From *THE* best man"s speech và standing at the altar, lớn organising the stag do và shopping for suits, best men have more on their plate than you may think...
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Daniel Mc
Clane
The role of a best man is typically assigned to the groom"s closest friend or family member, but this might be different depending on the couple"s dynamics. The best man tends lớn be a sibling or very close friend, but there"s no set rule about who can be assigned the role of a best man.
The best man is the equivalent to the maid of honour & traditionally undertakes the most important duties and responsibilities on the groom"s side of the wedding party. Because of this, the best man has lớn be someone the couple can really trust & rely on throughout the wedding planning journey.
We"ve seen everyone from the groom"s grandad to their son being best man, so just choose someone really important lớn you. The couple might have a hard time choosing between two friends or relatives, in which case it"s perfectly acceptable khổng lồ give two people involved in the wedding the title và responsibility of best men.
This can actually benefit all parties as it evens out the work load và takes the pressure off of one individual. As soon as you can, make sure specific tasks are clearly given khổng lồ each person lớn avoid any confusion.There"s no rule that says the best man has khổng lồ be a man either! What about having a best woman, bridesman or bridesmate?
What Are the Duties of a Best Man?
We go into much more detail below, but some of the key best man duties and jobs involve planning the stag do, writing the best man"s speech and often, they are also asked to be the ring bearer too. Depending on how many best men the couple have, & the kích thước of his wedding các buổi party will both be determining factors in how involved you will need to lớn be, as well as how much responsibility you"ll take on.
Best Man Duties and Jobs Before the Wedding
1. Help Choose the Suits
Matt Fox Photography
One of the main duties of a best man is the suit shopping. The best man will need khổng lồ assist the groom in rounding up the ushers và the other important members of the wedding các buổi party to go and try on wedding suits.
The best man should discuss ideas with the couple about style, and also decide whether the groomswear is khổng lồ be bought or hired. Traditionally, the couple pay for the wedding suits or hire of them, but if it’s decided that financial contributions are required, make sure this is discussed openly và up front.
It"s important you and the couple communicate this with the ushers so everyone is aware ahead of trying anything on.
2. Arrange khổng lồ Meet the Ushers
The best man needs to be aware of who all the ushers và other groomsmen are. You may already know them, you may not, but either way, knowing what theusher roles & duties are and what yours are so everyone is clear on what"s expected of them.
Whilst that all sounds super formal, you can make this super fun. Invite the couple, maybe even the rest of the wedding party, order in some food & drinks and use it as a chance lớn bond with their nearest and dearest ahead of the wedding planning (and more importantly, the stag bởi planning) commences.
3. Liaise With the Maid of Honour
Though this isn"t an official duty, you might also want to lớn chat with the maid of honour (if there is one) và see what useful things you can have khổng lồ hand on the day – such as large umbrellas in case the weather is bad or on-the-day wedding gifts you want khổng lồ arrange for the couple.
4. Help the Groom with Planning Admin
Oliver Harris Photography
Traditionally, the best man isn"t expected to pitch in with too much of the wedding planning tasks, but that doesn"t mean you can"t offer to lớn help out.
You can tư vấn the couple in any admin they need khổng lồ do, such as buying the wedding rings, getting quotes from entertainment suppliers và writing the groom speech.
Even if you aren"t in charge of the finer details, offering khổng lồ set up, move furniture & direct suppliers on the morning of the wedding won’t go amiss.
5. Plan The Stag Do
This is the best man’s moment lớn shine, & probably the moment all best men dream of:planning the stag do. You’ll take the lead in organising the groom’s last big night out before he gets married. Kiểm tra with the groom for a danh mục of people he’d lượt thích to attend và think carefully about locations.
The best way khổng lồ plan the stag bởi vì is to lớn pick two or three dates & ask the rest of the group who can attend them before picking the date the majority can do. It might seem ruthless but it’s the easiest way to organise a large group of people without going back và forth too much.
Make sure you consider everyone’s budget when planning the stag vì – a big blow out in Vegas sounds amazing but if only two or three of you can afford to go, will it really be as good as a stag vày in London or a weekend closer to home with everyone?
Try & organise the stag vì chưng to take place up khổng lồ three months before the wedding. This gives everyone time lớn recover – the bruises can fade & the hangovers can finally be forgotten. Think about ways to lớn personalise the stag do, the best stag tiệc ngọt games, & funny pranks to play on the groom (nothing that gets him arrested, please!).
6. Write Your Best Man Speech
Jordanna Marston Photography
An essential task lớn tick off your danh sách before the big day is lớn write your best man speech and get practising so you feel so comfortable with it when you have khổng lồ stand up và speak. Start with looking at our best man speech introductions, the best toasts to kết thúc your speech with, & the five things you need lớn include in between.
