Do it early
Choosing your best man, and asking him to take on the job, is best done as early as possible. Your best man will be your right hand man in the preparations and it makes sense to get him involved right from the beginning. Not only will he feel more included, but it will help you too.
Qualities needed
You may know straight away who your best man is going to be – perhaps your brother or long-standing best friend. If there is no obvious option, then one of the most important things to look for in choosing your best man is reliability.
If you want your best man to give a speech, then it’s also important to choose someone who knows you well enough to speak about you.
Finally, remember that your best man will be arranging your stag night. Is he responsible enough to arrange a good night out, without letting it get out of hand?
Keeping everyone happy
If you think you might offend someone by not choosing them, then try to involve them in the wedding in some other way. You could ask them to be an usher, or to give a reading at the ceremony.
But don’t let concerns for what other people think sway your choice. It’s impossible to plan a wedding and keep absolutely everyone happy. Guest lists, table plans and so on are all sources of difficulty. All you can do is your best.