Best Man: Top Ten Responsibiliites

1) Above everything else, you will need to be there for your buddy for moral support. If the groom starts experiencing anxiety or anxiousness, it is up to you to calm him down and talk him through it. He will be coming to you for advice on both the wedding and marriage, especially if you are already married, so now is not the time to tell him about how you and your wife argue all the time now that you're married or how you don't have sex as much. Keep the conversations light and open.

2) One of the main highlights of being a best man is planning the bachelor party. You will want to speak to the groom about the type of bachelor party he has in mind. Just because your idea of a great bachelor party is drinking beer and hiring strippers, the groom may not feel comfortable with that. He might just want to hang out with his guy friends and go bar-hopping instead. You will be responsible for inviting his friends and getting everybody together sometime before the wedding, usually a week in advance.

3) As the best man, you will be responsible for attending all of the different events and parties before the actual wedding ceremony including the engagement party, the bridal shower (if it happens to be co-ed), the wedding rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner.

4) Before the wedding, the best man is responsible for handling the arrangements of tuxedo fittings for the men in the wedding party including groomsmen, ushers, ring bearer and fathers of the bride and groom. Make sure to get a list of contact numbers for all of these men and schedule a time well in advance for all the men to get fitted, usually a month or month and a half before the wedding. Since most grooms go to their honeymoon almost directly after the ceremony, you will need to take the groom's tuxedo back to the rental place, as well.

5) On the day of the wedding, the best man will help the groom get ready before the ceremony. He will be sure to bring the tuxedo to the church or wedding hall for the groom and make sure the groom looks great for his big day.

6) Usually, the best man is also responsible for driving the groom to the actual wedding ceremony, so you need to make sure you are on time for everything.

7) At the wedding, you will more than likely be going down the aisle with the matron or maid of honor and standing next to the groom as he waits for his bride to arrive. You will hold both the wedding rings for the groom as well as the bride and hand them to the couple at the appropriate time.

8) At the wedding reception and rehearsal dinner, you will present a toast to the new couple. I would not suggest "winging it," so have a complimentary speech ready that speaks well of both the bride and groom.

9) If there is no official wedding coordinator, you may be responsible for coordinating the different wedding events like the cutting of the cake and the tossing of the garter.

10) After the ceremony, you may or may not have to pay those that have not been paid, including the officiant, the caterer and the reception hall, so keep those checks close at hand and in a safe place. If the couple does not have a limo provided, you may drive the new couple to their honeymoon suite, as well.