Got cold feet? Congrats! You can consider yourself 'normal'. Nearly every groom gets wedding jitters at some point during their engagement (and often close to wedding day). It's a perfectly acceptable reaction to the creeping realization that you're making a huge, lifelong commitment to the institution of marriage and to another person. Here's some advice for grooms to help quell a (hopefully) minor case of cold feet.

Gulp

Last-minute emotional rushes can be overwhelming for even the most steadfast of grooms. Don't be surprised by a sudden feeling that you're headed downriver without a paddle, and with a waterfall at the end. The good news is that you are in good company. Grooms are likely to ponder - in even the best of circumstances - whether they are making the right choice, particularly with the divorce rate being so high. Jitters, of course, vary in degree. While men have long been accused of lacking emotional sensitivity, there's no doubt that we have emotions, and nerves are one of them. If it isn't apparent from your tone, your sweat glands may even do the talking for you.

But for every bout of nervousness, men are also often counted on for strength and rationality. Whether or not you are the strong and cool-headed type, allow a dose of rational thoughts enter into your mind. The key is to figure out exactly why you're a bit nervous. Don't avoid deep reflection. Long ago you decided to marry your girlfriend, whether you thought she was "The One" or the "woman of your dreams", or just the most compatible person for you. If you had felt that this was an arrangement destined for failure, you would have known long before making the marriage proposal. So what is getting your goat?

If it's a concern about compatibility, you've got to remind yourself that no one is perfect, and focus on the positive, not the negative. Focus on the honeymoon, great times ahead, a free set of knives, retirement and the little children your marriage will produce (!). Think of all the positive reasons to marry your fiancée, rather than focusing on flaws in your relationship, yourself or your fiancée. It's also a good idea to remind yourself that the flaws in your relationship are likely much less minor than the next persons'! article continues...
[Page 1 of 3]