Best Man Duties

Being a best man is not all just about the speech – or the stag do – there are more best man duties that you need to be aware of in addition to these.

Your role as best man brings with it a number of other duties which you need to be aware of. Remember, for the bride and groom (especially the bride) this is one of the most important and memorable days of their lives.

For this reason, all of the major ‘life friends’ are involved for the couple on the big day. There is you, the best man, your female equivalent – the maid of honour – and all the other bridesmaids and groomsmen. It is the job of all of you to make sure the day goes flawlessly.

But, as best man, it is your job to oversee the whole operation and make the day a big success.

The Best Man As A Leader

You are the foreman of the entire wedding party. You are in charge of the groomsmen, making sure that they know what they are doing but also everyone involved. The bride and groom are far too busy to do this themselves – it is the time where you step up and do this yourself to take the burden off them.

The Best Man Speech

We have obviously written a lot about this on this site and our free best man speech guide. Needless to say, this is probably the most important duty of a best man but you have other stuff to take care of during the day before it gets to this point.

Duties After The Speech

Once your speech is done, you can breathe a big sigh of relief. And probably have a few drinks too. Only after your speech though – remember our best man speech preparation tips. But remember that the day isn’t over yet.

While most of your duties and effort fall before your speech, this doesn’t mean that you can get absolutely hammered and forget about the groom, bride or wedding. You still need to be on the ball in case something comes up where the bride and groom will need your help.

Some Of Your Other Duties

Really these vary from wedding to wedding but usually include:

Presenting the ring during the wedding ceremony.

Ushering the crowd to their seats, along with the groomsmen.

Making sure the groomsmen are organised and all know what they are doing.

Organising the stag do (and then keeping what happens quiet).

Taking the best man for one last pint as a single man.

Helping the groom overcome any nerves he has. If your hotel has a pool, go for a swim or do anything you can to take your mind off of the forthcoming events.

Getting people on the dance floor – this is crucial – lead the way!

Being ready in case anything else comes up.

Yes, the best man speech is the most important of all the other wedding speeches. But remember: you were chosen to be best man not because of your hilarious ability to give a thrilling speech but because you are someone that the groom can rely on. But it is not the only duty you have. Make sure and live up to this on the day and don’t neglect your other duties as best man.