Groomsmen: The Opposite Of Bridesmaids Explained

The opposite of a bridesmaid is a groomsman. Bridesmaids are women who attend the bride during a wedding ceremony. Groomsmen, on the other hand, are male attendants to the groom, usually selected from his close friends and relatives. The groom typically chooses one groomsman to be the best man. In addition to helping guests find their places and standing near the groom during the ceremony, groomsmen may also assist with planning celebratory events, keeping the wedding rings safe, and providing practical assistance.

Groomsman

A groomsman is the opposite of a bridesmaid. It is a male attendant to the groom during a wedding ceremony. The groom usually selects close friends and relatives to serve as groomsmen, and it is considered an honour to be selected. The groom will then choose one of the groomsmen to be the best man.

Groomsmen have a variety of duties, including helping guests find their places before the ceremony and standing near the groom during the wedding. The groom may also request other kinds of assistance, such as planning a bachelor party, providing practical assistance with gifts, luggage, or unexpected complications, or participating in local traditions such as decorating the newlywed couple's car.

In a military officer's wedding, the groomsmen are replaced by swordsmen from the sword honour guard, who are usually close, personal friends of the groom. Their role includes forming a traditional saber arch for the married couple and guests to walk through.

In most modern Anglophone countries, the best man is chosen from among those close to the groom, generally a close friend or relative. During the wedding ceremony, the best man stands next to the groom, slightly behind him. While the role is older, the earliest surviving written use of the term 'best man' comes from 1782.

Usher

The opposite of a bridesmaid is a groomsman or usher. The term "groomsman" refers to one of the male attendants of the groom in a wedding ceremony, who are usually close friends or relatives of the groom. From among the groomsmen, the groom typically selects one to be the best man.

In weddings with a large number of guests, the groom may also ask other male friends and relatives to act as ushers, whose sole responsibility is to guide guests to their seats before the ceremony. Ushers may also be hired for very large weddings.

The role of the usher is primarily to ensure that guests are seated comfortably before the wedding ceremony begins. They may also be called upon to perform other tasks, such as decorating the newlywed couple's car or participating in local traditions.

Best Man

The opposite of a bridesmaid is a groomsman or usher—one of the male attendants of the groom in a wedding ceremony. The groom usually selects close friends and relatives to serve as groomsmen, and from among them, he chooses one to be the best man.

The best man is the chief assistant to the groom and is usually a close friend or relative. During the wedding ceremony, the best man stands next to the groom, slightly behind him. The best man's duties include:

• Assisting the groom on the wedding day
• Organising a bachelor party
• Keeping the wedding rings safe until the ceremony
• Acting as a legal witness to the marriage and signing the marriage certificate
• Preparing a "best man's speech" to be read at the reception

In some countries and cultures, the role of the best man differs. For example, in Zambia, the best man leads processions at the wedding and preliminary events and is expected to give an outstanding dance performance on the wedding day. In Uganda, the best man is expected to guide the newlyweds in the ways of marriage, so it is ideal for him to be married himself. In Bhutan, the best man presents himself as a ceremonial guardian to the bride and groom and then entertains the guests. In Ukraine, the best man is responsible for guarding the bride during the festivities and can be "kidnapped" along with the bride, with the groom and best man having to pay a ransom.

Groom

The opposite of a bridesmaid is a groomsman. Groomsmen are male attendants to the groom at a wedding ceremony. The groom typically selects close friends and relatives to serve as groomsmen, and it is considered an honour to be chosen. The groom will then usually choose one of the groomsmen to be the best man.

In some contexts, the opposite of a bridesmaid could also be considered to be the bride or the groom.

Bridegroom's attendant

A bridegroom, often shortened to groom, is a man who is about to be married or who is newly married. The bridegroom is typically attended by a best man and groomsmen, who are also referred to as the bridegroom's attendants.

The duties of a bridegroom's attendants include:

• Paying for their wedding attire and accessories (excluding flowers)
• Arranging and paying for their transportation
• Being timely and communicative regarding travel arrangements and acquiring attire
• Understanding the specific duties involved
• Arriving at specified times for all wedding-related events
• Attending the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, as well as other pre-wedding events when possible
• Giving an individual wedding gift to the couple or contributing to a group gift
• Assisting the bride and groom whenever possible
• Being attentive to other guests at the wedding and reception
• Contributing to the bridegroom's wedding-related payments and delivering pre-arranged payments to officiants, assistants, musicians, and singers at the ceremony
• Ensuring that the groomsmen and ushers arrive on time and are properly attired
• Instructing the ushers on the correct seating of guests
• Keeping the bride's wedding ring during the ceremony
• Witnessing the signing of the marriage certificate
• Driving the bride and groom to the reception and to their next destination after the reception
• Offering a toast to the bride and groom at the reception
• Dancing with the bride, the mothers, the bridesmaids, and other single female guests
• Gathering and taking care of the groom's wedding clothes, including returning any rental items

The style of the bridegroom's clothing can be influenced by various factors, including the time of day, the location of the ceremony, the ethnic backgrounds of the couple, the type of ceremony, and whether the bridegroom is a member of the Armed Forces. For example, in the United States, the bridegroom usually wears a dark-colored suit for a daytime wedding or a tuxedo for an evening ceremony. In British formal wedding traditions, the bridegroom, male ushers, and close male family members wear morning suits unless a uniform is more appropriate. Bridegrooms of Scottish descent often wear full Highland dress, as do their groomsmen.

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