A Guide to Being A Best Man
Being a best man is about more than planning a killer bachelor party. He may not have realized it, but there’s more that the perfect best man needs to know about!
The onus of wedding planning often falls on the bride, and lightening her load falls on the maid of honor. But wedding planning and preparations are just as stressful on the groom’s side. And he needs a right-hand man to support him!
The best man is responsible for lightening the load of the groom. Read on to find out exactly how he does that!
Before the Wedding
The best man’s duties start well before the wedding, so prepare yourself to take care of these tasks:
1. Help the groom get dressed.
The wedding dress may be the focal point of the ceremony, but a groom wants to look his best, too. The best man is expected to help outfit not only the groom, but also to coordinate with and help the other groomsmen as well!
2. Organize the bachelor party.
Perhaps the most well-known of the best man’s duties, the bachelor party is a time-honored tradition. The best man should coordinate with the other groomsmen, and take care of collecting funds for the split costs from everybody. It’s totally fine to ask the other groomsmen to help coordinate the bachelor party, however.
3. Plan a gift to the groom.
It’s good practice for the groomsmen to present a gift to the groom before the wedding. It’s the best man’s responsibility to coordinate this gift.
4. Be emotional support to the groom.
A maid-of-honor is a bride’s rock, and a best man should do the same for the groom. The best man should be there for every complaint, confession and question. He’s the grounding force in all the craziness of wedding planning, and should be ready to listen without judgment.
5. Make a toast at the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.
While this isn’t strictly required of a best man, it’s so common we put it on the list anyways.
On the Wedding Day
1. Keep everyone on time.
On the wedding day, the groom will likely be stressed and excited, so it’s the best man’s responsibility to keep an eye on the clock and make sure all the groomsmen are running on schedule. He’ll also make sure the groomsmen are on their best behavior. In fact, maybe we should call him the “groomsman wrangler.”
2. Hold onto the wedding rings.
Traditionally, the best man will hold onto the wedding rings so the groom doesn’t forget or misplace them!
3. Help to welcome guests to the ceremony.
4. Help diffuse anything that goes wrong.
A good best man is there to keep the wheels running smoothly. That means in the case of any last minute cancellations or complications, the best man will step in and keep the crowd entertained while the matter at hand is addressed.
5. Offer the first toast to the newlyweds at the reception.
Make this one a tearjerker. This is the best man’s biggest responsibility!
6. Help the maid-of-honor collect and store gifts and cards at the wedding reception.
The best man and maid-of-honor should work together with the bride and groom to determine where to store any gifts during the wedding, and be responsible for collecting them while the newlyweds dance the night away.
After the Wedding
7. Coordinate (and decorate) the getaway transportation.
The best man should work with the bridesmaids to make sure the newlyweds go out in style!
8. Take care of the grooms and groomsmen’s clothes after they’ve changed.
In the case any tuxes have been rented, it’s the best man’s responsibility to make sure they’re returned intact and on time.
9. Take care of any last-minute expenses.
All vendors should have been paid in full at least one month before the big day. But in the case something unexpected arises, it’s the best man who makes sure it’s settled.
Being a best man is an honor for anybody. Follow this guide to be the best best man you can be!