Let's go back in time to take a look at what was expected of the Best Man. First of all, he needed to be a good Swordsman, one could argue that he was the Best Swordsman in his village which would have led to the title Best Man.

You may well be wondering, "Why did he need to be good with a sword?" That would be a good question and the answer might just surprise you. The Bride in some cases was not always a willing participant in the marriage (or her family didn’t approve), and sometimes the bride had to be kidnapped… yes Kidnapped. So of course, you needed someone to help fight off the family and keep the couple ‘safe’ until the ceremony and consummation was complete.

Luckily, it has evolved into a less aggressive, but still important role. With the duties starting as early as planning the setting to pop the big question and even helping to pick out the ring, the Best Man is there even after the reception is over.

Once the question has been asked and the answer is 'Yes', the Best Mans duties start to kick into high gear. He takes on responsibility for the bachelor party, and all ‘necessary arrangements’ associated with the said party, though he can enlist the assistance of the Groomsmen. You see, the Best Man serves as a kind of Head Groomsman, he collects the money for the Groom’s gift, ensures that all Groomsmen collect their suits, show up to rehearsal on time, and keeps them in line during the main event.

On the day of the wedding before the ceremony, it’s the Best Man that ensure Groom and Groomsmen are ready and on time, he ensures the Groom is settled and he holds on to the rings until it’s time for them to be blessed, and placed on the finger of the Bride and Groom. The Best Man stays at the Groom’s side throughout the ceremony and serves as a witness during the signing of the marriage certificate.

During the Reception, the Best Man is the first to make the toast to the Bride and Groom. He is also responsible at the end of the reception, for the collection and delivery of the gifts and envelopes.

These are the main duties of the Best Man, however, he can be assigned more or even fewer duties based on things like local culture and customs. All in all, the Best Man is the ‘go-to-guy’ for anything Groom related.