Groomsmen

From LoveToKnow Weddings

Best Men for the Job

Deciding on the groomsmen for a wedding should be the man’s choice. But all men know that if mama isn't happy, then nobody’s happy and this includes wedding traditions. The choice of groomsmen needs to be discussed at least once in the bride and groom's relationship. The bride should have a good rapport with the chosen groomsmen. If there is any tension between them during the planning of a wedding, the bride and groom may find themselves cringing as the preacher asks if there is any reason why they shouldn't be married. The most important groomsman the bride must approve is the best man.

Groom's Dilemma

Most men know who their best man will be from the moment they graduate college. As the years grow close to the ultimate decision of matrimony, the man usually finds the choice a lot tougher. What about the friend who bailed him out of jail or the one who nursed him back to health when he had that really bad stomach flu? He can’t forget the friend who first introduced him to the bride-to-be either. Chances are somebody’s feelings will get hurt, and there is not much you can do about it.

Obvious Best Man

Choose your best man by selecting the most responsible friend. He will need to take care of a number of responsibilities such as:

Wedding rings
Preparing a repectful and entertaining reception toast
And most importantly... making sure the groom gets there in one piece and on time!

The bride should get along with the best man, trusting him to give a bachelor party that will not get the groom in too much trouble. There have been many marriages that started off on a rocky road due to a mistake the groom made at a wild bachelor party. With this in mind, the groom needs to be careful, but his best man also needs to respect the bride and keep the groom from any temptation.

How Many Groomsmen?

Statistically, there should be one groomsman for every 50 wedding guests. This is not a hard-and-fast rule of wedding guest etiquette however, because many destination weddings have less guests and more groomsmen. Generally, you want to have an even number of groomsmen and bridesmaids since they will walk down the aisle together. If the sides are uneven, it is not uncommon to ask a relative to fill in the gap.

Showing Appreciation

The groom needs to remember that his groomsmen are chipping in their time and effort to give him a great day. The least he can do is present them with a memorable gift such as a beer stein, pocket knife or money clip. However, the gift itself isn't as important as the groomsmen who will stand up with him as he marries the girl of his dreams.

Learn More

Slideshows and Quizzes

Top 5 Weddings Articles

Related Articles

Comments

Tanya - That is a great way to include your son and your fiance's goddaughter in the wedding. For such young children, however, their duties are limited -- they'd process down the aisle like the other attendants, and stand as witnesses to the ceremony, but they wouldn't be involved in the other planning and preparation details. They would need to be a part of the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, of course. They can have other duties at the reception, such as tending the guest book or handing out favors, but that isn't required and many times it's better to let them just relax after being in the spotlight during the ceremony. For your son in particular, I'd recommend that you take at least a few minutes during the day to be with just him and let him know how important he is as a member of the family, and you can include a family element to the wedding ceremony if you wish.

-- Contributed by: Melissa Mayntz

Is it ok to have my 11yr old son as a jr groomsmen. If so what would be his duties? I will have a 13yr old jr bridesmaid(fiance's goddaughter)as well.

-- Contributed by: tanya