Possibly the last thing the groom wants on the eve of his wedding is to be alone. He will be feeling a mixture of angst, nerves and excitement and if left untreated will not make for an enjoyable last evening.

As best man you know this! You are the person who not only remains calm yourself but who is also supporting the groom and making him feel relaxed and assured (well as much as you can). One way to achieve this is to take the groom out on his last night.

It is actually traditional in the USA and is becoming more and more commonplace in the UK to have a last supper. There variations on how you want to handle this and I would recommend speaking to the groom and letting him decide. Some options are:

1. Organise a dinner with the bride and the groom, close friends and family. This will be a fairly formal arrangement and will require some organising, by you. This type of dinner works well if the senior wedding party guests have not met (or not seen each other for a while) as it gives them the opportunity to relax in each other's company prior to the wedding day.


2. Organise a more informal dinner with the bride, groom and close friends. A better option, in my opinion, for the very reason that it is more informal.


3. Organise a dinner and quiet drinks for the groomsmen. For me this is the best option. This is the groom's last night as a single man, let him spend it bonding with his close friends. This is time for him to reminisce about the memorable events of his youth and to try to convince you that things will not change when he is married (who is he kidding!).

One thing to remember is that the evening should not turn into a free for all beer fest. This is not an opportunity to re-enact the bachelor party. The last thing that you want is for the groom, or yourself, to have a hangover and thick head on the day of the wedding. This is one good reason why, even if only the groomsmen are getting together, to enjoy a meal rather than go for drinks alone. Not only will the food soak up the alcohol but people will generally drink less during a meal anyway.

You can, of course, give a short speech. Nothing much is expected here so do not spend an inordinate amount of time preparing. A few words and a short toast will suffice. In any case you need to save yourself for the main performance and focus your preparation on that!

If the wedding has been organised in the bride's home town and travel and lodging is required then it is a good idea for everyone going out on the last night to stay in the same hotel. Not only is it easier to organise people when they are in close proximity but you can all meet at the bar!

	Select your role to find out more The Best Man The Groom The Father of the Bride The Maid of Honor If you have to say a few words, make sure they are the right few words

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