How To Be a Best Man

What exactly does it take to be the best best man?  There are a number of duties that the members of a wedding party have be it best man, maid of honor, groomsmen or bridesmaids.  As best man you have a number of responsibilities, some of them fun, some maybe not so much.

Let's start with your responsibilities as a best man in the days before the actual wedding.  Help and accompany the groom when it comes time to rent tuxedos and pack for the honeymoon.  Help the bride and groom with their luggage and make arrangements for where it can be stored until after the ceremony.  Picking up out of town guests at the airport is a nice gesture. It's also the best man's job to make a toast at the rehearsal dinner.  Attend the ceremony rehearsal and make sure you know whom everyone is and what everyone does during the ceremony including yourself. Probably one of your most enjoyable responsibilities is to throw the bachelor party.  Remember everyone involved in the wedding will either be there or hear about it and you certainly don't want to embarrass yourself.  Some ideas for venues for bachelor parties in relative good taste include dinner and cocktails, poker night, billiards, and attending a baseball or football game.  If you don't care about taste or want to hope the guys secrets won't come out you could go the strip club or drinking until you puke route.

On the day of the ceremony your responsibilities are much more structured.  First you have to be the groom's personal aide and adviser. Keep an eye on the other groomsmen and make sure they're taking care of their duties. The bride will think your most important duty is to hold her ring for the groom during the ceremony. You'll have to sign the marriage license as a witness and give the officiate his fee (grooms responsibility).  Dancing with the bride and maid of honor at the reception is usual as is toasting the bride and groom.

After the ceremony is over the best mans responsibilities include decorating the car the couple will be leaving in or offering to drive them to the airport or wedding-night hotel yourself. Offer to return the groom's tux.

All of these responsibilities are important but perhaps the most important is to have a wonderful time yourself and share in the joy of your friend or family member's day.