Best Man Basics In A Day For Dummies
by Dominic Bliss
Best Man Basics In A Day For Dummies
Published by
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
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Copyright 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Chichester, West Sussex, England
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Chichester, West Sussex
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data: A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-1-118-38027-7 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-38028-4 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-38029-1 (ebk)
Introduction
I n a previous existence, I was launch editor and feature writer for a mens wedding magazine called Stag & Groom . Among the articles we published, there was loads of no-nonsense advice on stag parties, speech content and wedding suits. Inevitably, whenever friends or colleagues got engaged or were appointed best man, the first person they would call for advice was me. Every springtime, just as the wedding season was starting to hot up, I used to get at least a couple such calls a week, and the two topics they would be panicking about most were the stag party and the speech.
Those are the two topics Ive allocated the most space to in this book. A best man needs to consider loads of other duties and theyre all covered in detail as well but the stag do and the speech are the most important. Theyre the bench marks on which all best men are ultimately judged. Wear the wrong wedding suit and youre forgiven. Forget to don your button-hole or do up your flies and the chances are that no one will notice except the bride. But mess up the stag do or the speech and youre remembered for all time as the best man who got it wrong.
This book makes sure that you get these things right.
What You Can Do in a Day
As part of the In A Day For Dummies series, I designed this book to contain about a days reading (or a couple days if youre taking your time). After said day, my goal is for you to walk away from this fantastic little title with a clear sense of purpose and the tools you need to be the best best man you can be. Okay, enough with the motivational speechifying for the time being.
Foolish Assumptions
Forgive me, but to make things a lot easier Ive made a few assumptions about you, the reader. Im assuming that you:
Are male. Granted, nowadays you do occasionally get female best men. But few of them buy books advising them on their duties. If youre the exception, then Im sorry, but youll have to get used to all the male pronouns.
Like a drink. Stag dos and weddings tend to be well lubricated. Grooms know this. Best men know this. And a groom is unlikely to appoint a best man whos not willing to play along. Even just a little bit.
Are going to be best man at a church or a registry office. In our multiracial society people get married under many religions and beliefs, but to keep things simple Ive referred to Church of England or civil wedding conventions throughout.
Icons Used in This Book
Stag parties and wedding days are all about planning ahead and then thinking on your feet when those plans go awry. Often its simply a case of damage limitation. To help you, Ive scattered lots of icons at key stages throughout the book.
Soon after being appointed best man, youll be glad of any advice offered to you. These little nuggets provide the most useful bits of advice.
When youre part of the wedding party, you have so many things to remember. Add to this list your duties as stag party organiser and you can see why some best men crack under the pressure. These little icons serve as mini checklists, or mental sticky notes.