Wedding Etiquette: Responsibilities Of The Best Man

Being Best Man is about a lot more than giving a speech and planning the bachelor party. While both of those jobs are important, it’s the little things you do for the Groom that he’ll truly appreciate. Especially considering the groom will be under a tremendous amount of stress in the weeks and days leading up to the wedding. Here are some of the big things a Best Man can do from a very cool website, The Man Registry, that will ease the Groom’s mind and solidify your position as Best Man.

• Organize the Bachelor Party – This one is a no brainer. Giving the groom a memorable last night out with his buddies is one of the most important things you’ll do. Be sure to know the groom’s thoughts about strippers before booking them. If you’re planning on dinner before the drinking begins, it’s always nice to include the fathers and younger siblings who wouldn’t otherwise get a chance to be a part of the party.
• Write your speech – Let’s face it: We’ve all seen some “interesting” Best Man speeches in our lifetimes. Your goal is for your speech to be remembered for its classiness, rather than for the number of many embarrassing stories you can share with the groom’s unsuspecting family and loved ones.
• Assist the Groom with wedding planning tasks – Helping the groom and his family decorate for the rehearsal dinner, arranging the wedding transportation, and helping out-of-town guests with directions may seem like small things, but they’ll be a huge help to the groom.
• On the day of the wedding, be the groom’s right-hand man – Starting from the time he wakes up; you need to be at the groom’s side, keeping him focused and on task. Depending on the time of the wedding, you may have time to go out for breakfast or a quick nine holes. In the hours immediately prior to the wedding, help him get dressed, drive him to the church, and give him a pep talk. He’ll undoubtedly thank you for calming his nerves.
• Remember your Best Man duties – Don’t forget some of the things that your job title requires, including keeping the rings safe until they’re exchanged and then signing the marriage license as a legal witness to the nuptials after the ceremony.
• The Reception – We all know how much fun you can have at a wedding reception (especially one with an open bar). After giving your speech, you’ll surely want to let loose. Just remember that it’s important that you’re able to help a little after the party is over. You may be asked to drive the couple to the hotel or to the airport. If not, the bride’s family is always appreciative of extra help in cleaning up and packing gifts into cars.
• Your final job – The day after the wedding, you’ll be expected to return both the groom's tuxedo as well as your own to the rental shop. It’s also important to find out what time the shop closes, in case you need some extra time to recuperate the next day.

There are a substantial number of sites that have their own versions of responsibility lists. I also like the list found on, The Knot!

Photo Courtesy of David Bates Photographic