Wine drinking has become somewhat of an art form, and Aussie men are among the most enthusiastic wine connoisseurs in the world. Decanting was once considered a bit formal and super wanky, but education has taught us that wine out of a decanter tastes significantly better than wine straight from the bottle.

With that said it’s time to embrace your wine snobbery and talk about tannins and maturation until the cows come home. We won’t judge. To prove it, DMARGE hit the vineyards and picked the finest decanters for your Riesling, rose’ and Chardonnay. Maybe you’re a Shiraz kind of guy, a merlot guzzler, or a pinot noir snob; whatever your vino habits, we’ve got you covered.

So, have a tipple with us as we break down the best wine decanters on the market right now.

Tom Dixon Tank Decanter

A fine wine, much like a good lover, boasts a long finish, and Tom Dixon knows a thing or two about a long finish. Dixon’s mouth-blown tank decanter is a double entendre enthusiasts dream. Standing 27-cm tall, the stoppered piece is finished with hand-painted copper detailing and would make a fine addition to any gentleman’s bar.

BUY $245

Waterford Crystal Elegance Accent Decanter

Release the tannins and aroma of your favourite bottle with the Crystal Elegance Accent Decanter. Waterford describes the decanter’s curves as ‘undulating’. The sexy tumbler design would suit a sleek dude with classic taste and a healthy wine collection.

BUY $299

Krosno Vinoteca Turn Decanter

On-point Polish artisans have taken to decanter making like a wino to a fermenting grape. The stylishly sculpted decanters are hand-made with classic lines and subdued elegance.

BUY $100

Royal Doulton Wine Decanter

The Royal Doulton Wine Decanter will take pride of place at your next piss-up (aka ‘Wine tasting’ night). Made from 24% lead crystal and standing 36-cm tall, the Royal will hold one litre of your finest vintage with aerating ease.

BUY $200

Riedel Boa Decanter

To celebrate the Chinese Year of the Snake in 2013, Riedel released the Boa to critical acclaim. Mouth-blown using lead crystal, the design’s tight coils are aesthetically striking and functionally fierce, allowing wine to double-decant. Double the decanting – double the goodness.

BUY $800

Centellino Areadivino Wine Aerator & Decanter

Get the perfect pour every time with this aerator and decanter. Decanting 125mL at a time, the Areadivino glass brings bouquets to life and looks damn good doing it thanks to its Italian blown glass construction. Lost your cork? No worries! This nifty decanter doubles as a stopper when flipped upside down.

BUY $90

Riedel Mamba Double Magnum Decanter

Don’t mess with the Mamba. Seriously! The Mamba Double Decanter is an investment piece, so treat it as such and pull it out for your fanciest get-togethers, or to impress a date. Released to commemorate Riedel’s 260th anniversary, the decanter holds 3-litres.

BUY $3,000

Wine Enthusiast Vivid Wine Decanter

You’ve gotta love a decanter with a wide base and pourer. The lightweight Vivid decanter is made using lead-free crystal and features clean lines for the classic man.

BUY $335

Fountain Aerating Wine Glasses

Decanting and aerating wine quicker than you can say ‘sauvignon’, Fountain wine goblets are ideal for those times when decanting a whole bottle is just too much. Plus, they double as whisky glasses. Place ice in the aerating cup and pour you whisky for a chilled but undiluted drop.

BUY $100

Riedel Decanter Black Tie

Riedel’s Black Tie decanter has some serious junk in the trunk. It’ the sexiest decanter on our list: take one look at the bulbous booty-shaped base and you’ll understand. Hand-made in Austria with 24% lead crystal, Black Tie is the decanter of choice for your next dinner party.   

Read Next

• The Best Shiraz In Australia, According To People Who Drink It For A Living
• The Best Online Wine Stores To Satisfy Your Inner Sommelier

The post Wine Decanters That Will Add Character To Your Home appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Italian fashion may be contemporary, but their hotels are definitely not. They’re luxurious, comfortable and look as if they’ve not been altered hundreds of years. Put simply, they’re spectacular in every sense of the world. Here are the top 12 coolest Italian hotels. Divertiti.

#1 Hotel Splendido & Splendido Mare

It’s all about options at the twin getaways of Hotel Splendido and Splendido Mare. Guests can enjoy the luxury of the pool or the natural beauty of the Mediterranean, explore the green hills or the yacht-filled harbor, and choose between a stay on the Ligurian Riviera or near the more centrally-located Piazzetta. It’s the best of both worlds for travelers in Portofino.

VIEW OR BOOK

#2 Il Pellicano Hotel

Perched on the steep hillsides of Tuscany is the Il Pellicano, a hotel that is regularly named among the top hotels in the world by Travel & Leisure and Code Nast Traveler magazines. Guests are treated to the exceptional experience of private cottages, a health and beauty centre, and a 2 Michelin star restaurant in a secluded, unspoiled location.

