Guest Blogger Profile: Simon Daykin

Your Best Man is the one guy who you can count on to stand with you when all others will not.  He is unwavering in his loyalty to you.  That being said he will not stand by and not voice his opinion.  He’ll offer the facts, let you know what he thinks and then NO MATTER WHAT you decide he will stand by you.  In short, if your life was a zombie film, he’s the guy you want to have watching your back.

You’ve Chosen Him Before You’ve Chosen Her

Usually you know exactly who your best man will be even before you have asked or even chosen the girl you want to marry.  Yup, the bond can be that strong.  I knew who my best man would be before I met my wife.  We live 3000 kms apart but we’re still tight and chat every chance we get.  This is a man I would die for.

He Tells It Like It Is Even If You Don’t Like It

So make sure you have that bond, you know he’ll give you straight up answers without worrying about offending you.  Sometimes the thing not said is the worst thing NOT to say.  You need to be comfortable with each other.  Way back in the day, the best man’s job was to spend the night with the groom the night before his wedding and make sure he didn’t make a run for it.  Strange but true.  The night before my wedding, my best man and I got a case of beer and sat around reminiscing and writing our speeches.  Well, in truth, he wrote his speech, I watched a movie, drank most of the beer and ad-libbed the whole thing the next day.  It went surprisingly well.

Best Man Etiquette

Make sure he knows he is YOUR BEST MAN.  Ask him to stand by you in private.  You can ask the wedding party as a whole, but ask you BM in private.  Here are some things that will make him stand apart from the rest of your bridal party:

* Make Him Unique- Have his tie or boutonniere differ from yours AND the wedding party’s so people know he is unto himself.

* Let Him Know His Responsibilities- He’ll be making a speech, so make sure you can count on him for that.  He should know not to tell the Mexican hooker story, but some people get caught up in the moment, or the bottle…if you have the bond I mentioned earlier this will not be problem. But he won’t be offended if you run him through some rules you’d like him to follow.

* He’s Your Party Planner- This man will also be the driving force behind your stag party as well.  Another good reason to pick a guy who knows you.  There is nothing worse than showing up and finding out it’s the old “donkey show” and you went and invited both your dad and the bride to be’s father.  Stag parties take on many different faces these days.  The strip club trip, while not a thing of the past, is no longer the be all and end all of the stag experience click here for information on Gutsy Groom’s Stag packages. If there is something you REALLY WANT to do, don’t be afraid to ask to work with him on the Stag.  Or at least let him know if there is anything you 100 percent do not want.

Simon’s Gutsy Groom Advice

Always pick a guy you know will stand by you.  This may offend or upset other friends but try to incorporate them into the wedding party or the wedding in some other way.  Real friends will understand why a certain person will be chosen to be your Best Man.  Treat him well, when picking wedding party gifts, get your best man a little something extra.  He deserves it.

If he has to travel a long distance and you can swing it, pick up his tux rental, send a kick ass car to get him from the airport or take him out for a great dinner.  He came all this way to stand by you so let him know how much that means to you.  Always be open to any questions he may have.

I have a lot of friends and I consider myself lucky enough to have quite a few good friends. But guys I would ask to stand by my side on the most important day of my life, well I can count those guys on one hand and I’m sure you can too.  It’s pretty bloody overwhelming to be a Best Man if you do it right.  And I want every man, standing next to you on that special day to be the Best Man they can be.

Our groom style and planning expert Simon Daykin of GutsyGroom fame stops by to share some tips on choosing the all-important wedding mc

If chosen correctly, your wedding mc will keep the reception and wedding toasts running smoothly

Now that the two most important people in the wedding have been confirmed (That would be you and your bride) it’s time to choose the person (or people) who are going to run things from behind the podium.

The Master of Ceremonies (or MC as they’re often called) is quite important because they will be the one(s) making sure the introductions are done and the speeches run on time. But they also tell the funny stories about you and your bride to keep the audience warmed up between speeches. Other than the wedding planner, they run the show for those few hours they are up there at that podium.

But they can also kill the atmosphere, embarrass you or your bride and generally screw up the whole thing.

Choosing An MC Is As Important As The Wedding Colors Were To Your Bride

I want to give you some tips on choosing your MC because there are certainly some things you need to think about when planning your wedding. Take note, pay attention and choose wisely.

