Groomsmen

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Best Man’s Role in a Wedding

The best man plays a very important role in the wedding. While he may not be as involved in the wedding plans and preparations as the maid of honor, he does participate in his own way. The groom is less likely than the bride to feel that it is very important to have his best friend in on every decision so the majority of the responsibilities of the best man take place either at the wedding or in the few days prior to the wedding. Planning the bachelor party, organizing suit collection, organising the groomsmen, holding the ring during the ceremony and offering the first toast at the reception are just a few of the responsibilities that the best man is responsible for.

Organising the bachelor party is one of the biggest roles that the best man plays in a wedding. This party is typically a night for the groom and his friends to share one more night of bonding before the wedding. As one of the closest friends of the groom, the best man is able to choose a time, location and activities for the bachelor party that the groom will enjoy.

The best man’s main role is to supervise and coordinate the groomsmen. The best man takes on the responsibility of ensuring that all of the groomsmen are aware of when they need to be somewhere and what they need to be doing. Taking on the roll of coordinator for the men in the wedding party unburdens the groom of this task. The groom no longer has to worry about making multiple phone calls every time there is a slight change of plans. He can simply call his best man and then rely on the best man to make everyone aware of the situation and expectations. In general the best man is there to be the groom’s friend and help to alleviate his fears and to make things easy for him.  Knowing that the best man will take care of organising and coordinating the groomsmen and will always be there to listen allows the groom to relax and trust that none of the details will be overlooked.

After the wedding if the bride and groom are leaving immediately after the reception for their honeymoon, the best man is responsible for returning any hired items back to the shop.

In addition to all of his pre-wedding preparations, the best man also plays a couple of roles during the wedding ceremony and the reception. During the ceremony the best man lends his support by standing beside the groom in a display of solidarity.  The best man also safeguards the rings during the ceremony until they are requested.  This is imperative because the groom is likely to be nervous and may forget where he put the rings for safekeeping. Entrusting the rings to the best man, however, ensures that the rings will be kept safe and not misplaced.

One of the most important responsibilities of the best man is to offer the first toast to the bride and the groom at the reception.  In this role the best man is not only offering his sentiment to the new couple but he is also expressing the feelings of all of those in attendance. While everyone at the reception may wish to convey their feelings of good will, it is the best man who is able to do so publicly.

In general the role of the best man is to support the groom and to act in the best interest of the groom.  Although there are certain responsibilities such as planning the bachelor party, safeguarding the wedding rings, coordinating the groomsmen and offering the first toast at the reception, the biggest role of the best man is to be a friend to the groom.

Gifts for the Groomsmen

Choosing a gift for the groomsmen could be a difficult task for many grooms.  Most grooms don’t want to go with a gift that is too traditional or unoriginal but they also struggle with feelings that a gift that is too creative may not be appropriate.  Perhaps the most important aspect of a groomsmen gift is not whether it is traditional or unique but whether or not it fits the personality of the recipient.  As long as you know your groomsmen very well and put an honest effort into finding their groomsmen gifts you are sure to find a gift that will be enjoyed by your groomsmen.

A gift that will be appreciated by most guys is a financial contribution towards the outfit he is to wear for the wedding. Depending on your financial status, the Groom could pay for part of the Groomsmen’s outfit. Alternatively he could offer to pay the hire fee for the vest etc.  If a specific tie has been selected to compliment the bridesmaids dresses, the groom can buy the tie and matching hanky for each groomsman.

A traditional groomsmen gift ideas is a hip flask.  If this is something that you think your groomsmen will fully enjoy then by all means go out and buy them the most attractive silver or leather flask that you can find. A nice touch is to get the Groomsman’s name and the date of the wedding engraved on the flask.

Cuff links or tie clips are another traditional gift idea for a groom to give to his groomsmen.  As many guys don’t often wear shirts that require cufflinks, many groomsmen do not own cufflinks so giving them as a gift ensures that the groomsmen will have these items to wear on your wedding day.  Many Grooms like to get their Groomsmen matching cufflinks, however, if is often a nice idea to select different cufflinks that will mach each Groomsman’s personality.

A men’s aftershave can be another unique gift idea for the groomsmen.  Choosing a nice fragrance is a useful gift that will not be wasted.

Another idea for giving gifts for your groomsmen is to give each man a different gift.  While the groomsmen are all close friends of the groom and may have certain common interests, they all still have something about them that makes them unique.  You could recognize their individuality by personalizing a unique gift for each of your groomsmen.

Bracelets or watches are another traditional groomsmen gift idea.  Depending on your budget, you might want to purchase a watch or bracelet that is appropriate to wear on your wedding day.  This is a wonderful gift that not only expresses your appreciation for participating in your wedding but also gives the groomsmen a nice accessory to wear at your wedding and other formal functions.