VIEW OR BOOK

#3 Forte Village Resort Castello

Part of the larger Forte Village complex on the isle of Sardinia, the Castello offers guests sea views, traditional Sardinian furnishings, and uncompromising luxury. Travelers have exclusive use of the heated freshwater pool and all the amenities of the Forte Village complex, including shopping, nightlife, and fine dining.

VIEW OR BOOK

#4 Forte Village Resort Villa del Parco

Villa del Parco is located in a centuries-old pine grove near the Thaermae del Forte Thalassotherapy Centre, one of the most famous spas in Sardinia. As part of the Forte Village Resort, guests are treated to deluxe bungalow accommodations, six top restaurants, and pampering at the hands of the Centre.

VIEW OR BOOK

#5 Hotel Caruso Ravello

The Hotel Caruso, an 11^th-century palace-turned-resort, hovers on a cliff above the incomparable scenery of the Amalfi Coast. The ancient walls and fresco-covered ceilings have been carefully preserved and restored, making the hotel a sumptuous work of art worthy of the rich and famous – like Greta Garbo – who are known for frequenting Ravello.

VIEW OR BOOK

#6 Casa Angelina Hotel

For a truly one-of-a-kind experience, stay in an Eaudesea Experience room at the Casa Angelina Hotel on the Amalfi Coast. The Eaudesea Experience rooms are former fisherman’s homes, located on the picturesque beach of La Gavitella, named for the four Sirens faced by Ulysses: Penelope, Calypso, Nausicaa, and Circe.

VIEW OR BOOK

#7 La Posta Vecchia

La Posta Vecchia is home to the Getty Suite, the former lodgings of U.S. industrialist J. Paul Getty. After purchasing the property in 1960, Getty restored the building, amassed an impressive collection of furniture and artwork, and uncovered the ruins of an ancient Roman villa that are now part of the archeological museum located on the premises.

VIEW OR BOOK

#8 Verdura Golf & Spa Resort

Never knew Italians played golf. But with two championship 18-hole golf courses and a 9-hole course, the Verdura Golf $ Spa Resort is a golfer’s dream vacation. Situated on a secluded stretch of beach in Sicily near the town of Sciacca, Verdura offers over 230 hectares of stunning landscape and 1.8km of private coastline.

VIEW OR BOOK

#9 Mezzatorre Resort & Spa

What could be better than being surrounded by seven hectares of pinewood forest with a view of Mount Vesuvius? How about doing it in a palatial 16^th-century hotel looking over San Montano Bay? All that and more makes a stay at the Mezzatorre Resort & Spa a magical experience.

VIEW OR BOOK

#10 Hotel Romazzino

If pristine beaches, verdant forests, and azure waters are your thing, then the Hotel Romazzino should be added to your destination list. Enjoy all the best that Sardinia’s stunning Emerald Coast has to offer in one of 94 tastefully decorated guest rooms with terraces overlooking the beach or garden.

VIEW OR BOOK

#11 Hotel Punta Tragara

Punta Tragara began as a private villa sculpted out of a rock face in Capri in 1920. It’s now a luxury hotel that offers easy access to all the best that Capri has to offer –  like the Faraglioni Rocks, Arco Naturale, and Charterhouse of St. Giacomo – and has been home to the likes of General Eisenhower and Winston Churchill during WWII.

VIEW OR BOOK

#12 Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda

Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda provides eco-friendly accommodations for guests looking to replenish the planet while replenishing their bodies and souls. The resort’s commitment to sustainability has earned them numerous environmental certifications and the Condé Nast Johansens Award in 2012 for Most Excellent Hotel Spa in Europe and Mediterranean.

The post 12 Stunning Italian Seaside Hotels appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The wall: once just a humble structural element, now a one-way ticket to Instagram stardom.

The feature wall is no longer the sole province of interior designers. A world’s worth of street artists and muralists are transforming cities into outdoor galleries, splashing large-scale pieces on building facades and signing their works with catchy hashtags.

Thanks to social media, these walls have become stars in their own right. They serve as backdrops for selfies, fashion shots, travel snaps, and more, and pull in thousands of likes for their posters. Say what you will about this kind of shameless ‘gramming: people can’t get enough of it.

From London to LA to Melbourne, here’s where to find 16 of the world’s most Instagrammable walls.

