The role of the best man at a wedding is a role of importance, but at the same time the best man should not overvalue his own importance to the wedding. The wedding is a special time for the bride and groom. If you are selected as the best man you should feel honored that you have been chosen. They acknowledge you have a special part in their lives and wish for you to participate in this special day for them. There are certain roles a best man should perform before and during the wedding.
Of course the role that is best known for the best man is to organize the bachelor party. Make sure you create a bachelor party that does not make the groom feel too uncomfortable. It’s a time for his friends to celebrate his last days of being a single man with him. Get the groom’s input as to the type of bachelor party he would like to have. Also get a list of friends he would like for you to invite. At that point the organization of the party is your responsibility. Make sure you contact everyone the groom would like invited and let them know about the bachelor party, when it will be held and what the plans are. Let them know they should contact you for any questions because the groom will have a lot of other things they are involved in with the wedding planning itself.
On the day of the wedding it might be your responsibility to help provide transportation for the groom to the wedding, or to make sure his car is transported from the church to the reception hall. You will basically serve as his assistant that day and assist him in being prepared for the wedding. The extent of this role will depend on the groom’s personal preferences.
At the wedding you also have several roles. You sort of serve as “the point man” for the groom and his side of the wedding party. Check with the groom and bride both to see what they would like you to do. One of your roles will probably be to make sure the groomsmen arrive on time in case there are photos to be done before the wedding. You will also need to be able to find them at the church when the bridal party needs to be together.
The groom and bride may have you serve as a messenger between them and family members at the wedding. They many want you to find different people and direct them to places they need to be either before or during the wedding. Of course your duties don’t end once the wedding begins, this just takes it to a new phase. You will most likely be asked to seat certain special guests such as the mothers and grandmother’s of the bride and groom. You also will walk down the aisle with the maid of honor. Make sure you get the rings from the bride or groom before the ceremony as you will present these to the religious official performing the ceremony when asked.
Your role in the wedding does not end once you have walked back down the aisle with the maid of honor. If your state requires witnesses to sign the wedding license you should do this along with the maid of honor. Also, offer to collect the wedding license from the official that performed the ceremony for the bride and groom so they don’t need to worry about that, they will have enough on their mind. If the reception is at a different location than the wedding make sure you are familiar with the directions. It might be a good idea to have spare copies of the directions available in case some guests lose their copy. During the wedding photos after the ceremony attempt to keep the members of the groom’s side of the bridal party organized and ready for their part in the photos.
The role of the best man at the wedding is not a difficult one, but it is a great help to the bride and groom in keeping their special day moving in an efficient manner. You are not there for the attention, instead you should feel honored that you have been selected by your friends to help them out on their special day and to be a part of their wedding ceremony.