Groomsmen can be difficult to buy gifts for because many of the traditional groomsmen gifts seem boring or impractical.  Traditional gifts can be made more modern with the introduction of a twist such as a variation in each groomsman’s gift instead of giving them each the exact same thing.  The most important thing to consider in choosing a gift for your groomsmen is to make sure the gift will reflect the personality of the recipient.

At Just For Him we have a large range of Gifts and Accessories that make the perfect Groomsman’s gift.  In addition, if you are purchasing your wedding outfits from Just For Him, we are happy to offer a discount on all Groomsman’s gifts.

For further gift ideas, go to our online shop.

BACHELOR PARTY

Probably the one thing that every Groom looks forward to before the Big Day. Your Best Man is typically the one in charge of handling the details behind your party. After you’ve appointed your Best Man or Men, it’s their job to organize your final outing as a bachelor. They are the ones that traditionally plan all of the details, take care of all of the expenses, and make sure your having the time of your life. If you have a strong preference (no farm animals, gerbils, etc.) about what you would like to do for your party, let them know. You may prefer a big blowout or just a laid back time with your boys. Consider consulting your friends as well about what they might enjoy and can afford.
GROOMSMEN – HERE ARE SOME RULES TO GO BY WHEN ARRANGING THE BUCKS NIGHT!

  1. Provide safe transportation. No one wants to be the designated driver. Plan on renting reliable transportation. Limos, buses or trains are surprisingly affordable, convenient, and fun. Make the town know you are celebrating! Everybody’s safety (especially the Groom) should be the first thing you plan on. Look into local rental transportation in your area. Stock it with booze! Crash at someone’s place at the end of the night and have breakfast together.
  2. Plan on something that the Groom will enjoy. This isn’t about what you want to do. It’s all about the bachelor. Ask him prior to planning the Bachelor Party what he wants to do and discuss dates that might work.
  3. Make sure you plan in advance. You need to make sure nobody has any conflicts or previous engagements. It’s not really a bachelor party if only two people show up. It’s actually a date. A month or two prior to the wedding is appropriate. Check with the Bride and suggest having the Bachelor Party the same weekend as the Bachelorette Party.
  4. Ask the Groom for a list of emails or numbers of the guys that he’d like to have attend. Don’t invite random guys just to off-set the costs. Nothing is worse than having a group of guys you don’t know at your Bachelor Party.
  5. Talk to the guys in the group and decide what might be an affordable budget. Once you have a budget, stick to it. Have everyone pitch in. There’s no reason why you should have to carry the entire financial burden.
  6. Keep the Bachelor in the loop. Most guys like nice surprises, but most guys don’t like surprises that come attached with a cross-dressing Chinese midget.
  7. Be aware of the Bride. As the Best man, you may want to talk with the Bride to get her “okay” on the festivities. If the Bachelor Party is a surprise, the bride could write a note to the Groom stating her blessing for good clean fun. If the Bride has a short chain on your boy…take note…and proceed with caution.
  8. Keep your man out of trouble. Another no brainer. You want to be sure your bachelor-to-be doesn’t do anything he will regret for the rest of his life. You may have to slap him around a bit. But, he will thank you in the morning when he’s sober. Remember that he must be alive, and healthy for the big day.
  9. Make sure the Bachelor and everybody attending has a great time. Plenty of booze helps with this! Don’t run out!
  10. Important Note for the GROOM: Regardless of how tempted you are, don’t have too much fun at your Bachelor Party. Remember that the decisions you make now will affect you for the rest of your life. Don’t let 10 minutes of pleasure ruin the rest of your life.

More and more Grooms nowadays are opting out of the traditional Bachelor Party. Instead, they are choosing to have outings where they can just relax and hang with friends. Here are a few ideas:

1. Organize a camping trip.

2. Get box seats to your favorite sporting event.

3. Go on a golf outing. Golf can be a great time to relax and reflect with your friends before you step down that aisle.

4. Paint balling – DO IT AHEAD OF TIME THOUGH!!!! Bruises aren’t attractive!

5. Road trip to a destination of you choice.

6. Charter a fishing boat with a bunch of your friends.

7. Plan a trip to an amusement park.

8. Organize a sports tournament with all of your friends. Have prizes for the winning team. Some suggestions:

  • Flag Football
  • Soccer
  • Basketball
  • Beach Volleyball

9. Sky diving

10. Rent a speed boat.

11. Go on a “Booze Cruise”. There are some great party cruises on Sydney Harbor and are very affordable!!!

12. Race track

13. Whitewater Rafting

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