Important Duties of the Best Man – Plan my Wedding

Important Duties of the Best Man
The best man is chosen by the bridegroom and is usually a brother or a good friend. This responsibie role involves offering a certain amount of help with the preparations and considerable activity on the wedding day to ensure everything proceeds smoothly and is a complete success.

6 months
□ Discuss plans with the bride, groom and chief bridesmaid
□ Help to choose the ushers and explain their duties to them

4 months
□ Arrange to purchase or hire own clothes and ascertain who will pay – see ‘Clothes for the Bridegroom’, and ‘Clothes for the Male Attendants’
□ Help the groom and other male attendants to choose their clothes

4 weeks
□ Organize the stag party
□ Prepare speech for the reception – see ‘Speeches’
□ Visit the ceremony and reception venues with the bride and groom to check on timings, parking arrangements, etc.

1 week
□ Obtain a list of the family and any guests who are to be personally escorted to their seats and any special seating arrangements at the ceremony
□ Check the groom has all the necessary documents for the ceremony
□ Ensure the groom has the travel documents for the honeymoon. If the couple are going abroad, remind him about passports, visas, currency and insurance
□ Attend the wedding rehearsal (church only)
□ Attend any pre-wedding parties
□ Liaise with the ushers on the final arrangements
□ Check for roadworks, diversions and any special events taking place
□ Arrange transport for the groom and self to the ceremony
□ Arrange own transport from the reception
□ Arrange going-away car for the bride and groom
□ Note details and availability of emergency taxi Companies
□ Finalize speech
□ Have hair cut

1 day
□ Collect any hired clothing and accessories
□ Organize decorations for the going-away car

On the day
□ Check final arrangements
• ushers
• buttonholes
• order of service sheets
• ring(s)
• any relevant documents for the ceremony
• travel documents
□ Collect telemessages, emails and greetings cards to be read out at the reception
□ Keep the wedding ring(s) safe until required in the ceremony
□ Help the groom get ready and make sure he arrives at the venue on time (at least 20 minutes before the ceremony)

Checklist Best Man

At the church or civil ceremony
□ Check on ushers
□ Ensure any fees are paid to the officiant, Registrar or Civil Partnership Officer, organist, beil-ringers, singers and musicians
□ Sit in right-hand front row with groom
□ Produce the ring(s) when requested
□ Witness the signing of the register, if required
□ Follow the bride and groom down the aisle, with the chief bridesmaid on your left arm
□ Assist the photographer in organizing guests for the group photographs
□ Leave for the reception with bridesmaids, following after the bride and groom

At the reception
□ Stand in the receiving line and greet guests
□ Announce the speeches and the cutting of the cake, if there is no Master of Ceremonies or Toastmaster
□ Read out any telemessages, emails and greetings cards
□ Give the third and final speech, and reply on behalf of the bridesmaids
□ Dance with the chief bridesmaid once the bride and groom have had the first dance together
□ Decorate the going-away car
□ Put luggage in the going-away car
□ Hand travel documents to the groom
□ Make sure the couple go and change on time and announce to the guests when they are about to leave
□ Gather everyone outside to bid the couple farewell
□ After the couple have departed, be on hand to help out in any way
□ Take Charge of the groom’s wedding clothes After the wedding
□ Ensure the wedding gifts are safely stored
□ Return any hired clothing and accessories
□ Write to the bride and groom to thank them for their gift
□ Write to the bride’s parents to thank them for their hospitality
□ Write to the groom’s parents to thank them for any help and support they offered during the planning stage