We"ve got special guides if you want lớn write a short best man"s speech or you"re writing a best man speech for your brother. Here"s some important steps to the perfect wedding speech và how khổng lồ nail your delivery.
We can"t emphasise enough how you can be a little cheeky with your speech, but you need to lớn consider that older relatives will be there và some sexual or embarrassing stories may not be right for the audience. Run your speech past a trusted person to kiểm tra if you"ve got the tone right.
7. Organise a Groomsmen’s Gift khổng lồ the Groom
This isn’t compulsory, but it might be nice to lớn present the groom with a gift from his groomsmen on the morning of his wedding.
Chat khổng lồ the ushers & the stags và see if anyone would be up for putting in a bit of money towards it. Whether it"s a vintage bottle of scotch or a personalised wedding watch, it’d be a really nice touch!
8. Organise Final Fittings
As the wedding date approaches, you need khổng lồ make sure the ushers know where they need lớn be, what they’re doing & at what time. This includes any last minute suit fittings which the couple may be too busy or stressed to lớn organise.
9. Kiểm tra in With the Groom
Leslie Choucard Photography & Videography
The biggest day of his life is fast approaching, so taking some time out to kiểm tra in with the groom, even if it"s to bởi something completely non-weddingy is really important. As his best man, you are his sounding board for any nerves or wedding anxiety he may be feeling.
10. Help With the Pre-Wedding Set-Up
Help the couple by picking up any hired items & delivering them where they need khổng lồ go – this can include the wedding suits. As mentioned, you might also be asked to help with any set up at the venue so be prepared lớn pitch in và help wherever you can. The more jobs you can alleviate from the couple themselves, the better.
11. Stay Over with the Groom
Traditionally, the best man may stays with the groom the night before the wedding. Prepare for this with drinks & lots of snacks, but make sure the groom doesn’t drink too much or eat anything that could cause an issue the next day. If you have some spare time, go over the best man’s speech once more lớn make sure you’re confident in reading it out and check in with the groom again.
READ MORE: 21 (Genuinely) Funny Introductions lớn a Best Man’s Speech
Best Man Duties & Jobs on the Wedding Day
12. Help The Groom Get Ready
Sally Rawlins
This is it – the big day for the couple, & for the best man too. The best man needs to help the groom get ready on the morning of the wedding and just be as hands on as possible with whatever last minute tasks come your way.
13. Organise the Ushers
On the morning of the wedding, be the person lớn take delivery of any buttonholes and hand them out khổng lồ the groomsmen and the other ushers. As the groom will be focussing on himself, as he should be, keep an eye on the clock so time doesn"t get away from you.
Use this time to organise the other ushers, especially if you have any younger page boys or junior ushers who may need help with their outfits or just general looking after.
14. Keep The Rings Safe
Perhaps one of the most important duties, the best man is often also the ring bearer at the wedding and may be entrusted by the couple to keep the wedding rings safe ahead of the ceremony, & make sure the ushers are in place and the orders of service are out. Even if you aren"t the official ring bearer, you still may be tasked with keeping them safe ahead of the ceremony.
You might also be asked khổng lồ hold the couple"s personal items such as their phones or money.
15. Greet the Guests With the Groom
You need to make sure the groom is at the venue at least twenty minutes before the ceremony is due to lớn start.
The best man should then stand with the groom to lớn greet the guests, và also collect any messages to be read out during the speeches. As you"ll typically know the majority of the guests, you"re the perfect person to welcome them.
16. Stand at the Altar With the Groom
Before the wedding ceremony starts, the groom và the best man should take their places on the front right-hand side of the ceremony room at the altar. If you are the ring bearer, make sure you have the rings to hand, ready for when the couple come lớn exchange them. If you aren"t ensure the ring bearer has them ahead of the ceremony.
READ MORE: The Ultimate Wedding Ceremony Guide
17. Escort the Maid of Honour Out of the Ceremony
Tradition states that once the ceremony is over, the best man is required to escort the maid of honour (if there is one) out of the room ahead of the newly married couple exiting.
18. Stand in the Receiving Line
If the newlyweds choose to lớn have a receiving line at the wedding reception, you will be expected to stand in it và greet the guests as a key part of the wedding party. The receiving line isn"t as tough a job as it seems: guests move quickly into the venue (it"s where the drinks are, after all) so it really is a quick "Hello, great to lớn see you, thanks for coming".
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19. Help Organise the Wedding Photographs
You will also, alongside the ushers, need khổng lồ help round up guests for the wedding photographer’s menu of group photos as well as appearing in many of them yourselves.
20. Be the Master of Ceremonies
If the couple have decided not khổng lồ have a toastmaster or a master of ceremonies, the best man may be asked lớn announce key elements like the couple’s arrival into the reception room, the speeches và the cutting of the cake.
