I am off to New York for a very special event – the wedding of my friend Andy to his Manhattan sweetheart… It is going to be quite a grand affair and to top it off for me, I am his ‘Best Woman’ !! Yikes. The role of Best Woman is pretty new in the world of weddings and very modern.
So, getting back to being Best Woman… well, this was no ‘token’ role – it is an increasingly popular choice for modern grooms. Many grooms have not only one or two best male friends whom he’d want supporting him on his big day as Best Men, but many grooms also have female friends or sisters too, whom they want on their ‘wedding day team’.
Being a Best Woman is a little different to being a Best Man – thankfully, we best women are NOT required to stand shoulder to shoulder at the altar with the groom shuffling around trying desperately not to lose the wedding bands!
No, a Best Woman is more like a bridesmaid for the groom, someone who can be a sounding board where needed (I helped Andy pick out his suit for example) and of course, there for the groom for any issues before and on the big day.
Best of all, we get to go on the stag night! I did just that but drew the line at attending the ‘gentleman’s club’ ahem!
It is not an order but one of the main duties for a Best Woman can be delivering a Best Woman speech (either sharing the speech duties with the Best Man or solely delivering it). While NO ONE enjoys public speaking – certainly not in a grand hall in one of Manhattan’s most exclusive venues in front of 150 people – it is a great honour.
So, as the big day looms (!) I will try and put my nerves aside and deliver a short and sweet tribute to him and his wonderful new wife.
Okay, I will do an upate soon – wish me luck. NYC here I come! x
