Being a best Person
In this day and age, there are many reasons why a woman would be chosen to play the role of "Best person", rather than having a traditional "Best man". With equality comes change, and many men proudly boast about their best friends actually being women. They relate to them better. They are there through thick and thin, and take the place of the traditional concept of a best man being a best male buddy. This can be handled in a very simple manner, as most people who are invited to a wedding will know the bride and groom and will be able to relate to the choice. Those who are traditionalists will also accept the choices made, if the planning is done, and at the end of the day, a lady does the job justice. This article is written to give tips to those who may be asked to a Best Person.
- Playing the traditional role.
- Balancing that against the new role.
- Performing the duties of best person.
- Being happy for the couple.
Playing the traditional role of best man.
The best man is expected to arrange the stag party. This is part and parcel of seeing your best friend off on his voyage towards a new life with his bride. A best man also helps in the organization of the wedding, helping to find venues, and arrange things put into his care by the bride and groom. Another task of the best man is to organize the rings and to produce it on the wedding day. Many jokes have centered around the best man forgetting the rings, and his role is vital to the ceremony. Other tasks involve helping the couple by organizing the male attendant costume fittings, and dealing with loose ends which the couple need help with. Some also get involved in the gift registry set up, though of course, this differs from wedding to wedding, according to need.
Another task for the Best Man is to arrange the ushers at the wedding. One of the best things about being a Best Man is that the role is honorable, and recognizes the importance of a man in the life of the groom. This culminates with the Best Man's speech at the wedding reception.
Balancing tradition against the new role of Best Person.
For a woman, many of the tasks demanded of a Best Man are simple to perform and don't take a lot to organize. For example, the stag party is traditionally a male orientated affair, though there is no reason whatsoever that a woman cannot organize it. In this case, it would be best if the Best Person did not attend, since the whole idea of the stag party is that the groom has one last night of fun with the boys although the organization of this night can be fun, and extremely suited to the mind of a woman.
A woman is also capable of helping to locate venues, and the sex of the person who plays the role of Best Man doesn't matter when it comes to organizing. Women have a good flair for organization and often what happens is that they are not only sensitive to the groom's wishes, but will have a great idea of what the bride wants., making their sex an advantage rather than a disadvantage. The gift registry is also a task which is extremely simple for a woman to co-ordinate.
As far as costume fitting goes, again this can be organized with outfitters without actually having to be there, thus making very little difference between whether the affair is organized by a woman or a man. In fact, a Best Person can play a dual role and help out with the bridesmaid dresses as well, using the same outfitter, should the bride and groom decide upon that choice.
One difference between a Best Man and a Best Person is that the Best Person should remember that the woman who stars at the wedding is the bride. The choice of clothes should be sober and not overstated, since the role in the ceremony is a discreet one. They should also be sure that they have an appropriate pocket from which to produce the ring or rings.
Performing the duties of a Best Person.
Whoever is chosen to perform this task has been chosen because they are a best friend or thought to be the best person for the job. Performing the duties is the same whether performed by a woman or a man, and the only differences will be those described above.
Helping to arrange the ushers is another task left to the Best Person, and is simply a matter of instructing those who are acting as ushers in the church where people should be seated and arranging the buttonholes for the guests. Who better than a woman to arrange hospitality?
The most important part of the performance is the speech. Be sure that you have practiced the speech and can deliver it in a manner that will help the reception get off to a stylish start. The Best Person makes a huge difference to how the speeches are perceived. Their speech should be of moderate length rather than trying to take the limelight, and the toast by led by the Best Person, wishing the bride and groom their best on their voyage into a life together.
Being happy for the couple.
There will always be an aspect to each wedding ceremony which is different. The choices of cars, the costumes, the reception and church ceremony all differ from wedding to wedding. If a groom chooses to have a Best Person, this should be perceived as just part of who they are and accepted as their choice, as they take their place at the altar.
Being happy for the couple, and respecting their choices is what matters the most and a woman is as capable as a man in this role and may even perform their tasks more sensitively. Changes are not always bad. Traditionalists may find it amusing that a woman was chosen as opposed to a man, though what everyone is there for is the union of a man and a woman, and the Best Person's role comes secondary, as everyone wishes the couple well as man and wife.
