| The Best Man's Role One of the greatest compliments a man can pay a friend is to ask him to be best man at his wedding. The best man is taking on a major role and must commit fully to the task. Forward planning and good organisational skills are key. The best man will be involved during the planning stages, so he must be willing to dedicate a considerable amount of time in the run-up to the actual wedding day. The role carries a huge amount of responsibility and this comes with the privilege of the position. He must make sure the day runs as smoothly as possible and that everyone is fullfilling their roles, whilst also being the groom's prop. BEFORE THE BIG DAY The groom should ensure the best man is aware of his expectations. The bride and groom should also make the best man aware of any sensitive family situation such as divorce or estrangement well ahead of the day. The best man should liaise with the chief bridesmaid to ensure that all is completed ahead of the big day. It is also useful if the best man is able to recognise key family members before the big day. THE BIG DAY One the day, the best man must work discretely and ensure that the groom is prepared and that all matters pertaining to the event are in place. He is the immediate link between the groom and the wedding party. It is his job to ensure all matters appertaining to the wedding itself are in place and running to time. He must ensure the ushers are at post and fully understand their duties. He must make sure the groom arrives at the church early to complete any formalities and that they are stationed in the correct place at the correct time. He must ensure he has possession of the wedding rings. At the reception, he should see that the ushers are still available to assist guests in any way required and see the bridesmaids are being looked after. He should still be formally on duty throughout the event until the bride and groom leave the function. Recommended Reading - Debretts Wedding Guide ISBN 978 1 870520 86 7 James Lark is a Toastmaster based in Tonbridge, Kent. He can be contacted here | 
