If the bride has her very own line of female attendants, it’s only fair that the bridegroom has his share of friendly helpers. The groomsmen are the male equivalents of the bridesmaids.

In British, North American and Australian weddings, the groomsmen, also known as the ushers, are the male attendants of the bridegroom. Oftentimes, the choice of groomsmen falls on the bridegroom’s shoulders.

The groom usually chooses his best friends or closest male relatives to be part of the wedding entourage. In Western wedding traditions, it’s considered an honor to be one of the men picked to help the groom out. Out of the list of groomsmen, the groom chooses one of the men to serve as his best man. The best man, as you can already gather, is the male counterpart of the maid or matron of honor.

Contemporary Groomsmen Duties

The groomsmen, led by the best man, has a list of duties and tasks designed to help the groom before, during and sometimes even after the wedding ceremony. Although the list of duties may change according to the demands of the groom, the following shows a list of the most common tasks given to groomsmen.

• To assist the best man when planning the groom’s Stag Night, Buck’s Night or Bachelor Party.
• To bring the wedding guests to their chairs before the ceremony begins.
• To do all that’s needed to make sure the groom feels comfortable and the wedding ceremony runs smoothly.
• To escort the bridesmaids as they walk down the aisle.
• To dance with female guests and bridesmaids at the reception.

The groomsmen with the groom on a bachelor party

Walking down the aisle with the bridesmaids

After the wedding dance with the bridesmaids

Other Wedding Practices

Sometimes the groom may also designate other male relatives and friends to act as ushers. The usher’s job is to simply escort the wedding guests to their seats before the wedding ceremony begins.

During military weddings, groomsmen are usually replaced by the Swordsmen of the Sword Honor Guard. The groom picks his closest colleagues to be a part of the wedding entourage. The Swordsmen form the saber arch through which the newlyweds will walk after the wedding ceremony.

Gifts for the Groomsmen

As a way of showing gratitude and appreciation, the groom purchases gifts for his groomsmen and for his best man. These gifts are called groomsmen gifts. Groomsmen gifts are the groom’s way of saying “thank you” to the ushers and the groomsmen for their time, effort, and in some cases, financial assistance.

Check out these groomsmen dancing thriller at the wedding reception.