Best Man Gift Suggestions

Show your best friend his love and support aren't going unnoticed

By Jen Whitten

Photo by iStockphoto.com

Your best man is your best friend, and chances will do more than hold onto the ring at the ceremony. In most cases, the best man is not only responsible for planning a bachelor party that won't enrage your future spouse, he also keeps you sane throughout planning process. He's your support and perspective, and to show him you appreciate it, give him a meaningful token of your gratitude. It's a way to let him know how much you appreciate his friendship at stressful time.

Wearable Gifts

A gift for the best man should be as practical as it is elegant. A good example of a gift that combines both, is a set of cuff links. Typically, tuxedo shirts and dress shirts with French cuffs require cuff links instead of a simple button at the wrist. Although your best man can rent them with his tuxedo, giving him his own set prepares him for other formal events, such as his own wedding day. The wide variety and price points available for cuff links mean that it will be relatively easy to find a set for your best man. For a best man with refined taste, consider designer cuff links or bejewelled ones. Alternatives are watches, which like cuff links, come in a variety of types and price points.

Activity gifts

Rather than presenting your best man with a single item, you can give him something you can do together. Tickets to sporting events are a way to say thank you for the best man who is an avid sports fan. For best men who prefer playing to watching, consider getting him their own gear. Golf clubs or accessories are ideal for golfers, for example. Alternatively, you can pay for an activity that your best man has always wanted to do but never did. Sign him up for a lesson at a racing school if he's into NASCAR, for example. Or buy him front-row tickets to that band he's loved since high school. For the best man who prefers poker, consider getting him a professional-quality poker set or fly out to Vegas for a weekend with him. Gifts of this nature can show him your appreciation and also help him realize that you're getting married, not going away.

Edible Gifts

Look for creative ways to give your best man the food or drink he craves. Certificates for high-quality steaks, wine or well-known restaurants are good selections for food-loving best men. The key to giving edible gifts is to make sure it is something your best man enjoys. An easy way to turn this into a DIY gift: purchase a nice bottle of wine and pair it with a high-quality corkscrew and bottle stopper set.

Financial Gifts

Cash gifts may be an old standby, but they are inappropriate to give to members of your wedding party. Gift certificates are a better way to accomplish this end without appearing tacky. Make sure you select gift cards for a store your best man likes; otherwise, you may as well give him an impersonal shot glass. Lottery tickets are another inexpensive financial gift with the opportunity to be so much more. Although these gifts may be fun, keep in mind that few are winners, so consider adding them to a gift as opposed to making them the entire best man gift. Along these same lines are stock certificates. For this gift, look for companies willing to sell small units of shares directly to the public. The stock market may be similar to the lottery to some people, but it can yield more secure results to your best man if he holds the stock long enough.