We confuse the witness with the best man, and the matter of duties is fluid. Therefore, there are often misunderstandings, which are usually caused by a lack of awareness of what exactly the duties of a wedding witness are. Below is a brief reminder of the most important issues related to this.

Two witnesses are required to legally marry. Meanwhile, in Anglo-Saxon countries, the young couple is accompanied by a wreath of groomsmen and bridesmaids, all of whom are equal, or one of the people plays a superior role. Often these functions are confused. As a result, not everyone knows which tasks belong to the witness. There is no one binding canon regarding what are the specific duties of a witness at a wedding. That is why it is worth determining with your witnesses what will be their tasks before, during and after the wedding.

Duties of a witness at a wedding and ... not only

What does a witness do at a wedding? The duties of a witness at a wedding neither end nor begin. His role is - depending on the arrangements with the Young Couple - also helping in the organization of the event. It is often assumed that the witness organizes a bachelor party, and the witness organizes a bachelorette party. It is quite important that this person is organized and conflict-free enough to be able to invite all the groom's friends to the right place and provide them with entertainment.

Witnesses also have their duties at a wedding. It is enough to be at the registry office on the day of the marriage, but in the case of a church wedding, you must come to the parish earlier. And here is another requirement - the witness does not have to be a believer, but he should be a person who will be able to take part in church preparations and ceremonies without a grimace. In Anglo-Saxon countries, it is very common for the best man to bring the wedding rings on the wedding day.

It's a lovely, symbolic custom, but to entrust your best man with such a responsible task, you have to really trust him. Some also entrust the best man to bring the Bride and Groom to the place. Sometimes for practical reasons - it is difficult for the Groom to drive the car on that day when going to his own wedding. The most important thing is that the groomsman should not forget his ID card on the wedding day and remind the groom of it as well.

What are the responsibilities of a wedding witness?

The duties of a witness at a wedding really begin long before the bride and groom cross the threshold of the wedding hall. If his role had to be described in one word, it would be "support". Starting of:
– help in bringing things to the hall (e.g. gifts for parents, clothes for the bride and groom to change),
– by preparing vignettes and placing them on the tables (if someone does not have a consultant),
– for help in dressing, taking to the ceremony to the church or office, etc.
Focusing on the wedding itself, gifts are usually given shortly after the bride and groom enter the room. It is customary for a witness to take care of items, decorative gift boxes and flowers, and the duties of a witness at a wedding include receiving envelopes and greeting cards.

According to the custom, the groom's best man should make a toast. It doesn't have to be long, but honest and from the heart. Ideally, the witness should speak after the newlyweds and their parents. It's good for the witness to know what the evening's plan is. She can have it on a card or be in constant contact with the wedding planner or party coordinator. Thanks to this, it is he, and not the groom, who watches over the implementation of the next points of the program. He should also take care of the fun of each guest. It is good to exchange at least a word with everyone and be interested in whether their glasses are full and whether they follow the events taking place.

Duties of a witness at a wedding in the care of guests

It may be that the best man has been chosen for his role because of the bond he has with one of the future spouses, but being the center of attention makes him uncomfortable. Wedding hall it obviously bothers him. He prefers to sit at the table than conduct casual smalk talk with people he doesn't know. If there is a fear that due to the shyness of such a person, the duties of a wedding witness may exceed it, it is worth having a "deputy" who will take care of at least some of the tasks. This simple solution will allow you to have the closest person by your side on this beautiful and important day - friend, brother, sister, etc. - and at the same time will be a guarantee that the duties of a wedding witness will be properly fulfilled.

To effectively take care of the good mood of guests, you need to keep your mind clear. Of course, the witness can drink alcohol at the party, but the golden rule is that he should stay on his feet longer than most guests. In order to worthily perform the duties of a wedding witness, it is necessary to coordinate the bachelor party in advance so that it does not take place the day before the wedding, and if it does, it should not be too boisterous. It is best that the witness on the wedding day be well rested and ready to party even until dawn.

What should be agreed before the wedding?

Having an honest conversation before the ceremony about expectations for the witness is something that is most often overlooked. The newlyweds are based on their own experiences from home or weddings they have attended before. And yet the best man may have a completely different idea of what the duties of a witness at a wedding are and what it looks like wedding hall "to the kitchen". It has to do with his nature and predispositions. All this leads to the conclusion that when selecting a witness, one should look not only at the degree of intimacy. Of two close friends, it will always be safer to choose the one who is responsible and open to people as a witness. Such a person not only understands what the duties of a witness at a wedding are, but will also be able to meet them.