What Does The Best Man Pay For? [& What They Shouldn’t] (2024)

Being asked to be the best man at your pal’s wedding can be awesome and incredibly exciting, but once the novelty of being asked passes, you may suddenly be wondering how much it’s going to cost for the honor. What exactly are you, as the best man, expected to pay for? Well, here is everything you are going to want to know, consider, and most importantly, budget for!

So, what does the best man pay for?The best man will typically be expected to pay for their wedding outfit, costs incurred through the organization of the bachelor party, and getting a wedding gift for the bride and groom. However, they may incur further cost(s) depending on the wedding and desires of the couple.

Unlike the brides’ maid of honor, being a best man can actually be a little less of a financial hit.

You’ll be pleased to read that, I’m sure.

However, that doesn’t mean you are getting away without some financial responsibilities, as we will now continue to explore in the next few sections.

So keep reading; it’s essential to be prepared for your upcoming wedding duties.

The Best Mans Financial Responsibilities

Being a best man comes with much more than just a winning speech and an awesome bachelor party.

It’s a role you’ve been invited to take that supports the room – who is usually a good friend already – as he goes through one of the most exciting and possibly slightly stressful experiences of his life.

Agreeing to be a best man means you usually agree to some financial responsibilities when it comes to the festivities.

SO always make sure it’s something you can afford before you give the groom the big Yes.

Wedding Day Outfit

More often than not, the groom, and the groom’s party, will be expected to fork out the cash for their wedding day suits.

Depending on the expectations your groom has, this can be relatively cheap or can also cost more than you are comfortable with.

Especially if the groom has a very specific suit in mind that he would like everyone to wear.

However, unlike the bridal party, all a best man is usually expected to purchase is a suit and shoes that match the suit.

There’s no worrying about jewelry, hair, and even makeup – unless, of course, you want to – when it comes to the wedding day outfit.

It’s becoming a little more common for the groom to factor in the purchase of the groom’s party suits into the wedding budget, but it’s always a good idea to be prepared for this to be something you will have to spend money on your own pocket.

Travel & Accommodation

Any travel, whether that be to the bachelor party, the suit fitting, or even the wedding itself, is usually the responsibility of the best man.

Although you won’t be responsible for getting the bride and groom to the wedding, you will more than likely be expected to dosh out the cash for yourself.

If the wedding requires you to stay at the venue a couple of nights before the big day, this will also be something you will have to pay for.

Although often the groom has the groom’s party stay with him the night before, there’s the opportunity to save on one of the night’s accommodation fees.

In all honesty, it’s these fees that can make being a best man that little bit heavier on the pocket, so it may make more sense, if the wedding is close to home, to stay in your own home unless you really have to rent or book out somewhere else.

Bachelor Party

The final hurrah! This big night is always paid for by the best man.

Although, sometimes, the groom’s party will pitch in and at least cover their own costs.

A destination bachelor party can cost a lot more.

For example, a common destination bachelor party involves hitting Las Vegas and having a wild night of gambling and drinking.

This kind of destination wedding will not only mean accommodation and travel costs but also costs for food and drink, and so that you can hit the tables without the fun running dry too early.

For a destination wedding will usually entail that everyone who goes pays their own way and then a little extra to cover the groom too.

For a closer-to-home bachelor party, although you won’t have plane tickets to buy, you may still need to book out a holiday home or apartment, book restaurant tables, or even reserve VIP seats if you’re going to a really upmarket bar.

Again, most of the time, the entire groom’s party will split the costs fairly evenly.

Wedding Gift

Although gifts at the bachelor party aren’t that common, you will usually be expected to give a wedding gift to the couple.

Luckily for us, this can cost as much or as little as you are willing to spend.

The couple will usually have a gift registry set up either online or in a store of choice if you are having trouble coming up with good ideas for gifts and you want to make sure you pick something they will actually like.

What The Best Man Should Not Pay For

Any big costs for the wedding such as photographers, videographers, catering, and venue hire should definitely not be paid by the best man. These costs should already be a part of the wedding couple’s budget and not the responsibility of the groom’s party.

The only exception to this is if you have gifted a big purchase to the groom.

Perhaps instead of purchasing a gift from the registry, you have offered to foot the bill for the photographer or even the catering.

This s really the only time one of those big wedding costs would be your responsibility to pay.

Just make sure you only offer if you intend to actually pay for it.

Who Pays For The Best Man’s Suit?

This can be a divisive subject; some think it’s the responsibility of the groom, others believe it’s the best man who should pay for their suit. However, it all depends on the situation.

If you are unsure, ask the groom before you even agree to be the best man.

He may already have factored in suit costs for everyone into the big wedding budget, and if not, well, at least you now know that you have to buy your own.

Is Being Best Man Expensive?

Being the best man is definitely more costly than being a regular wedding guest. However, the expectations of the groom can make this an easy cost to bear or a real chunk of change.

To make sure the money spent doesn’t get out of control or you are faced with bills you didn’t realize you were going to have to pay, have a frank discussion with the groom before any of the suit fittings, bachelor party, or wedding itself.

This way, you will be fully informed and know what costs are coming. It’s also a great way to avoid any money-related confrontation down the line.

How Much Does It Cost To Be A Best Man?

The average best man will spend around $750-$1500 over the course of the wedding.

Honestly, your guess is as good as mine.

I know you want me to tell you an exact figure so you can prepare accordingly, but each wedding is different, each groom is different, and every single expectation will vary from person to person.

But I know you really want some actual figures.

So, I’ll give you an average wedding but remember this is average for me. Average for you may be more or less expensive.

So, for a good quality suit, you can expect to pay around $500.

But it is easy to find beautiful suits for a lot cheaper, especially if you search the sale racks you can score a suit for as little as $200.

Shoes, however, you can get on a really decent budget for even as frugal as $50.

Then you have the bachelor party; if this is a destination bachelor party, you could be looking at well over $1000, whereas a bachelor party closer to home may only cost a couple of hundred bucks.

This is where you’ll need to know how much everyone else can afford if you want to plan a big affair.

As for the wedding gift, this can cost anywhere from $50 up to $200, depending on how much you are willing to spend.

Then you’ll have to add another couple hundred bucks onto that for any extra accommodation or travel that you’ll need.

So, this rather average wedding has already brought you up to around $1500. It sounds like a lot of cash, and it may just be too much for you, and that is ok.

Weddings are naturally a pricey affair, even for regular guests but as long as you have discussed expectations with the groom, being the best man can be an absolute honor and also just a damn good time.

As long as you are prepared for every cost, budget accordingly, and it doesn’t stretch you too far, you can focus on having a ball with all your closest friends.

Are you wondering who else is expected to foot the bill? Then my other guides may be of interest:

• What Do Groomsmen Pay For?
• What Does The Maid Of Honor Pay For?
• What Do Bridesmaids Pay For?