To be chosen as a best man is a great honour. However, it’s a role that comes with weighty responsibility. This can lead to best men feeling under pressure and intimidated on the big day. Read on for our tips on how to fulfil your duties perfectly, from suit fittings to the best man’s speech.
Write your speech in advance and practice, practice, practice
As the best man, your most important job is arguably the wedding day speech, delivered to a room full of family and friends. You should give yourself plenty of time in advance to write a first, second and third draft of the speech. Practice your speech as many times as you can, perhaps in front of a friend or relative. Ask for their feedback – friends and family can often give helpful guidance on what to keep and what to cut from the speech.
After perfecting your final draft, practice reading your speech aloud, perhaps in front of a mirror. All of this practice will give you the confidence to effortlessly deliver your speech on the day. Writing in the Telegraph, Josh Warwick emphasises the importance of extensive preparation:
“Right, on to the speech itself… and it’s very much a case of fail to prepare, prepare to look like a complete moron in front of a hundred people. Because even if you are a stand-up comedian or possess the public speaking skills of Barack Obama, you will need to do your research and put the hours in.”
If you are feeling particularly anxious or shy about having to perform your speech, you should consider attending a couple of sessions of a toastmasters class. Toastmasters is dedicated to helping people feel confident in public speaking. The class will provide you with a number of tips on how to give an engaging, confident speech.
Plan a killer stag do
As the best man, the stag do is your biggest pre-wedding responsibility. As a good friend of the groom to be, you will probably have a solid idea of the kind of shenanigans your friend would like. There are several traditional ideas to use for the stag, such as classic pub or bar crawl, a casino visit, paintballing, or a fishing trip.
Be sure to set the right date for the bachelor party. Don’t pick a date too close to the wedding, as the groom will have other responsibilities he needs to attend to. In addition, be to sure to carefully pick a date when all of the groomsmen can attend.
Make sure you look the part
Best men, just like all groomsmen, need to look the part on the big day. That means ensuring your suit fits well and that you have a suitable pair of shoes. You’ll look great and it will help you feel more confident as you adeptly perform your duties of the day. It will also make you look sharp in the wedding photos, something of great importance to the bride and groom.
Acing your role as the best man
Preparing well in advance when it comes to the stag, speech and your suit will ensure that your best man duties all go as smoothly as possible. It can feel a bit intimidating to play one of the most important roles of the whole wedding day, but it’s also a great honour, so enjoy it!
