Being asked to be the best man is a real honour – one that should be taken seriously as there are many important duties to perform. The best man is usually someone close to the groom – a brother or very close friend, often a friend since childhood – and as such his involvement with the wedding, and his support of the marriage, is really important to the bride and groom.
During the hectic, often stressful, run up to the wedding, the best man will be helping out in all sorts of ways – running errands, acting as a confidant to the groom, smoothing over family frictions and bolstering the groom’s confidence ready for the big day.
A great best man needs to be cheerful, positive and reliable. He also needs to be pro-marriage and happy relationships – no groom wants a best man who moans about his own girlfriend or wife the whole time!
Best man duties usually include:
Looking after the rings and presenting them at just the right moment during the ceremony. Loved by makers of comedy programmes, this task seems to provide lots of opportunities for mishap. A great best man must be reliable and responsible – no lost rings, please!
Making a speech that won’t end in a very quick divorce. The best man’s speech is traditionally a chance to make a bit of fun of the groom’s past, but no bride wants to listen to a litany of sexual exploits – and any mention of ex-girlfriends is a complete no no.
Organising the wedding presents as they arrive, finding a room to store the wedding presents and making sure they are safe for the duration of the day. Obviously, this needs to be done by someone who hasn’t been propping up the bar all morning!
Among other things, the best man will need to keep the bridesmaid gifts and usher gift to hand for the groom to give out during the speech, make sure the bride and groom get the wedding presents before they leave the reception, and be supportive and cheerful all day.
As you can see, a great best man is an essential part of the proceedings and can help to make the wedding go smoothly in lots of ways.
Groom Gifts
As best man, one way you can be really great is to buy the groom fantastic personalised
groom gifts. Think about your friend’s likes and dislikes before choosing, so the groom gift is truly special. Engraved groom gifts are a good choice – if he enjoys a cigarette or cigar then how about an engraved Zippo lighter? Or perhaps
engraved pens or a personalised hip flask? The groom is bound to have chosen some special
best man gifts for you, so don’t be outdone!
Date posted: 24/06/2010
