Hold the rings, give the speech, organise the bachelor party, and on the day keep the groom fed, on time and calm. The two things that actually go wrong in this role are a speech nobody timed and a ring nobody can find, and both are entirely preventable.
Before the day
Organise the bachelor party, including circulating a realistic all-in cost early so people can opt out gracefully. Coordinate the groomsmen on suits, fittings and collection — rented suits in particular have a pickup and a return date, and the return is the one that gets forgotten.
Write the speech properly, more than a week out. One story, five minutes, timed aloud twice. Cut anything about ex-partners or drinking, and anything only four people will understand.
On the day
Keep the rings — in a pocket that buttons, and check it more than once. Get the groom to the venue early. Make sure he eats, which he will not do on his own.
Sign as a witness if asked. Give the speech. Then take on the jobs that otherwise land on the couple: paying and tipping vendors from envelopes prepared in advance, returning rented suits, getting the gifts and the cake topper home.
The speech, specifically
This is the part people remember and the part most commonly done badly. Five minutes. One story with a beginning and an end. Turn it to say something true about them, then toast clearly so the room knows to raise a glass.
Read it aloud, timed, twice. Unbriefed speakers routinely run eleven minutes, and the room is always kinder to a short speech than to a complete one.
What to actually do about it
- Put the rings in a pocket that buttons
- And check it twice. A ring in an open pocket is the single most preventable disaster in this role.
- Confirm who returns rented suits, and when
- Rentals have a return date and a late fee, and it is the job that gets forgotten on the Monday.
- Take the vendor payment envelopes
- Prepared by the couple in advance. It is a real job that otherwise lands on them or a parent at midnight.
- Time the speech out loud, twice
- Five minutes. Nerves make everyone faster and longer at the same time.
Common questions
What does the best man do on the wedding day?
Keeps the rings, gets the groom there early and fed, signs as a witness if asked, gives the speech, and handles jobs that would otherwise fall to the couple - vendor payments, returning rented suits and getting gifts home.
How long should a best man speech be?
Five minutes. One story with a beginning and an end, turned to say something true about the couple, then a clear toast. Unbriefed speakers routinely run eleven minutes.
Who pays for the bachelor party?
Attendees pay their own way and usually split the groom's share. The best man should circulate a realistic all-in cost early so people can decline gracefully rather than discovering the total in instalments.
The vendors this depends on
Every review on Lazo comes from a couple who proved they actually got married with that vendor, and rankings can't be bought at any price.