Best Man Duties: The Ultimate Guide & Checklist

You’ve scored the role as best man, and you’re already planning the bachelor party. While that’s one of the main (and most fun) pre-wedding roles of the best man, it’s hardly the last one. You’ve taken on the delicate task of being the groom’s No. 1 sidekick for all the wedding planning. That means taking care of some of the finer details before, during and after the big day. Here are the main responsibilities you need to know about to succeed at being the best best man.

Before the wedding

• Decide on wedding suits: The groom and the bride may already have an idea of what they want for their wedding, but if your guy needs help getting started, it’s your job to help him get the ball rolling. Ask him about the time, location and formality of the big day to help steer him toward certain wedding suit colors and accessories (more on why that matters here). You can also browse through our Real Weddings page together to see how other real grooms and groomsmen have suited up.
• Manage the formalwear coordination: Once you’ve got the suiting decided, it’s time to alert the squad. We make it easy to manage your wedding party. Through our dashboard, you can manage your party, show them their look and send reminders all from one place.
• Be a mediator: One of the most helpful things you’ll do is simply be the go-to guy for all questions the groomsmen have about the wedding — from when to arrive at the wedding to how much each groomsman is contributing to the bachelor party. If it has to do with logistics or planning, it should be directed to you rather than the groom. Your job is to make sure he feels as little stress as possible as he’s prepping for his big day.
• Plan the bachelor party: One of the biggest and most fun responsibilities of the groom’s second-hand man, planning the bachelor party includes finalizing the guest list, keeping track of where everyone will stay and determining the plans for the day. And as mentioned above, you’ll also make sure all participants pay their share.

During the wedding

• Get the guys in order: Make sure your groomsmen know when to arrive at the venue and that everyone is present. Do a brief inspection of everyone’s wedding attire to make sure they look their best. You’ll also make sure all the guys are in the right order to enter so they’re in the right place during the ceremony.
• The rings: Though most weddings have a ring bearer, most couples don’t actually give the strapping little guy the real rings. As the best man, you’re responsible for making sure the wedding bands are safe and stored away in your jacket pocket before you walk down the aisle so you can hand them over at the right time.
• License: A small but significant responsibility is signing the marriage license as a witness directly after the ceremony. And if the officiant is hired, give them their payment in a sealed envelope after signing the license.
• The big toast: At the top of your list is probably nailing that best man speech. This moment will set the tone for the rest of the wedding dinner and put you in the spotlight for a few moments on your best bud’s biggest day. Sure, there may be some pressure, but you can easily ace it. Check out our best tips and tricks for writing a killer best man’s speech.

After the wedding

• Gifts: Collect and store any gifts or gift certificates guests brought to the wedding per the couple’s instructions.
• Payment: Also make sure any entertainment or service staff are tipped or paid in cash (if payment wasn’t already arranged). That means you’ll need to grab enough cash the day before and make sure it’s with your belongings when you get ready on the day of the wedding.

Though post-wedding duties can include making sure all wedding tuxedos and suits are returned, you can cross that off your list of to-dos. With SuitShop, the guys will all be able to own their suits for less than the price of the rental! No need to drag yourself back to the store or the post offices to return your attire!