Best Man Responsibilities

So your best friend or brother is getting married and he has laid the responsibility of being his best man. Being the best man for the D-day is indeed an honor and can be a lot of fun too. Read on to make this memorable event a smooth one for you as well as the newly weds.

The role of the best man is actually pivotal in ensuring the success of the wedding ceremony. It is his responsibility to make sure that everything runs smoothly and according to plan. His responsibility doesn't end at organizing the various events and taking care of the nitty-gritty. He should also lend moral support to the groom, who will obviously be extremely nervous on his big day. The best man has to be an integral part of pre-wedding duties like attending all the pre-wedding parties, organizing the bachelors party, attending rehearsal dinners, arranging speeches as well as picking up the groom's formal wear.

Responsibilities at the Bachelor Party

The bachelors party is said to have its origins in the 5th century in ancient Sparta. The idea behind a bachelors party is to allow the groom and his male friends a last opportunity to be freewheeling and relive the time when they don't have to worry about responsibilities. The best man has to be very careful in planning the bachelors party or it can turn out to be a dud. You definitely don't want that to happen! The party should be a complete celebration of the bachelorhood of the soon-to-be groom.

To begin with, prepare a list of invitees. One of the responsibilities of the best man is to make sure that people from the groom's as well as the bride's family do not get offended. You would not like to see your best friend in trouble the next day. Organize the party keeping in mind the interests of the groom. The stereotypical image of an unrestrained bachelor party may make up a good movie but the reality can be quite different. The event can be a low-key one with a casual gathering of the groom's close friends. Make sure that the party doesn't coincide with any other ceremony or pre-wedding event. You can throw the party at a private place or can plan to go club-hopping all night with the guys. It is not necessary that the best man pays for the expenses of the bachelors party. They can be shared with the rest of the groomsmen. You can also make your work smooth by giving the groomsmen some of the duties, but make sure you overlook everything.

Responsibilities at the Rehearsal Dinner

A rehearsal dinner is an informal meal after the wedding rehearsal, and the intention of the dinner is for both the wedding parties to get acquainted with each other. It is traditionally the area of the groom's mother to take care of, and the groom's family pays for it. But the recent trend in weddings is for couples to include this cost in the overall budget of the wedding. The rehearsal dinner is usually a relaxed gathering, with the family toasting for the bride and groom, and it also gives the to-be-wed couple to say thank you to their near and dear ones. As the best man, you can offer help in the planning and execution of the rehearsal dinner. You can even arrange for games like pool, poker or some other fun indoor games. You can also toast the bride and groom, and give them a gift. A point to note is that though the best man has to attend all the pre-wedding events, he doesn't have to give gifts each time.

Responsibilities at the Wedding

The best man is a person who is supposed to 'stand up for the groom' in a wedding. During the ceremony, he stands on the right of the groom, and the others like the groomsmen and ushers stand to the right of the best man. He is a close confidant of the groom. Not only does he assists the groom in getting dressed but also needs to check on the groomsmen attire. He is in charge of getting the groom to the venue of the ceremony on time. He also carries the wedding ring till the groom and bride exchange rings. He is also the legal witness to the wedding and delivers the officiant's fee. Apart from this, he also supervises the ushers. He oversees the wedding reception and takes care that it goes on smoothly. When it is time to give the best man speech, he can lighten the moment by giving a funny speech. He should not forget to keep a tab on the wedding photographers, wedding music, catering, and most importantly, make sure the wedding cake arrives on time. In case wedding planners are hired, then he can work in accordance with them. He should keep in mind the wedding theme while making arrangements. After the wedding ceremony, he has to make sure all the formal wear is returned to the rental shop, and in case the groom's dress is not rented, then it is cleaned and returned to the groom's house. Lastly, the best man also arranges the tickets, hotel information, itinerary, and anything else needed for the honeymoon.

Checklist

• Meticulously plan the bachelors party
• Assist in planning the rehearsal dinner and take part actively
• Make sure the groom reaches the venue of the wedding ceremony and the reception on time
• Confirm if the marriage license is ready before the wedding day and the officiant is paid
• Make sure ushers do their jobs well and the seating arrangement is proper
• Prepare a wedding speech
• Collect money from groomsmen for the bachelors party, and also if you are planning on buying a joint wedding gift
• Dance with bridesmaid and bride
• Make sure the rented wedding attire is duly returned
• Assist in taking the wedding gifts home from the reception venue
• Make sure all the honeymoon arrangements are done

With the details given above and the handy checklist, hope you are ready to carry out the best man responsibilities with class and ease. All the best and have a great time!