Bright and early in the morning he hurries to the house of the groom, generally before the latter is up.  Very likely they breakfast together; in any event, he takes the groom in charge precisely as might a guardian.  He takes note of his patient’s general condition; if he is normal and “fit,” so much the better.  If he is “up in the air” or “nervous” the best man must bring him to earth and jolly him along as best he can.

=BEST MAN AS EXPRESSMAN=

His first actual duty is that of packer and expressman; he must see that everything necessary for the journey is packed, and that the groom does not absent-mindedly put the furnishings of his room in his valise and leave his belongings hanging in the closet.  He must see that the clothes the groom is to “wear away” are put into a special bag to be taken to the house of the bride (where he, as well as she, must change from wedding into traveling clothes).  The best man becomes expressman if the first stage of the wedding journey is to be to a hotel in town.  He puts all the groom’s luggage into his own car or a taxi, drives to the bride’s house, carries the bag with the groom’s traveling suit in it to the room set aside for his use—­usually the dressing-room of the bride’s father or the bedroom of her brother.  He then collects, according to pre-arrangement, the luggage of the bride and drives with the entire equipment of both bride and groom to the hotel where rooms have already been engaged, sees it all into the rooms, and makes sure that everything is as it should be.  If he is very thoughtful, he may himself put flowers about the rooms.  He also registers for the newly-weds, takes the room key, returns to the house of the groom, gives him the key and assures him that everything at the hotel is in readiness.  This maneuver allows the young couple when they arrive to go quietly to their rooms without attracting the notice of any one, as would be the case if they arrived with baggage and were conspicuously shown the way by a bell-boy whose manner unmistakably proclaims “Bride and Groom!”

Or, if they are going at once by boat or train, the best man takes the baggage to the station, checks the large pieces, and fees a porter to see that the hand luggage is put in the proper stateroom or parlor car chairs.  If they are going by automobile, he takes the luggage out to the garage and personally sees that it is bestowed in the car.

=BEST MAN AS VALET=

His next duty is that of valet.  He must see that the groom is dressed and ready early, and plaster him up if he cuts himself shaving.  If he is wise in his day he even provides a small bottle of adrenaline for just such an accident, so that plaster is unnecessary and that the groom may be whole.  He may need to find his collar button or even to point out the “missing” clothes that are lying in full view.  He must also be sure to ask for the wedding ring and the clergyman’s fee, and put them in his own waistcoat pocket.  A very careful best man carries a duplicate ring, in case of one being lost during the ceremony.