Ok. So you're best friend's getting married. Whether you think he's making a huge mistake or you're thrilled for him, it's still your obligation to help make this wedding day one of the best of his life. Remember what best man duties entail? Few do til the day comes so here is a wedding checklist for just such an occasion. Oh no, my friend. You're in charge of much more than just the bachelor party. Here are your best man duties (and a look into why they call you the "best man" — it's work!).

Best Man Duties Prior To The Wedding:

• Help the groom shop for formal wear (tuxedos, shoes, etc)
• Coordinate tux fittings and payments
• Plan the couple's wedding shower and/or bachelor party
• Spread word about couple's registry (the maid of honor also has this duty)
• Offer assistance to the bride and groom with wedding planning tasks
• Arrange travel and lodging for all groomsmen
• Attend rehearsal dinner
• Organize groomsmen on wedding day

Best Man Duties At The Wedding:

• Stand at front next to groom and other groomsmen as procession begins
• Carry bride's wedding ring (or both)
• Escort the maid of honor during the recessional
• Sign marriage license as a witness
• Give the officiant's fee to the officiant

Best Man Duties At The Reception:

• May stand in receiving line (if appropriate)
• Sit at head table next to bride
• Make first toast to the couple, serve as toast master
• Dance with maid of honor during first dance (if wedding party is asked to participate)
• Help direct vendors as needed (Bride and groom will be too busy)
• Help groom give final payments and tips to wedding vendors
• Collect gifts and gift checks brought to the reception (Assist the bridesmaid)

Best Man Duties After The Wedding:

• Return all tuxedos to the rental shop
• Drive newlyweds to their wedding night hotel or airport (if no other transportation is arranged)

Ask The Celebration Advisor: My fiance and I are very close, but I'm as big a fan of his sisters. I feel like I probably should include them in my wedding party but I don't really want to. What are the rules on this? ~ Mallory B in Largo FL

The Celebration Advisor: Nope, you sure don't. BUT–and it's a pretty big But–it's expected in many families. Wedding etiquette is pretty solid about this. It's that pesky human element that makes discussing this with your groom so important.

If your groom has only one or two sisters, it may be a negative reflection on you to not include them. So before you get those "why can't she spare just one spot for her new sister" glares, consider whether hurt feelings will affect your new in-laws before making your decision. Wedding etiquette is on your side, but these will be your in-laws forever.

Another idea that may spare you a lot of problems is to include his siblings in other roles. For instance, sisters of a young age can be flower girls, guest book attendants, candle lighters and other roles. These are significant enough for the girls to feel special but you will not have to sacrifice bridesmaids spots.

If his sisters are older, it gets a bit more complicated. You can still offer to have them serve as wedding attendants but not necessarily members of the immediate wedding party.

The most important thing is to discuss this with your groom. If he seems sympathetic, use that to your advantage by placing your new sisters in a lesser role. If he seems offended or stresses that they may be, you may have to compromise on this and use them in your wedding party. He knows his family the best and wants to make you happy. With both of those things weighing on his decision, it should be a very good one when he finally addresses the issue.

Oh, and remember that this particular wedding etiquette issue works both ways. The same should be considered if the groom is asked to include his fiancee's siblings in the wedding party.

You'll never forget your maid of honor duties when you have this helpful wedding checklist! It fits easily in a wedding planner, a wallet, or your purse and conveniently keeps all of your maid of honor duties within reach. Your best friend is getting married and needs your help to make the wedding planning run smoothly. For you, it's as easy as performing these few simple task!

Maid of Honor Pre Wedding Duties

• Help bride shop for gown (if she desires)
• Help bride shop for bridesmaids dresses
• Get the word out about the wedding registry, even if listed elsewhere
• Coordinate bridesmaids' dress order, fittings, alterations, payment, and dressing
• Arrange the travel and lodging for the bridesmaids
• Organize bridesmaids on wedding day
• Fix the bride's train before the processional starts
• Attend rehearsal dinner
• Create a wedding day emergency kit (just a reminder!)
• Plan and attend the wedding shower and/or bachelorette party
• Help with wedding planning tasks (a girl needs all the hands she can get!)

Maid of Honor Duties During The Ceremony:

• Walk down the aisle during the processional
• Adjust bride's train once she reaches the altar
• Hold the bridal bouquet while the bride and groom exchange vows
• Carry the groom's wedding ring
• Sign marriage license as a witness
• Walk in the recessional with the best man
• Organize programs, tossing petals, etc.

Maid of Honor Duties During The Reception:

• Stand in receiving line (if appropriate)
• Help bride bustle her gown
• Sit at head table next to groom (if wedding party is seated at head table)
• Prepare and present a toast to the couple
• Dance with best man during first dance (if the wedding party is asked to participate)
• Help direct vendors as needed (the bride shouldn't have to worry with this on her big day)

Maid of Honor Duties After The Wedding:

• Take the bride's wedding dress to the dry cleaner
• Help organize gifts and gift checks brought to the reception
• Help oversee wrap-up after wedding reception (if needed)

Ask The Celebration Advisor: I have been best friends with my friend Gemma since we were in elementary school. She's really good friends with my fiancee also, but she already has a maid of honor. Is it ok if my best man is a woman? ~ Jeron in Montpelier

The Celebration Advisor: We see it in movies all of the time. Guys and girls are best friends and forsake same-gender friendships. These are usually the romantic comedies that end up with those friends getting together in the end. They're fun to watch and oddly enough are beginning to skew the way traditional wedding etiquette affects the "best man" honor.

