Bachelor Parties, Barber Cuts & Bonding – Behind the Scenes with the Boys

🎩 Groom: Jacques van Dyk
📍 Wedding Location: Stellenbosch Winelands, South Africa
🎉 Groomsmen: 5 childhood friends + 2 brothers
🍻 Vibe: Classic Meets Mischief
📸 Photographer: 

Weddings are often all about the bride’s glow-up. But behind every cool, calm and collected groom? Is a wolf pack of guys who brought the vibes, handled the chaos, and turned the pre-wedding lead-up into a full-blown bromantic adventure.

This is what happened when Jacques van Dyk tied the knot with his high school sweetheart, Mari, in the Cape Winelands—and let his boys run the show behind the scenes.

🎉 The Bachelor Weekend: “Wine, Biltong & A Wild Goose”

Three weeks before the wedding, Jacques’ crew surprised him with a weekend away in Robertson. What started as a “quiet boys’ weekend” turned into a chaotic masterpiece of wine tastings, river tubing, and a full braai cook-off competition judged by local lodge staff.

Highlights:

Everyone wore printed shirts of Jacques’ face on Day 1

A “Know Your Bride” quiz (he failed 3 out of 10 and had to sing As It Was by Harry Styles in a British accent)

A surprise appearance by Jacques’ older brother flying in from the UK

They brought a GoPro and turned the weekend into a 7-minute montage played at the reception (cue cheers and secondhand FOMO from the bride’s side)

Quote from Groomsman Marius:

“We wanted to celebrate him, but also humble him just a little bit.”

✂️ The Morning Of: Hot Towels, Cold Nerves

Forget chaos—Jacques and his groomsmen started the wedding morning with a private mobile barber session in the groom’s suite. Picture this:

Jazz music playing

Coffee (and a little whisky) on the side

Classic hot towel shaves

Matching monogrammed robes that said “Best Man” and “Ring Security”

The vibe? Luxury barber meets banter central.

Each guy took a turn getting trimmed, while the others prepped speeches, ironed pocket squares, and laughed about the bachelor party bruises. Jacques, known for keeping things in, finally let his nerves show.

Quote from Jacques:

“I wasn’t nervous until I saw my brother tearing up during his shave. That’s when it hit me—this is really happening.”

📦 The Groom Gift Exchange

Before putting on their suits, Jacques handed each of his guys a small gift box:

Custom socks with inside jokes from varsity

A flask engraved with their names

A printed photo from their high school Matric Farewell

A handwritten letter thanking them for shaping him into the man he was that day

Not a dry eye in the room.

Quote from Best Man Dylan:

“I’ve known this guy since he had braces and bad hair gel. Watching him get ready to marry Mari? I’ve never been prouder.”

👔 Suit Up: Classic with a Twist

The groomsmen wore sharp charcoal grey suits with olive green ties to match the protea florals. Jacques stood out in a black velvet tuxedo jacket with a satin shawl collar and tan brogues—a nod to his dad’s wedding shoes from the ‘80s.

Before heading out, they did one final toast:

“To the man who never missed a rugby game, a braai, or a birthday—even hungover. We raise our glasses to your next chapter.”

📸 Photos, Footie & A Few Final Tears

The crew headed out for photos in the vineyard, kicking a ball around while the photographer captured action shots that felt more like GQ meets FIFA 2025.

During a quiet moment, Jacques pulled out his phone, watched the GoPro video one more time, and muttered:

“I wouldn’t change a thing.”

💡 Groomsmen Takeaways:

Plan a bachelor weekend that’s him (not just chaos for chaos’ sake)

Add a barber session to your wedding morning—it sets the tone

Small, personal gifts hit harder than flashy ones

Capture the moments, not just the suits

Let the groom feel—he needs it more than he thinks