Best Man Gift Ideas: 9 Honest Picks One Step Above the Groomsmen Leave a comment
Best man gift ideas, short answer: he did the most work of anyone in your wedding party, so his gift should be one step above the groomsmen’s and still something he uses, not something he stores. An engraved decanter with his name and the date is the version of that which works for almost every best man; a flask with a joke on it is the version that ends up in a drawer. The nine best man gift ideas below are ranked honestly, with what each costs, when to give it, and the three to skip.
The short version
The best man’s gift, one step above the groomsmen’s
Personalized Whiskey Decanter — 750 ml glass, engraved with his name and the date
The one rule for best man gift ideas: a step above, not a different world
The best man’s gift is opened in front of the groomsmen, at the rehearsal dinner or in the room where everyone is getting dressed. If it is the same as theirs, it undersells the job; if it is wildly bigger, it makes the groomsmen’s gifts look like an afterthought. The answer, for all the best man gift ideas that follow, is the same family of gift, one size up. Groomsmen get an engraved glass; the best man gets the decanter that the glass belongs to. Everyone in the room understands it without a word, and nobody is comparing boxes afterwards. The best man duties checklist at Brides runs to more than twenty items, which is the case for a gift one step up. If you have not asked him yet, our groomsmen proposal ideas guide covers that part; this one is the thank-you.
1. The engraved decanter
A 750 ml glass decanter with his name and the wedding date engraved on it is the best man gift that gets used for the rest of his life. It turns whatever bottle he already keeps into the thing he pours for guests, it sits on a shelf where he sees it, and it looks like more than it costs. Engrave his name and the date; the phrase “best man” is optional and, on a decanter, usually better left off, because he will still be pouring from it in twenty years. Our whiskey decanter guide covers what a decanter does and does not do to the whiskey, and why glass beats lead crystal for a bottle that sits.
His name, your date, on the bottle he pours from
Personalized Whiskey Decanter — Engraved 750 ml Glass
- 750 ml clear glass decanter with an airtight glass stopper, dishwasher-safe, engraved to your text in the USA
- Name, monogram, date or a short line from the speech — send the wording and we cut it
- Under $40, so it sits one honest step above the groomsmen’s $19.95 glasses
Engraved to order · Fast USA shipping · Gift wrapping available
2. The decanter set, if the budget allows
The same decanter with two matching engraved glasses, in a wooden presentation box, is the step up from the step up: the right gift when the best man is a brother, or when he flew across the country and paid for a suit to be there. It lands under a hundred dollars, it arrives ready to hand over, and the two glasses mean the first pour from it is with you. If the groomsmen are getting the glasses, this is the set their glasses match.
3. The bottle you drank the night you asked him
If there was a bottle on the table when you asked him to be best man, another one of the same is a gift with a story attached, and the story is the gift. Of the best man gift ideas here it is the only one with no fixed price: it costs whatever the bottle costs. Give it with the decanter and the two explain each other: the bottle is for the night, the decanter is for the next twenty years. If there was no such bottle, a bottled-in-bond bourbon he has mentioned liking is the safe version; our gifts for bourbon lovers list has the rules for buying a bottle for someone who knows more than you.
4. A glass with the speech line on it
Every best man speech has one line that lands. Engrave it on an 11 oz rocks glass and give it the morning after, when he is still hearing about the speech. It is under twenty dollars, it is the only gift on this list that can be ordered after the wedding, and it pairs with the decanter he already has. For a best man who does not drink, the same glass holds coffee and the line still works.
5. A humidor, for the best man who smokes
If the bachelor party involved cigars, a small cedar humidor with his name on it is the best man gift that keeps the rest of the box right. It costs about sixty dollars, it is a step above a cutter or a lighter, and it says you paid attention. It does need seasoning before the cigars go in, which takes two weeks; our guide to how to season a humidor is worth a line in the card so the first box does not smoke like cardboard.
6. The tie rack for the wedding tie
He wore a tie for you; give it somewhere to live. An engraved oak tie hanger holds twenty ties on one hanger slot and is the quiet, useful gift for a best man who would rather have something for the closet than for the bar. It is under twenty-five dollars, and it is the right pairing with the decanter if the budget stretches to two things. Our guide to how to store ties explains why a knit tie should never hang and a silk one should.
7. Something for the thing he already owns
A watch winder for the watch he wears every day, a case for the camera he brought to the bachelor weekend, a stand for the guitar. The rule is that you are not replacing something he chose; you are looking after it. It is the gift for the best man who has strong taste and would not want you buying him a watch, and it shows you noticed what he already has.
8. A day, not an object
A distillery tour, tickets to the game, a day at the track. It works when the best man is the type who would rather have a story than a shelf, and it works best when you go with him, a month after the wedding, once the thank-you notes are done and the house is quiet. Pair it with the engraved glass so there is something to open on the day.
9. The letter
Handwritten, sealed, handed over the morning of the wedding while you are both getting dressed. It costs nothing and it is the one gift on this list he will keep in a drawer for the rest of his life. Say what he did, name one thing, and stop. Put it in the box with the decanter and he reads it first.
Best man gift ideas to skip
- The engraved flask. The most-given and least-used best man gift. It leaks, it holds four shots, and it goes in the drawer the week after the wedding.
- A gift bigger than the wedding itself. A watch, a trip abroad, anything that makes the groomsmen’s gifts look like a formality. One step above, not a different world.
- Matching “Best Man” T-shirts, socks or robes. Fine for the photo on the morning; not the gift.
Buying for the fathers too? Our father of the bride gifts guide covers what the groom gives, and when.
The groomsmen’s glass that matches his decanter
Personalized Whiskey Glasses — 11 oz rocks glass, engraved with a name or monogram
Best man gift ideas: FAQ
How much should you spend on a best man gift?
For most best man gift ideas, roughly double what each groomsman gets: $40 to $120 is the usual range. An engraved decanter at $39.95 is the floor; the decanter set with glasses is the top of it.
When do you give the best man his gift?
At the rehearsal dinner with the groomsmen’s gifts, or privately on the morning of the wedding. Not at the reception.
Should the best man gift be different from the groomsmen gifts?
Same family, one step up. Groomsmen get engraved glasses; the best man gets the decanter they match. Everyone understands it without a speech.
What do you engrave on a best man gift?
His name and the wedding date. A short line from the speech works on a glass. “Best Man” on its own dates the gift; his name does not.
What is a good best man gift for someone who does not drink?
The best man gift ideas that skip the bar: the engraved tie hanger, a humidor if he smokes, a case for something he already owns, or a day out. The engraved glass still works for coffee.
Is a flask a good best man gift?
No. It is the most-given and least-used item in the category. A decanter costs about the same and gets used every week.
Engraved best man gifts, made to order
Choosing the decanter set? Our whiskey decanter sets guide explains what to look for before you order one engraved.
Looking for a gift? Our personalized whiskey glasses are laser engraved with a name, monogram or logo.
Every decanter, glass, humidor and tie hanger at Gozi360 is laser engraved to order. Send the names and the wedding date and we will engrave the best man’s gift and the groomsmen’s set to match.