Yes, it's acceptable but there are obviously many things to consider before giving this honor to your best friend. First, is your best gal pal willing to take up the duties of the best man? She won't be wearing a tuxedo so she won't be at the fittings and likely will not be dealing with them. Therefore, responsibilities like these will fall to you or another groomsmen. If you can overlook this, go for it.

Also, consider your fiance's feelings. What does she think? Is she ok with it? Would she rather have her as a bridesmaid? Because of those crazy romantic movies, this is something that requires serious conversation before action is taken. If your fiancee feels that it is a nice gesture, you've found an incredible woman and are lucky to have two great women in your life!

Do you have a brother or best guy friend who will feel slighted? If the answer is no, you are not in the wrong to make a woman your best man. If you do have males who would better fit the role, give this consideration before making your decision.

The simplest answer is that yes you can make a woman your best man but there are far too many things to consider first for it to be an easy choice to make.

Keeping up with who-does-what at a wedding can be very tedious. Instead of worrying about what your bridesmaid duties are and threatening your enjoyment of the wedding, use this checklist instead! This wedding checklist of bridesmaids duties is the fastest and easiest way to recognize your part in helping things run smoothly. Wedding planning has never been so simple!

Pre-Wedding Bridesmaids Duties:

• May assist in shopping for dress
• Attend at least one bridesmaid dress shopping event (unless an out-of-town attendant)
• Get fittings and alterations as needed
• Help with wedding planning errands
• Help plan wedding shower and/or bachelorette party
• Attend the parties!

Bridesmaids Duties At The Ceremony:

• Walk in the processional (might be with groomsman)
• Stand at the altar or stage throughout the ceremony
• Walk with a groomsman in the recessional
• Help bride dress and prepare for the wedding

Bridesmaids Duties At The Reception:

• Might be announced at the reception
• Sit at head table (if reserved)
• Take part in first dance (if wedding party is asked to participate)

Now you're just a few short steps away from being the best bridesmaid in history! Simply help your friend shine on her wedding day and you're both off to a good start!

The last thing you want on your mind when planning a wedding is an overestimate of the number of people attending the wedding. While you're almost certainly going to have people in attendance who did not RSVP, you can avoid a lot of pitfalls by keeping your wedding guest number in mind. Knowing how many will attend your wedding helps limit the amount of extra burden to your caterer. Fifteen extra plates is three extra tables of people! This also reduces cramped seating at the ceremony and reception. This wedding checklist helps keep everything in line.

Knowing who will be your wedding attendants is just as important. When filling out a seating chart for the wedding reception, it is important to know how many bridesmaids and groomsmen will be placed at the head table with the bride and groom. Also, there are so many responsibilities of wedding attendants that being able to delegate these to trusted friends is something every bride needs. For a stress free wedding day, here is a helpful worksheet/wedding checklist that will keep things running smoothly! (Remember though:  this needs to be done early in the wedding planning process!)

Total Guests: __________

Who's Inviting How Many:

Bride and Groom:  ___________

Groom's Parents:   ___________

Bride's Parents:     ___________

Already Included:  ___________  (Ex:  Officiant and Wife)

My Wedding Attendants: (Indicate Names On Lines)

[] Maid of Honor:  _______________________________________________

[] Bridesmaids:  (# _____ )    ______________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

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[] Best Man:   ___________________________________________________

[] Groomsmen:  (# _____ )    ______________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

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_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

[] Additional Ushers  (# _____ )   __________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

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[] Ring Bearer:   _________________________________________________

[] Flower Girl:    _________________________________________________

[] Readers/Performers:  __________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

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[] Other Assistants (Chuppah holders, guestbook attendant, et al):

_______________________________________________________________

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Why do brides have a maid of honor and bridesmaids? Many years ago in Saxon England, bridesmaids attended to the bride for several days before the wedding ceremony. They were responsible for decorating the table for the wedding feast and dressing the bride on her wedding day. The most senior of the group was primarily responsible for these duties and would be comparable to today's maid of honor or matron of honor.

Superstition also played a part in the need for bridesmaids. Many believed that evil spirits would try to Read the rest of Bridemaids – Attendant Wedding Traditions »

Gifts Your Wedding Party Will Love

Summer is undoubtedly wedding season across the U.S.A. Couples are happily “tying the knot.” To mark this occasion these couples often give gifts to loved ones that participate in their wedding. Often family and friends truly go the extra mile to make that wedding a truly memorable occasion – so it is important for a couple to show their wedding attendants gratitude in a special way.

Ideas For Bridesmaids Gifts

What would a bride be without her bridesmaids? Every bride counts on her bridesmaids from the moment she gets engaged to that very important walk down the aisle. Ideal bridesmaid gifts include Read the rest of Wedding Attendant Gifts »

Why do grooms have a best man and groomsmen? Although there are many myths and legends associated with this wedding tradition, the most popular originated in a more primitive time when men kidnapped their brides. The groomsmen, called bride-knights, helped their friend capture his bride. They stood guard at the ceremony to protect the groom from the bride’s angry family.

Another basis for this wedding tradition originated with the Romans and involved a bit of superstition. Roman Law required 10 witnesses at every wedding ceremony. During this period, people were afraid of Read the rest of Groomsmen – Wedding Tradition With Long History »

It means so much to have your closest friends stand up with you on your wedding day. They will be with you through so much of the planning experience and most importantly they will be with you on your wedding day. Your bridesmaids add so much to your ceremony from support and love to most importantly their friendship. And it will mean so much to them to stand up with you.

It is an honor to be part of the wedding party, and most are very pleased to be asked. But how do you put together your wedding party without stepping on any toes; or how do you pick bridesmaids who will really be there for you through the entire process? With some thought and care you can avoid offending anyone and will end up with a happy wedding party. Read the rest of Choosing Your Wedding Attendants »