The Best Man is responsible for a variety of tasks for the wedding, not just his best man speechs. Because they can vary, be sure to talk to the Groom about what you should do. The Best Man probably has most of his miscellaneous duties before the actual wedding. One of the most important is being a source or moral support for the groom.

A wedding is, without a doubt, very stressful, but it is also a very important milestone in the Groom’s life. He’s not only going to need you to prepare a best man speech, but is going to need the support of his best friend, so be sure to be there to provide it. Sometimes, the Best Man will be asked to help plan the wedding, but don’t panic. You don’t need to establish a color scheme or plan hors d’uvre.

Generally your pre-wedding responsibilities include picking a wedding date and location of the wedding. Most of the time, this includes the input of the Bride and the Groom, as well as the Best Man and the Maid of Honor. When trying to pick a date, be sure to pick it far enough in advance. You need to keep non-local family and friends in your plans, as they will want to have enough time to get off work and get less expensive plane tickets. Picking a location is also important. This ties very closely with the date. You want to avoid a New York wedding during the winter, to avoid forcing the Groom to wear a Parka and snowshoes. Unless the wedding is indoors, you want to keep the date and the location in mind.

If the Bride and Groom have already decided on a location for the wedding, make sure you have a physical address available for people who aren’t local.

If it’s at all possible, talk to the clergyman first to see when he is available, especially if there is a specific person the couple had in mind. This will help narrow down a date.

This will eliminate any last minute panic and careless mistakes, and will give you an opportunity to practice your best man speech. And remember to practice for your big best man speeches.