The best man is the chief assistant to the groom at a wedding. While the role is older, the earliest surviving written use of the term
best man comes from 1782, observing that "best man and best maid" in the
Scottish dialect are equivalent to "bride-man and bride-maid" in England. In most modern Anglophone countries, the groom extends this honor to someone who is close to him, generally a close friend or a relative (such as a sibling or cousin). During a wedding ceremony the best man stands next to the groom, slightly behind him. This means that the four people present at the altar are the officiant (such as a civil celebrant, priest, rabbi, minister, or other religious figure), the bride, groom, and best man. This is common in some Western countries, although in others the best man and bridesmaid participate on an equal footing. While the best man's required duties are only those of a friend, in the context of a Western
white wedding, the best man will typically: • Assist the groom on the wedding day, • Organize a bachelor party, • Keep the wedding rings safe until needed during the ceremony, • Stand next to the groom during the ceremony, • Act as a legal witness to the marriage and therefore sign the marriage certificate, and • Prepare a "best man's speech" to be read at the reception
In various countries and cultures The best man is not a universal custom. Even in places where a best man is customary, the role may be quite different when compared to other areas of the world. • In the Anglosphere, it is traditional for the best man to give a short speech. On the Continent, it has become common practice for all the grooms and maids to deliver speeches in addition to the fathers, brothers, and sisters. • In
Zambia, a best man is expected to lead processions both at the wedding, and at preliminary events. This includes pre-wedding dance rehearsals, at which the best man is always expected to be in attendance, and usually is expected to give an outstanding and outlandish dance performance on the actual wedding day. • In
Uganda, a best man is expected to guide the newlyweds in the ways of marriage. This means that ideally a best man must be married, preferably to one wife, and should be in position to give sound, tried and tested advice. A best man must be a
confidant and be discreet about the details he shares with the new couple. • In
Bhutan, the best man presents himself at the wedding as a ceremonial guardian to both bride and groom. Thereafter he entertains the guests, sometimes for several hours. • In
Eastern Orthodox weddings in
Greece, the best man is often also the
koumbaros, or religious sponsor. The
koumbaros (or
koumbara, if a woman) is an honored participant who crowns the couple and participates in circling the altar three times. Sometimes, this person also pays for most of the wedding expenses. • In
Ukraine, the best man is responsible for guarding the bride during the wedding festivities. In a traditional wedding, when he or the groom stepped away, the bride will have been "kidnapped" or had a shoe stolen. Then the groom or the best man had to pay a
ransom in exchange for returning the bride, usually by paying money (which was given to the bride) or by doing something embarrassing. The custom is less common nowadays due to frequent conflicts arising from the differences in the expected sum of money. ==Bachelor party==