The Best Man

The best man is probably the most important person at a wedding after the bride and groom and their parents. He is the chief male assistant to the groom on his wedding day and with that he has quite a few responsibilities, so it is important that the groom chooses someone that he, trusts, respects and knows well.

It is typical for a groom to choose his closest friends or one of his brothers to perform the duty.

The brides equivalent of a best man is know as here matron of honour or chief bridesmaid.

It has been said that having a best man derives from ancient customs of marriage, where a potential bride would by kidnapped from a neighbouring tribe and the 'best man' would be someone who assisted in the kidnapping and alternatively the 'best man' might also be someone who defended a bride from would-be kidnappers.

The best man has many wedding duties, which may include:

• Helping the groom with any pre wedding planning
• Arranging the bachelor party.
• Collecting and delivering the wedding attire on the day before the wedding ensuring that each wedding party member has been properly fitted.
• Helping the groom prepare on the morning of the wedding.
• Arranging transport for the groom to the ceremony making sure he arrives early.
• Assisting ushers and grooms men with anything that is required before the ceremony
• Keeping the wedding rings safe until they are required during the wedding service.
• Acting as a witness to the signing of the registrar and paying any outstanding fees.
• Escorting the matron of honour from the wedding service.
• Assisting with any problems organisers or guests may have at the wedding reception.
• Giving a speech and toast about the groom and his bride.
• Dancing with the chief bridesmaid at the end of the first dance.
• Ensuring the wedding transport is ready for the bride and groom at the end of the night.
• Collecting the wedding suits and returning them to the wedding supplier.

It is traditional to reward the best man with a gift for all his hard work. Below is a list of some best man gift ideas.

• A set of personalised best man cufflinks
• A personalised silver pocket watch
• A caricature of the best man performing his wedding duties
• An engraved hip flash with a personalised message.
• A silver golf set, with tees and marker.
• An engraved writing pen set.
• A personalised tankard or whiskey glass.
• A silver tie pin to accompany his wedding suit.
• A personalised silver Zippo lighter.