Best Man Wedding Duties: The Complete Best Man Checklist to Prepare for the Big Day

The best man is one of the most important members of a wedding party. Alongside the maid of honor, groomsmen, and bridesmaids, the best man keeps the party going! He’s the emotionally supportive rock to the groom as the big day approaches. He’s the reason the eager groom doesn’t forget to bring the marriage license to the ceremony. And he’s the accountability buddy to the hungover groom’s people when it’s time to make it to the morning-after-the-wedding-brunch. 

The best man is a special person chosen by the groom to support him on his precious wedding day. Often a best friend, sibling, or parent, the best man has an important list of wedding duties he must attend to before, during, and after the wedding ceremony. Best man duties extend beyond the chief tasks we mentioned, and we’re here to help you prepare with one mighty list. While every newlywed couple has different expectations from their best man on their wedding day, it’s smart to be as prepared as possible. Think of yourself as one of the project managers of the wedding. You have some important jobs to do! Check out the complete best man checklist below.

Best Man Wedding Duties: The Complete Checklist

Before the Wedding

Attend all pre-wedding events.

The best man is the groom’s right-hand man. It’s your job to stand by his side at all the wedding events, even those that occur before the wedding! The bachelor party, engagement party, rehearsal dinner, and bridal showers all count.

Organize the bachelor party.

You’ll have help from your fellow groomsmen, but the bachelor party planning is likely your responsibility. Need help thinking of the best bachelor party ideas? Check out this blog to spark some ideas. 

Take charge of the groomsmen’s gift for the groom.

Gather your groomsmen to come up with the best gift for the groom from all of you special guys. You can divvy out the tasks for who buys what and determine what your budget is and what types of gifts the groom would appreciate.

Help coordinate the honeymoon.

How will the happy couple leave the reception to head to their honeymoon? Do they need hotels or vacation packages booked? Help organize and book their trip to make their romantic getaway a breeze. 

Be a strong emotional support system for the wedding party.

His wedding day might be one of the few days you see your buddy break down or shed a few tears. The weeks leading up to the big day might be emotional or stressful as well. Make sure you’re always there for him, as well as the rest of the bridal party. 

Communicate important information with the groom and make sure he’s on top of everything.

You’re basically the project manager of this wedding. Can you handle that? You’ll have help, don’t worry. But whatever you do, don’t let the groom forget his marriage license. Or the rings. Or his tux. Be an excellent communicator so that nothing important is overlooked!

Make sure everything is ready for the ceremony.

Help organize and gather all the rings, the cushion for the ring bearer, the flowers for the flower girl, and the boutonniere and corsages for the groomsmen and bridesmaids. There are a lot of small things that could be easily overlooked. Help do the research to make sure the bride is not in shambles on her wedding day!

During the Wedding

Keep the wedding party on schedule.

There is typically some sort of chaotic feeling to every wedding day. There’s likely a strict schedule to which the wedding party must adhere. You have brunch at 10, photos at 1, cocktail hour at 4, the ceremony at 6... you get the drill. Keep everyone accountable to make it to each appointment on time. And make sure everyone’s smiling during photos, even if they’re getting hangry.

Always stand by the groom’s side.

Of course, the groomsmen will all be by the groom’s side on his big wedding day. However, you’re the best man, so you’ll be the closest to him at the altar. No matter what you do on his wedding day, make sure he is your top priority.

Serve as a witness.

A witness’s signature is required at wedding ceremonies, so offer to be the witness of your buddy’s wedding. What an honor.

Give the best man speech.

Hopefully, you’ve had some practice writing thoughtful speeches or speaking when you’re feeling emotional. Try not to be the person who can’t get their words out because they’re so choked up. But if that ends up being you, then that’s really sweet. We recommend going prepared. But if you’re exceptionally socially intelligent and if you excelled at impromptu speeches in school, then just go for it. We believe in you.

Be the project manager of the reception.

Alright, the reception is your responsibility. Keep the party going. Keep the activities moving. Get out on the dance floor when it’s time and organize the gifts when the bride and groom are scheduled to open them. You’ve got this, PM.

After the Wedding

Touch base with the vendors.

After the wedding, ensure that everything has been paid for and that everything is going to be properly cleaned and tidied up. The last thing your precious newlyweds want is loose ends not tied up as they head to an island for honeymoonin’.

Return rented tuxedos and clean up.

If the venue needs to be cleaned up after the reception, take ownership of that task. Assist with tidying the place up and remind all the groomsmen to return their rented tuxedos.

Hold everyone accountable to make it to brunch the next morning.

The morning after the wedding might be a bit foggy. If everyone had a lot to drink, it might be hard to get up. But those mimosas are waiting for you! Hold everyone accountable to arrive on time for brunch!