One of the duties that a groom has is deciding who he would like to have as groomsmen. Often, it is thought that you will need to find as many men for your wedding party as the bride has female attendants. This is not necessarily the case. If you have one more bridesmaid than groomsman, it is perfectly fine to have her walk unescorted during the recessional (usually it would be the maid of honor who walks alone).

Your choice of best man is especially important, because he will have more responsibilities. Many grooms will have their brother stand up with them if they have one. Other grooms have a best friend as their best man. Asking your father to be your best man would be a special way to honor him. Ideally, your best man will be someone that you are very close to who is also very reliable. What if your best buddy also happens to be a wild, irresponsible party animal? Ask yourself this question, "Do I trust this man with our wedding rings?". If the answer is not an immediate yes, you might be better off including him in a less responsible role, like a groomsmen.

Some brides will have strong opinions about who you should choose as your attendants. This can be sticky, because you do not want to upset your fiancee, but the groomsmen really should be the groom's choice. Weigh her reasons for rejecting a particular guy before deciding whether to take the bride's advice. Did he hit on her at the company picnic last summer? Okay, he's out. She thinks that your pick for best man is too short to walk down the aisle with her tall maid of honor? He stays in.

Groomsmen have fewer jobs than bridesmaids, but they still have to throw some sort of bachelor party, rent tuxedos, pay for travel, etc. Be sure to show them that you appreciate their support with great groomsmen gifts. Traditionally, groomsmen gifts are engraved sterling silver items like cufflinks, money clips, or keychains. You can also choose groomsmen gifts based on your common interests, like sports or your alma mater if you all went to college together. The presents can be affordable, just be sure that they are something you think your guys will really enjoy.

Probably the most important thing that groomsmen do is help keep the groom sane during the wedding planning and calm up on the altar. Choosing your closest friends will make the whole experience that much more fun and relaxing for the groom.