Addresses and telephone numbers of the bride, the groom, the bride's mother, the groom's best friends and his male relatives. If you don't have contact information for any of these, get in touch with whoever's sending out the wedding invitations.

An alarm clock. Make that two alarm clocks. This is one occasion where lateness will not be forgotten. Ever.

Appropriate wedding attire. Contact the wedding planners as early as possible to get the necessary wardrobe parameters. Do NOT assume that the tux you wore to your high school prom is "close enough" to what they have in mind.

A driver's license (or a chauffeur)

String and cans for the getaway car. Tin cans are the stereotype, but aluminum soda cans are just as noisy and easier to attach.

Masking tape (for attaching things to the car, and as a last-minute lint remover)

A can of foaming shaving cream (preferably the non-scented kind). Optional: a squeeze container of cake frosting.

A short, pithy speech; really, more of a toast (see Step 2).

Allocate around three full days of planning (over the course of several months) for a casual wedding, a week or so for a more traditional affair.

2torial #0634: Learn2 Serve as Best Man So you're the guy that grooms the groom! Congratulations! You're someone's best friend (OK, maybe you're just his little brother, but chances are you like the guy), and you want to live up to the title of Best Man. You're going to have to do more than hand off the ring after he nudges you in the gut--in fact, you're going to have to become a master of ceremonies, constantly working behind the scenes to make the groom look as good as possible. You'll be giving speeches, throwing parties and who knows what else. Sound like a lot? Don't worry: with the help of this 2torial, you can be assured of it staying more of a honor than a hassle, despite the inevitable last-minute madness. We'll outline practically all the tasks that could be expected of you--and even provide a foolproof formula for charming the crowd when you toast the newlyweds. It may be their Big Day, but you'll definitely have your chance to shine. Of course, you're flattered when your buddy (or your brother) asks you to be his best man, but before jumping the gun, consider what you're getting yourself into. It's not like you're marrying the guy, but you ARE making a commitment, and you'll be expected to fulfill a number of duties that extend beyond the big day. Find out the wedding date and make sure that you have no other pressing commitments (a golf date doesn't qualify). Next, practice saying "yes," because the groom may have to ask a number of last-minute favors of you, from fetching tuxedoes to smoothing over legal snafus arising out from bachelor party antics. The groom is going to have a lot on his mind--you're there to allay his worries and make sure the distracted man makes himself look presentable. Remember that guests are likely to forgive a nervous groom if he walks down the aisle with his shirt untucked, but they'll wonder what kind of friend YOU are.   Step 1