With Wedding Season Coming Do You Know The Duties Of The Best Man?
We’re about to kick into wedding season. We have 3 to attend later this year. And, our son is best man in one of them. And, he was asking me what the duties of the best man are. While we knew the main ones, I had to do a little reading to get a complete tutorial on the matter.
One of our son’s best friends since he was in 4th grade is getting married in the Fall. And, my son was honored with a request to stand as his best man. We’re all extremely close with the whole family, and in fact, we refer to each other’s sons as our own. So, we want to make them proud and fulfill the duties of the best man completely.
Duties Of The Best Man
So, my son was asking the other night, besides the bachelor party, what are the duties of the best man. He had heard some talk of possibly some dinner or another event that might fall among his responsibilities. Not sure what that was…but the only dinner I’m aware of is the rehearsal dinner. And, that typically is the responsibility of the groom’s family. However, the best man usually makes a toast at that dinner.
In doing some research I ran across an article from The Knot, a leading authority on everything weddings. And, it confirmed most of what I assumed were duties of the best man. They refer to the best man as the groom’s go to confidante, personal valet and logistics guru for all pre wedding and day of details.
Imagine if you will, that the best man is a sort of ‘head groomsman.’ He coordinates things such as shopping for the groomsmen apparel and making sure all the guys are on time and in place when they need to be. He acts as a point person for guests along with managing the timeline, giving a toast and making sure vendors are paid.
As part of the duties of the best man, he may sign the marriage license and prepare the couple’s getaway. Of course, he stands beside the groom on the day of the wedding and keeps the rings safe. And, finally, after all is said and done he ties up loose ends and makes sure all the rented formal wear is returned.
So, it’s pretty much as we expected. And, luckily for our son, he won’t be going it alone. Because the groom has 2 best friends, my son is the co-best man. He, along with another of their childhood besties, will fulfill the duties of the best man. There they are in the picture below! We can’t wait for the big day!
Ditching Tradition: A Look At 'Anti-Wedding' Trends
Ditching White Gowns
While most conventional wedding dresses feature white dresses with trains, a new trend has hit the scene. Many soon-to-be brides are opting for dresses with pops of color or even daring to wear the color black. Google Trends had high searches for “black wedding dress” over the past 12 months, CNN reported. In fall 2021 specifically, “black wedding dress” was searched more times than “white wedding dress” on Google. Another traditional gown switch-up is not wearing a gown at all and wearing a suit, or a romper.
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Swapping Veils For Dramatic Capes
More brides are saying goodbye to veils and going to wedding capes. Some brides just don’t find veils to be a comfortable accessory. It can easily be removed without destroying your hair and is perfect for chilly weather. We can’t forget to mention that it adds a majestic timeless feel.
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Quiet Receptions
Keeping it casual is a very bold and anti-wedding move. You can just gather your friends after an elopement and head to a restaurant to celebrate. The key to this is to make restaurant accommodations in advance and to make sure the food tastes good. You don’t want your family and friends to leave disappointed.
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Non-Wedding Activities
You may have been seeing this a lot more at weddings. People are ditching the first dance, cake-cutting, and speeches. Some people are taking a didn’t approach to the typical wedding program and stepping outside of the box. If you’re more into the idea of having board games, forming your own newlywed band performance, or non-conventional forms of activities, you should go for it.
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Minimal Decor
One anti-wedding trend that could save you some coin is scaling back on decorations. There’s always the pressure of making your wedding Instagram-worthy. But with anti-weddings, this isn’t the case. Think low-key set-up with cozy seating with an at-home feel. Some people even go as far as not having chairs at their outdoor ceremony, trading them in for blankets.
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The Chosen Ones Guest List
Keeping your guest list small is another anti-wedding trend to look into. Think about it, the more people mean a bigger venue, more food, higher costs, and higher expectations. A smaller wedding and reception makes it more intimate. It also gives you more options when it comes to budget.
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The Aisle Walk
Some people may dream of recreating the scene from Father of the Bride, but not the anti-bride. Anti-weddings often consist of walking down the aisle solo, with your pet, your mom, both parents, your soon-to-be Mr. or Mrs., or anyone other than your father. The big moment where you truly shine on your wedding day is your processional or the start of the ceremony. It’s the first time your guests and maybe even your soon-to-be spouse, will see you in your big-day attire. So, why not do it the way that you want?
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