Who Knows You, As A Couple Best?

Did a mutual friend introduce you to your future wife?

Has there been someone there every step of the way from the first date to the wedding day?

Is there someone who right away springs to your mind?

If the answer is yes, odds are you have found a pretty great MC. Usually your first choice is the best. It is very important to pick an MC that knows both you and your bride. Sometimes this can mean having 2 MC’s, one from your side and one from the brides.

Hey You, Potty Mouth!

It is important when choosing someone who is speaking at one of the biggest days of your life to be sure they will perform appropriately. Make sure the MC follows a few simple rules.

1. No swearing- This just isn’t the time or the place for the f-bomb.
2. Keep the stories clean. If there are some off color stories to be told, do it at the stag or another function. Red faces of laughter are fine, not of embarrassment.
3. Don’t get hammered- I’m not saying they can’t drink, but drink in moderation. After they’ve done their duty there’s hours left to party.
4. Unless it’s a pre-arranged joke…keep your pants on! – I only mention this because we’ve seen it happen before. It’s not so funny when only a few people get the inside joke.

You need to choose a person who you can trust to obey these rules and not think it would be funny to go up there in front of your family, and your new family and launch into a profanity laced tirade about how much fun spring break in Mexico was back in the day.

Respect, Respect, Respect

It is important that, no matter how good the friend is to you, they must also respect your bride.

Having a buddy get up there and make fun of your bride, your relationship or how no one thought you guys would ever last is not cool. This goes as well for the bride’s MC if you are someone on her side do it.

If you’re really worried about who you’ve chosen after reading this article you could have final say on any stories or speeches your MC is giving. You want to remember the day for how special it was, not for the off collar things said that only one person in the room thought was funny.

One Too Many for the Bridal Party?

Is there a person you wanted in your bridal party but you just couldn’t swing it?

Well, now you can invite them to be part of the wedding as your MC for the evening’s festivities. It will include them in the evening, make them feel very special and get them involved in all the parties (yes, you should be inviting your MC to the stag, the wedding party dinner and yes, they should get a thank you gift as well).

So a last word of advice, after you have chosen your fantastic MC, and they have accepted. Sit down with them to knock a few ideas around. Let them know what you expect of them and let them know you are available if they want to run any ideas by you.

The Wedding MC: A great read for all aspiring mc's

I recommend you purchase this book to give them some help if it’s their first time as an MC:  The Wedding MC: A Complete Guide to Success for the Best Man or Event Host by Tom Haibeck

Guest Blogger Profile: Jennifer Napier of OneWed.com

Classiness is the key to best man and groomsman toasts.

I had the pleasure of accompanying my husband to his best friend’s wedding in Juneau, Alaska this past week. The hubby not only officiated the ceremony (apparently in Alaska anyone can marry a couple) but also was the best man.

A bit of advice to all the men out there writing best men or groomsman toasts for friend’s weddings…choose your words wisely. You may be tempted to go the route of recanting tales of past exploits, drunken debauchery, and general guy shenanigans. Though they seem like a good idea when you’re talking toasts with your friends, the groom’s family, fiancée and fiancée’s family may not appreciate your story of mistakenly marrying a cocktail waitress in Vegas.

The one who you can really impress with your toast-making skills is your very own lady. My husband’s witty & sentimental toast, made me fall in love with him all over again. It also helps that he mentioned me a few times in the speech…Cheers!

Gretchen, from MyWedding.com is here with the SAS (short and sweet) tip of the week for the grooms out there.

Amidst the wedding planning, you may have forgotten to set aside some time to prepare a toast to your groom’s toast to the bride.

Cheers!

Don’t fret, “The Complete Book of Wedding Toasts” by John William McClusky is a great resource for you to use.  Here are a few toasts from the book that I thought were short and sweet:

“Because I love you, I want to walk with you for the rest of my life, hand in hand, through the years to come.  here’s to our future.”

“Here’s to the love of my life, the light of my eyes, the darling of my heart.  In this day of days, I honor you.”

“You make me so much happier than I thought I could ever be.”  I want the joy that we feel right now to last forever.  Here’s to you, my sweet.”