Wedding venues often provide a member of staff to bởi this job, so check with the couple ahead of time if they need you to vì it.
21. Deliver Your Speech
You’ll have already gone over your speech to make sure your delivery is confident & clear (and ran it past a trusted person khổng lồ make sure it’s not offensive), but now is the moment of truth.
Speeches traditionally take place after the meal, but it’s becoming increasingly popular khổng lồ have them before so the speech-givers can then relax và enjoy their meal. Make sure you’re aware of the timings the couple have decided.
With regards towedding speech order, the best man’s speech is traditionally last, after the father of the bride speech and the groom speech. This might change if there"s a bride speech or maid of honour speech in the mix.
You’re bound to lớn be a bit nervous, but make sure you speak slowly, pause for laughter và mention everyone who needs to lớn be mentioned. If you’re after some last minute joke-inspo, take a look at our round-up of tried & tested best man speech jokes! If you had any messages lớn read out, vày this at the same time as your speech.
READ MORE: chất lượng Ways to end Your Best Man Speech
22. Get the các buổi tiệc nhỏ Started
After the first dance has taken place, it’s traditional for the best man lớn dance with the maid of honour (again, if there is one) and encourage everyone onto the dance floor.
As far as wedding tasks for the best man go, once you have everyone on the dance floor, your official best man duties are over for tonight. You’re then không tính phí to enjoy the buổi tiệc nhỏ and celebrate with your best friends. We would recommend you keep an eye on the guests. As an important member of the wedding party, it"s also your job lớn ensure everyone is okay, has what they need và are behaving accordingly.
Best Man Duties & Jobs After the Wedding
23. Return and Clean Suits
The best man could be asked khổng lồ help out by rounding up và returning any hired items, such as the suits và any decorative details used at the venue. If the suits weren"t hired, you may be tasked with taking things lớn be dry-cleaned - the sooner the better.
24. Take Care of Wedding Gifts
You could also be asked to lớn safely store the wedding gifts if the couple go on their honeymoon straight away. Even if they don"t jet off immediately, you may still be tasked with ensuring all gifts, cards and things like the guest book & any important keepsakes are collected from the venue và delivered khổng lồ the couple.
Now you know what your duties are, get clued up on the usher duties so you can keep the other members of the wedding tiệc nhỏ in check.
Wondering what a best man does besides planning the bachelor party? Here is a full guide for you explaining what the duties of a best man are.
We have included third các buổi tiệc nhỏ products to lớn help you navigate and enjoy life’s biggest moments. Purchases made through liên kết on this page may earn us a commission.
Best Man Duties Before, During và After the Wedding Ceremony
1. Create a best man emergency kit
You never know what mishaps may occur on the morning of the wedding, so, as the Boy Scout motto goes: Be prepared! Head to lớn a drugstore the week before the wedding and pick up essential toiletries like spray deodorant, bandages, tissues, và pain relievers. You’ll also want to lớn bring a stain remover, sewing kit, & even an extra pair of socks và tie in case someone forgets their own. Also, don’t forget to bring cash in case of emergency.
2. Get dressed with the other groomsmen & groom
The best man should be a relaxed và upbeat presence the morning of the wedding—especially if the groom is feeling a bit nervous. Play music, break out some beers, a deck of cards, or đoạn phim games lớn help pass the time. Và be sure to lớn memorize those how-to-tie-a-tie You
Tube videos before the wedding in case anyone needs last-minute assistance!
3. Make sure the groomsmen are wearing their boutonnieres
If the groomsmen are supposed to wear boutonnieres, ensure that everyone’s is pinned on properly before walking down the aisle.
4. Try lớn keep things on schedule
Ask the couple lớn provide you with a timeline of the wedding day’s events before the big day so you’re aware of what needs khổng lồ happen when. The best man may have to play camp counselor a few times during the day—if you notice that people are goofing off instead of lining up for photos, or not where they should be at the appropriate time, try lớn get things on track. You should also introduce yourself lớn the venue coordinator and/or wedding planner, & volunteer your assistance.
5. Hold the wedding rings until the couple’s ring exchange
If there is no ring bearer, the best man may be responsible for holding the wedding bands until the ring exchange portion of the ceremony. Be aware of where the rings are at all times và keep them in a safe place, like a your inner jacket pocket (check in advance that your pocket doesn’t have a hole in it!).
6. Stand next to lớn the groom
The best man usually stands next lớn the groom during the ceremony. This is a clear display of your love and support for your pal, so—we’re totally going to lớn sound like your grandma here—stand up straight, look interested, and smile during the ceremony! While the best man typically walks down the aisle solo during the processional, he will likely be paired with the maid of honor during the recessional.
