The Groovy Groomsmen Field Guide
How much more to spend on your best man, what to give each role, and when to hand it over. A simple, honest answer.
The short answer
Yes, the best man usually gets a slightly nicer gift, but you do not have to overspend. Plan on about $75 to $150 for the best man and $40 to $75 for each groomsman. What matters far more than price is that his gift feels personal, made for him and no one else.
In this guide
Every groom hits the same question while planning: does the best man get a bigger gift than the rest of the party? The short version is yes, a little, and it has almost nothing to do with money. The best man carries more of the load, so his gift tends to be more personal and a small step up in quality. The groomsmen get something thoughtful, and often matching. This guide breaks down exactly how the two differ, what to spend on each, and how to make either one feel like you meant it.
Everything we make is personalized, engraved in our own shop, and picked to look like you put real thought into it. Because you did. For the wider list, see our complete groomsmen gifts guide.
Spend two minutes here and the rest is easy. The gift that lands is rarely the most expensive one. It is the most him.
The best man ran your bachelor party, held the rings, and talked you off the ledge. A slightly nicer gift just mirrors what he put in. The groomsmen get something thoughtful that says thank you for standing beside me.
A $60 flask engraved with his name and your wedding date lands harder than a $200 gift he did not ask for. Personalization is the part Amazon cannot copy, and it is what makes either role feel chosen.
The cleanest approach is one matching gift for every groomsman, then one extra personal piece for the best man. It looks intentional and keeps the math simple.
You do not need to spend more across the board. Put the extra into the one gift that gets displayed, carried, or poured from for years, usually the best man's.
The gap between the two roles is usually $30 to $75, not hundreds. Here is how the tiers break down.
Engraved flask sets, a toiletry bag, custom drinkware, or a build-your-own box. Thoughtful, uniform, and easy to order for the whole party.
An engraved decanter set, a cigar experience, a watch that doubles as your proposal, or a whiskey crate with his name on it. Nicer, and tied to who he is.
A full-grain leather weekender or a loaded gift crate he keeps for years. Reserve this for one or two people, not the whole party.
A good rule: keep the groomsmen matching, then put the extra into the one gift the best man will keep on his shelf.
The real differences are in personalization, timing, and a small bump in spend. Money is the least of it.
| Aspect | Best man | Groomsmen |
|---|---|---|
| Typical spend | $75–$150 | $40–$75 each |
| Personalization | Highly personal, one-of-one | Matching, name-engraved |
| Gift style | A standout tied to his taste | A uniform set for the group |
| Why the step up | He runs the bachelor party, holds the rings, and steadies you all day | They stood beside you and celebrated you |
| When to give it | Often earlier, at a private dinner or the bachelor trip | Rehearsal dinner or the morning of |
| Same gift for all? | Give him a step-up, or the group gift plus one extra piece | One matching gift reads intentional |
Every gift below is live, personalized, and engraved in-house. The first group suits the best man, the second works beautifully across the whole group.
A little nicer and tied to who he is. These are the gifts a best man keeps on a shelf, wears, or pours from for years. Browse all best man gifts →
A hand-finished wooden crate of barware engraved with his name. It looks like you spent all afternoon curating it, and the crate stays on his shelf long after the last toast.
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A skeleton-dial watch that arrives in a keepsake box with a save-the-date card, so it doubles as the way you ask him. Personal, dressy, and worn long after the wedding.
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An engraved crate with a humidor, a whiskey-and-cigar glass, and the accessories a cigar guy appreciates. A full experience for the best man who takes his evenings slow.
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A weighty decanter and matching glasses, sand-carved with his name and your wedding date. This is the gift a whiskey guy puts on display, not in a drawer.
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Full-grain leather that ages better every year, monogrammed and built to outlast the marriage it celebrates. The splurge for the friend who did everything for you.
View this giftThoughtful, matching, and easy to order in a set. Personalized so each guy feels chosen, not checked off a list. Browse all groomsmen gifts →
Our most-gifted set, and it earns it. You build the box, we engrave every piece with his name, and it lands looking custom. The easy call for one matching gift across the whole crew.
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An engraved leather flask with matching shot glasses in a wooden box. A group classic that still feels personal once his name is on it, and priced so you can gift the whole party.
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A personalized dopp kit he reaches for on every trip after the wedding. Clean, well-made, and monogrammed so it feels chosen for him rather than grabbed off a shelf.
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Custom tumblers with each guy's name or a matching crew design. A low-cost, high-smile pick that works as a group gift or a bachelor-trip extra.
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Our single most-shipped bag. A structured, personalized duffle sized for a bachelor trip or a weekend away, and priced so the whole group can match.
View this giftWe would rather be genuinely helpful than only point you at our own shelves. Here are a few pieces we do not make that are worth the money if they fit your best man or a groomsman. No affiliate links, no kickbacks, just honest picks.
For the best man, tickets to a game, a concert, or a distillery tour can beat any object. Look at his calendar, not just his shelf.
Browse experiences →Nothing reads grown-up like a scent he would not splurge on himself. Dior Sauvage and Creed Aventus are the safe, universally liked bets for the best man.
See Dior Sauvage →A Seiko Presage or a Tissot gives real mechanical watchmaking at a groomsman-friendly price. It punches well above its cost.
Explore Seiko Presage →Etsy is full of small makers doing beautiful custom work, from hand-tooled leather valet trays to engraved star maps of your wedding-night sky. Worth a browse for something truly his.
Browse custom pieces on Etsy →A few ways either gift still misses. Avoiding these matters more than the price you pay.
Most couples hand out groomsmen gifts at the rehearsal dinner or the morning of the wedding. More in when to give groomsmen gifts.
Many grooms give the best man his a little earlier, at the bachelor party or a private dinner, so it does not get lost in the day-of rush.
Engraving does the heavy lifting, but a short handwritten note is what he remembers. Say why you picked him. Two sentences is plenty.
Roles, timing, and who pays for what. See best man gift etiquette for the full picture.
Yes, usually. It is common and expected to give the best man a slightly nicer, more personal gift because he takes on the most responsibility, from planning the bachelor party to holding the rings. It does not have to cost much more.
Most grooms spend about $75 to $150 on the best man and $40 to $75 on each groomsman, so the gap is usually $30 to $75, not hundreds. See the full breakdown in how much to spend on groomsmen gifts.
Yes. A clean approach is one matching gift for the whole party plus one extra personal piece for the best man. Giving everyone the same gift is perfectly acceptable as long as it is thoughtful and personalized.
Something personal he keeps: an engraved decanter set, a cigar experience, a watch that doubles as your proposal, or a full-grain leather weekender. Best man gifts read as a step up in quality, not just price.
Thoughtful and usually matching. Personalized flask sets, a toiletry bag, custom drinkware, or a build-your-own box work well because they look intentional across the group and still feel made for each guy.
Groomsmen usually get theirs at the rehearsal dinner or the morning of the wedding. Many grooms give the best man his a little earlier, at the bachelor party or a private dinner. More in when to give groomsmen gifts.
Every piece is engraved in our own shop and made to order. Pick the names, add your wedding date, and we handle the rest.
Co-FounderAbout the Author
Co-Founder, Groovy Groomsmen Gifts · Monroe, Connecticut
Chris Bajda is a co-founder of the family-run Groovy gift studios in Monroe, Connecticut, behind more than 200,000 personalized gifts and over 17,000 customer reviews. For more than 15 years he has helped grooms and groomsmen find gifts worth keeping, and he still tracks what real customers order and love so his picks come from data, not guesswork. He is a regular at the NY NOW gift show in New York City.
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