Maloney, who works for MBNA America, has been helping plan his wedding to Meghan Grannas, a first-grade teacher, since last November.
"When we first started, both of us decided it was going to be 50/50," says Maloney, who lives in Perry Hall. "She said, 'You're going to be as much a part of this as I am,' and everybody was pretty happy." He says Grannas, 23, might be slightly ahead in the work for their July wedding. But Maloney is no slouch.
He's planned most of the ceremony because it's in a Catholic church, and Maloney's Catholic. And they both chose the caterer and the flowers.
"Tim was involved from the very beginning," says Donna Grannas, Meghan's mother. "That's the way today's generation is being brought up."
When Grannas, 49, married her husband Robert, 52, in 1971, things were different. "I did all the planning," she says. "I don't even think he cared. It was part of the times. But now, because he sees all the involvement, he feels a little left out."
For his part, Robert Grannas jovially announces he's "got all the bills covered."
But no matter which half of the couple does what, Knickerbocker says it's crucial to keep one thing in mind: "Don't let yourself get so caught up in the planning that you forget what it's all about."
And what it's about, says Bratten, "is making each other happy."
Sources for the involved groom
Among the sea of bridal guides, finding resources designed for the groom-to-be is still a fairly daunting task. As David Knickerbocker, founder of For the Groom magazine, says, "No guy wants to be caught dead reading a bridal magazine." Instead of donning dark glasses and hiding with a copy of Bride's, try these:
* For the Groom: As a national wedding magazine for the modern male, FTG is a lonely and singular voice. The quarterly publication offers articles you'd find in bridal magazines but tailored to the groom, including fitness tips, finance guides, romance boosters and wedding to-do lists. Available at major booksellers and drugstores, $3.99.
* My Wedding Companion (CD-ROM): Scott Geesey of Odenton found this software especially helpful in arranging the seating chart for his wedding. "You can put in the probability of each guest actually showing up," he says, and it spits out a configuration with a scientific basis, something that might appeal to the less-sentimental man. Available from Five Star Software, www.fivestarsoftware.com, $44.95.
* Marylandweddings.com: While this site is still filled with phrases like "bridal registry," it offers grooms access to local vendors and articles with ideas specifically for Maryland couples. And it's on the Internet. Guys can sit in the comfort of their own home and surf as many bridal sites as they want without fear of the word getting out, and there are many to surf. Best of all, it's free.