7. Deliver officiant’s payment after the ceremony
The newlyweds will typically be a bit busy immediately after the ceremony, so the best man is usually tasked with ensuring that the wedding officiant receives his or her payment. Talk with the couple before the wedding to lớn see if this is a task they’d lượt thích you to assist with.
8. Sign the marriage license as witness
The marriage license is super-important—without it, the couple isn’t actually married! The couple will usually sign the license after the ceremony, but sometimes it’s signed before. The best man is usually present for the signing—and as two witnesses are typically required, the best man and maid of honor typically fill those roles.
9. Pose for pictures
Whether the couple takes wedding tiệc ngọt portraits before or after the ceremony, you"ll need to be game to smile for the camera—many, many times over. Being in front of the camera might not be your favorite thing in the world, but the couple will be grateful for your cooperation.
Best Man Duties at the Wedding Reception
1. Stand next khổng lồ bride in the receiving line
A receiving line is a formal way lớn greet guests as they enter during cocktail hour. They aren’t super-common these days, but if the couple decides to host one, the best man typically stands next to the bride and groom while saying hello to lớn arriving guests.
2. Be announced with maid of honor for reception entrance
Once the reception begins, the wedding party will typically make theirgrand entrance with the DJ or bandleader announcing everyone by name as they enter the party. The best man usually enters the reception alongside the maid of honor.
3. Play host
During the wedding reception, guests may look to the best man for random tidbits of information—from knowing where the restroom is, to lớn when the cake cutting will occur. Since you should have the timeline of wedding-day events handy, you hopefully should be able to answer their questions. If not, direct them khổng lồ the venue coordinator or wedding planner.
4. Dance with the maid of honor during first guest dance
It’s tradition for the best man lớn dance with the maid of honor when guests are welcomed onto the dance floor. If you và the MOH would prefer not khổng lồ go this route, that"s totally fine, just make sure that you’re one of the first people on the dance floor và encourage the other guests to lớn join you. If you look lượt thích you’re having an amazing time, the rest of the couple’s family và friends will follow suit. Another good move on the part of the best man? Make sure you dance with the bride, too.
5. Make sure groom eats and drinks
The groom will be pretty busy during the ceremony, but try khổng lồ help him out by making sure he has a bite lớn eat & stays hydrated (and not just with shots).
6. Give a best man speech
The best man typically gives the second toast after the father-of-the-bride. Our advice: Don’t procrastinate when it comes to writing your best man speech, speak from the heart, and keep it short.
7. Decorate the getaway car
If the couple is not hiring wedding transportation và using their own car, the best man and groomsmen traditionally have a little fun by decorating the getaway car with cans, streamers, etc. Make sure the couple is cool with this before going to town on their car.
Best Man Duties After the Wedding
1. Help organize and safe-keep gifts
Even though the buổi tiệc nhỏ is over, there are still a few more things for you to accomplish. The couple probably received many gifts during the wedding. Make sure that the gifts are collected và kept in a safe location until the couple returns from their honeymoon.
2. Hand out vendor tips
The couple may ask the best man lớn hand out tips khổng lồ vendors after the reception—just make sure that the cash is organized into labeled envelopes, and you’re aware of the exact person you should hand the tip to.
3. Make sure groomsmen return rented attire
If you’re coordinated a group tuxedo rental, you’ll need lớn make sure that all of the tuxes are returned in a timely fashion. This may require a few texts to lớn certain groomsmen, but you don’t want khổng lồ be charged for late returns.
Best Man FAQs
Does the best man pay for anything?
Aside from all the best man duties you’ll need lớn handle, there is also a financial responsibility involved. Here’s a brief list of the traditional best man expenses:
AttireBachelor party
Travel và accommodations for the wedding
Pre-wedding grooming
Wedding gift
Can a married man be a best man?
Certainly! A groom’s best man is usually his closest relative or friend, và can be married or unmarried. Some grooms have even chosen their father as their best man!
Can you have two best men at a wedding?
Yes, the groom can have two best men—it’s particularly common if a groom has two brothers, or if there are two grooms. However, since the best men may be handling responsibilities as a team, it’s important lớn make sure that the chosen best men get along and can work well together. Choosing two best men who don’t know each other may not be a good idea & cause tension within the wedding party.
What should the best man get the groom as a gift?
Yes, part of the best man’s responsibilities is to get the couple a wedding gift. The best man may also choose lớn get the groom an individual gift as part of the bachelor các buổi tiệc nhỏ festivities, but it’s not necessary. The best man should expect lớn spend about $120 on a wedding gift, & potentially more if he’s attending the wedding with a plus-one. Traditionally, the best man purchases a gift from the couple’s wedding registry or gives cash. However, if the best man would prefer lớn give a more creative or sentimental gift that’ s not on the registry that he feels the couple would love, that’s okay, too.
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