After the Ceremony
It doesn't stop straight after the speech you know!
Well done! You've kept that newly-married best mate of yours off the sauce and
on-time for the ceremony, you've rallied the ushers, posed for the photographs,
you've ingratiated yourself with every soul there, you've resisted the urge to
make any crude comments to any attractive ladies present and you've just gone
and slayed them all with a knockout speech of simplicity and brilliance. Magic.
But don't think that's the end of the Best Man for the day, oh no. You've still
got several smaller, but no-less expected tasks ahead before you can start
impersonating Mick Jagger or Jarvis Cocker on the dancefloor later that same
evening.
Did you know: Over 500 groups have trusted us to organise their stag do?
Presents
Principally, you've got to make sure that the gifts everyone has bought the
happy couple are not half-inched by some passing delivery driver with a grudge
against marriage on account of his two previous personal disasters. In other
words, it's up to you how you do it, but make sure that there are provisions
made for getting the 18 toasters, 12 George Foremans and 7 sets of steak knives
up to either the bridal suite, your own...or to someone's home, where they'll
be remaining until the newlyweds send for them. Perhaps it might even be that
they'll need storing at your own house until after the honeymoon, so make sure
you make space in your pad for all those unusual ornaments and very usual sets
of steak knives.
Suit Returns
You'll also need to co-ordinate with the ushers to get those penguin suits back
to the hire place on time. Again, this won't require Einstein to oversee
things, but leaving this task to chance could be a very expensive mistake. It
may be that the chief usher has since spilled a full gravy boat right down his
waistcoat, in which case you're going to lose the deposit unless your Gran can
rub it through for you prior to its return. It may be that you've lost one of
the usher's temporarily, mysteriously around the same time as the groom's
sister went missing, so you may need to get hold of him and get all the hire
stuff together so that you don't have to face this on the morning after, and
through very slitty eyes. It's usually the case that the suits won't have to be
back until the Monday morning, but time goes by so fast at weddings that it's
in your own interests to get this task sorted before the evening begins. You
don't want to be interrupted mid-boogie by one of the guys, saying that he
can't remember where he's put his Moss Bros jacket.
Photographs
Not so much a task on the day, but there'd be no smugger bloke on earth than the
Best Man who's just presented a surprise compilation album of photos taken on
the day to the new Mr & Mrs x as they return from honeymoon a week or so
later. There may be a professional hired or not, but if you find out who has
taken piccies from the start, you're in a strong position as Best Man to gather
in a great collection and put them in a book. A beautiful, classy touch to
round off your satisfying performance, whilst reminding the Groom what a good
job you made of it on the day too (he'll have half-forgotten after the
honeymoon. Well, wouldn't you?)
»» You're done, or maybe not?
Above and Beyond