Wedding Traditions 101: What is the origin and role of the Best Man?

​Many brides today spend an incredible amount of time and effort, in an attempt to make their wedding different, and as unique as possible.  But every wedding has many of the same basic elements and traditions:  the white dress, the best man/maid of honor, the wedding cake, etc.  But where do these traditions come from?  This time, we'll look at the Best Man and groomsmen.

The Best Man in today's weddings is an honorary title bestowed upon generally either a brother or a close friend to the groom.  As marriages were historically accomplished by the groom "capturing" or kidnapping the bride, a warrior friend was often employed to help in the abduction.  This person would fend off other men trying to capture the groom's woman, and would also assist in preventing the bride's family from finding the couple.  In fact, in many foreign cultures outside of the U.S., the Best Man often is charged with guarding or protecting some element of the wedding.  Even in modern culture, a duty of the Best Man is to guard the wedding rings, until it is time for the ring exchange.
 
The role of the Best Man in today's world is to not only keep the wedding rings safe, but also to assist the groom throughout the wedding day.  If a bachelor party is being held, the Best Man is normally the person in charge of the planning (while it is customary that all attendees chip in for the festivities.)  In Michigan, the Best Man traditionally acts one of the witnesses required on the marriage license.  Further, the Best Man often is charged with giving the first speech of the night (need help in planning your speech?  Click here.)
For more information and useful resources, click here.
Upcoming "Wedding Traditions 101" articles include:  The White Wedding Dress, The Wedding Cake, and Bachelor/Bachelorette Parties.  Have a suggestion for an upcoming article?  Email Tom at [email protected] or visit www.cvideosolutions.com
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