If you have stage fright, just turn to look directly at your bride.  Try to picture just the two of you there and simply say what you feel in your heart.  I know…a bit cheesy…but so worth it!

Cheers!

Gretchen Viles of MyWedding.com is a weekly guest contributor to the GroomsAdvice blog. She specializes in blogging about groom’s issues from a bride’s perspective. Founded in 2002, MyWedding.com has grown into one of the most comprehensive easy-to-use local wedding guides on the Internet. They recently launched a wedding ideas and trends content section that focuses on all aspects of wedding planning.

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Introducing Bridelines

We’re making a formal request to all of our readers to check out our newest wedding blogging friends over at Bridelines. Bridelines is a brand new wedding blog that focuses on straight up, honest wedding advice. Their slogan is “It’s what your friends are thinking.” Their recent entry on creative wedding gifts offers a great look at some uncommon, but very original, wedding gift ideas.

You can tweet with Jill and Lauren at http://www.twitter.com/bridelines

Came across this hidden gem on YouTube. Why doesn’t this thing have 3 million views yet?

Enjoy!

A few things that stick out after viewing:

1. The guy walked up to the Rocky theme. Classic! Nothing like stealing the glory.
2. This guy hasn’t been drinking cocktails, he’s been doing shots. Hey, at least he admitted it.
3. 2:38 – F Bomb. There it is.
4. 3:46 “Bla bla bla”

There is now an open offer for this guy to write a guest entry for us with a guide to destroying the Best Man toast. Somebody make this happen!

Cheers!

Have you been asked to be Best Man in an upcoming wedding? Congratulations – it’s quite an honor, but you’ll need to remember that this is about a lot more than giving a speech and planning the bachelor party. While both of those jobs are important, it’s the little things you do for your buddy that he’ll truly appreciate. The groom will be under a tremendous amount of stress in the weeks and days leading up to the wedding. Here are some of the big things you can do that will ease the Groom’s mind and solidify your position as Best Man.

Learn your responsibilities and you may just end up earning this patch.

Organize the Bachelor Party – No brainer here. Giving the groom a memorable last night out with his buddies is one of the most important things you’ll do. Check beforehand on the groom’s thoughts regarding strippers and heavy drinking. If you’re planning on dinner before the party begins, it’s always nice to include the fathers and younger siblings who wouldn’t otherwise get a chance to be a part of the party. Another growing trend is holding a grooms shower earlier in the day.

Write your speech – Let’s face it: We’ve all seen some “interesting” Best Man speeches in our lifetimes. Your goal is for your speech to be remembered for its classiness, rather than for the number of many embarrassing stories you can share with the groom’s unsuspecting family and loved ones.

Assist the Groom with wedding planning tasks – Help the groom and his family decorate for the rehearsal dinner, arrange the wedding transportation, and help out-of-town guests with directions. This might not sound very fun,  but it’ll be a huge help to the bride and groom.

On the day of the wedding, be the groom’s right-hand man – From the time he wakes up; you need to be at the groom’s side, keeping him focused and on task. If the wedding is later on in the day, you may have time to take him out for breakfast or a quick nine holes. In the hours immediately prior to the wedding, help him get dressed, drive him to the church, and give him a pep talk. He’ll undoubtedly thank you for calming his nerves.

Remember your Best Man duties – Keep the rings safe and sign the marriage license as a legal witness to the nuptials.

The Reception – We all know how much fun you can have at a wedding reception (especially one with an open bar). After you give your speech, you’ll surely want to let loose – but remember that it’s important that you’re able to help a little after the party is over. You may be asked to drive the couple to the hotel or to the airport. If not, the bride’s family is always appreciative of extra help in cleaning up and packing gifts into cars.

Your final job – If the bride and groom are bolting early the next morning, you’ll be needed to return the groom’s tux to the rental shop.This is a great gesture and one that will surely solidify your standing as BEST MAN!

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Create a grooms registry, purchase groomsmen gifts, and get advice for grooms at TheManRegistry.com

We just came across the creepiest best man speech we’ve seen in a while. After multiple viewings, so many questions come to mind. First and foremost being: what were they serving at the bar?

If you have a video or story of a best man speech that can top this in hilarity or creepiness, we’d love to see it.

Cheers!