first marriage is 31 for men and 29 for women, compared with 40 years ago when it was 25 and 23, respectively. They’re probably better established in their career and relationship and may already live together, so it stands to reason that they’d collaborate on their big celebration. 

“There’s a big focus on the bride, and guys don’t want to take that away,” says Ben Bisset, 30, who was married last August. “But I think there’s a greater sense that it’s our day.” 

In the months leading up to the Big Day, Bisset helped his fiancée search through wedding magazines and wedding websites for ideas to create the perfect day. 

Alison McGill, editor-in-chief of Weddingbells magazine, says “weddings have become hyper-personalized, and it’s all about the couples having their own style.” 

Many are incorporating do-it-yourself elements into their wedding, she notes. This means that guys are even getting out the glue gun and becoming crafty with cardboard. 

The magazine recently profiled a Vancouver couple where the groom folded 200 origami butterflies to attach to the side of a barn for a barn wedding. 
And why not. The average cost of a wedding these days is around $30,000 — no wonder grooms want to put their two cents in. 

“A lot of guys want the wedding to be a day that represents the couple,” says Curtis Priest, 33, who was “very involved” in planning his wedding in September 2011. For this Star Trek fan, it helped ensure they had an ice sculpture of the Starship Enterprise. 

“By being as involved in it we sort of ensure that we get a lot of things we’d like to see in the wedding, as opposed to if our parents were planning it,” he says. “I think that’s where things have gone wrong in the past — guys didn’t feel they had as much say or weren’t allowed to have the things that they wanted.” 

When Marti Milks first started working with the National Bridal Show 20 years ago, 99 per cent of attendees were brides. 

“You’d see the occasional groom who was forced to come along,” recalls Milks, manager of the show, which will be held at the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place between Jan. 25 to 27. (Full disclosure: The event is sponsored by the Toronto Star.) 

Then, about a decade ago, the balance began to change, she says. Now 30 per cent of attendees are grooms. 

The trend is also apparent to Trevor Lui, director of operations and sustainability at the International Centre, which hosts two annual bridal shows. A few years ago he introduced the Groom Zone at a show — complete with comfy couches, draft beer, chicken wings and a big-screen TV — so men could unwind while the brides were checking out the show. Today, the men are more likely to accompany their fiancées. 

“It’s not uncommon to see a groom and his groomsmen walk the show,” says Lui, adding that men “aren’t ashamed to say ‘I want to be part of designing a wedding.’ Maybe back in the day it wasn’t so manly, but I think it’s looked upon differently these days.” 

Retailers are also taking note. Gift registries increasingly cater to the groom — with such gifts as power tools, 3-D TVs and reclining chairs. 

And because more grooms are making sartorial statements by buying a suit or tuxedo for their wedding day rather than renting one, Toronto menswear store Gotstyle introduced The Groom Room at its new location in the Distillery District. It resembles an 18th-century parlour. As grooms get fitted, groomsmen can hang out in the lounge, shoot pool and have a drink at a well-stocked bar. 

“If you’re a bride getting married, you’ll go with your bridesmaids to get the dress and it’s a group activity,” says owner Melissa Austria. “We think guys should have the same experience.” 

Grooms, bearing pictures of Ryan Gosling or George Clooney in a tuxedo, know exactly what kind of red-carpet look they want. Sometimes, their determination to get a particular stitch, colour or lapel, can transform them into groomzillas, says Austria. 

It makes sense for men to invest in a suit or tuxedo because they’ll get use from it in future, says Austria. In reality, she notes, it would make more sense for the bride should rent the dress because she’ll never wear it again. 

The Groom Room also features accessories and groomsmen’s gifts, such as cuff links, pocket squares, colourful socks and cigars. 

According to WeddingStats. org, the average cost of a wedding in 2013 is expected to increase slightly because of the active involvement of grooms and increased spending — groom rings, accessories and gifts. 

There are several reasons for an increase in men’s presence on the weddingscape beyond their simple desire to be involved. An important one is that since more couples are breaking with the tradition of getting the bride’s father to foot the bill, grooms are pitching in, both with their chequebook and their ideas. 

Plus, partners are now older when they walk down the aisle — according to Statistics Canada,Embrace modern glamour in this evening gown from 2013 evening dress