A person’s wedding is, by and large, one of the most important days of their life. To pull off such a feat often requires copious amounts of planning, not only from the bride and groom but from their inner circle, too. The bride will have the maid of honor on hand to help organize everything (and assist with any last-minute emotional crises) and the groom has his best man to offload any extra planning duties. The role of a best man extends well beyond and before the actual day of the ceremony. In addition to helping plan the wedding, the best man’s responsibilities start months before the words “I do” are ever spoken. Let’s take a look at some of these pre-wedding best man duties in detail.
No wedding was ever successful without a no-holds-barred bachelor party to show the groom in question a proper send-off from the single life. And no bachelor party was ever brought into existence without a best man to plan it. It’s therefore entirely up to the best man to decide on where and when to throw the groom’s bachelor party, send out invites, and coordinate communication with the rest of the guys who are tagging along.
The best man is also responsible for ensuring that everyone attending the bachelor party looks their best. While there will undoubtedly be a day in which everyone dresses up in some sort of silly outfit – especially the groom – there will also be dinners, bars, and other events that require more civil clothing. Ensure that each of the party attendees has a smart shirt, a decent pair of jeans from a company like Zalando, and a good pair of shoes. You don’t have to be dressed up like rug-rats every night!
Each of the groomsmen is likely to bring a gift for the groom at the bachelor party. It’s up to the best man to initiate the buying of these gifts and lead the effort. Instead of ten miniature gifts, the best man might ask for some money from each individual and then pool the money together to buy something really special. This might take the form of a really nice bottle of the groom’s favorite alcohol, or an engraved knife that the groom will be able to keep forever. Ultimately the choice of gift will be dependent on the groom’s interests and what means the most to him. However, as the best man, it’s up to you to understand what these are and plan accordingly.
It’s likely that in the weeks or even months leading up to the wedding that the groom will be nervous or emotional. This is completely understandable, and as the best man it’s your job to act as a confidant should the groom ever need to speak about anything. Make yourself available and let me know that no talk is too small or too silly, and if there’s ever something on his mind that you’re only a text or call away. Your job is to be his support in matters that he can’t talk to his bride about, and to assist him in any way possible – physically, emotionally or spiritually.