Paul Smith

Up up and awayyyyyy!!!! #PAULSMITHLA : @patwerkkk

A post shared by The Paul Smith Wall (@thepaulsmithwall) on Mar 14, 2017 at 6:24pm PDT

Rainbow Wall

#tbt Me hugging @momoshowpalace’s new mural in Dumbo while he snaps the pic. Love #Brooklyn. Love my friends. #momo #dumboartsproject #nyc #streetart #mural #summer

A post shared by KYM NONSTOP (@kymnonstop) on Jan 16, 2014 at 11:38am PST

Where To Find It: Fleet Alley, Brooklyn, New York 11201, USA

T2 Building

“Always was, always will be” #alwayswasalwayswillbe #rekorennie #darlinghurst #taylorsquare #streetware #streetart #art #facade #colourful #oxfordstreet #sydney #aboriginalartist @rekorennie

A post shared by Felipe Hormazabal (@felipehormazabalmoncada) on Feb 20, 2017 at 5:20am PST

Where To Find It: Taylor Square South, Darlinghurst, New South Wales 2010, Australia

Gum Wall

Licking good. #gumwall #tourist #seattle

A post shared by Stiina (@stiinaruusuvuori) on Apr 2, 2017 at 12:39pm PDT

Where To Find It: 1428 Post Alley, Seattle, Washington 98101, USA

Gallery Brown

Stuck. #gallerybrown #retna @ironeyeretnaart @gallerybrown #stuck #planche #funwithwalls #gymnastics #streetart #blendin #wallart #iphoneography

A post shared by Chris Reid (@chrisr3id) on May 1, 2016 at 8:35am PDT

Where To Find It: 140 S Orlando Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90048, USA

I

I love Ny @nickwalker_art #newyorkcity #newyork #ny #streetart #graffiti #iloveny #nickwalker #pizzabeach #uppereastside

A post shared by BodhiDharma (@thewayofthebuddha) on Feb 11, 2017 at 10:05am PST

Where To Find It: 1426 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10028, USA

Sugarhouse Studios

S u g a r h o u s e S t u d i o s #london #sugarhousestudios #colors #londres #arquitectura #holidays #geometry #wall #instaplaces #architecture #design #house #colorfull #fachada #building #tiles #alzado #uk #loves_london #londonarchitecture #minimalism #simplicity #pastels #color #sugarhouse #wallsandpeople #londonlife #housesofldn #timeoutlondon

A post shared by Paola Manzana [VM Arquitectos] (@paola_mf) on Aug 21, 2016 at 1:54pm PDT

Where To Find It: Bermondsey Campus, Collett Road, London SE16 4DJ, United Kingdom

John Lennon Wall

#JohnLennonWall #fourthday #Prague

A post shared by (@chiaraporceddu) on Apr 4, 2017 at 11:10am PDT

Where To Find It: Velkopřevorské náměstí, 100 00 Prague 1, Czech Republic

Made In LA

#USA #losangeles #ciscohome #madeinla #madeinlawall LA隐藏拍照景点

A post shared by justjamesu (@justjamesu) on Feb 26, 2017 at 12:33am PST

Where To Find It: 8025 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90046, USA

East Side Gallery

#EastSideGallery #BerlinWall #Berlin #Germany #EuroTrip

A post shared by Matthieu Huang (@mat_huang) on Apr 5, 2017 at 12:30am PDT

Where To Find It: Mühlenstraße, 10243 Berlin, Germany

The Springs

Best wall in DTLA: @thespringsla #justpassingby #happyfriday #whitelace

A post shared by Sophie Elkus (@sophieelkus) on Oct 30, 2015 at 4:51pm PDT

Where To Find It: 608 Mateo Street, Los Angeles, California 90021, USA

Angel Wings

Hold on while I put on my wings. Big changes are coming my way and I CAN NOT wait to take flight! #angelwings #oahu #oahuhawaii #hawaii #hawaiilife #model #lamodel #la #photography #photoshoot #lovewhatido #love #fly #angel #wings #goals #change #ambition #colletemiller

A post shared by Kori Michelle (@koriagee) on Apr 4, 2017 at 9:45pm PDT

Where To Find It: Multiple locations including Los Angeles, Cuba, Miami, Perth, Hawaii, and New York City

The Blue Pearl

#Sunday reminiscing about summer days in Morocco . . . #nofilter #chefchaouen #blues #summer #africa #Morocco #thebluepearl #vibes #travel #photography #wanderlust #travelcouple #globetrotter #travelblog #seetheworld #ilovetravel #vacation #traveltheworld #travelwithme #inspiration #travellife #traveladdict #world #adventures #kikivsearth

A post shared by Kieran&beKi (@kiki.vs.earth) on Mar 26, 2017 at 5:29am PDT

Where To Find It: Chefchaouen, Morocco

Love Walls

#lovewall @jaygoldcrown is Back in #losangelas in one of my fave neighborhoods. So much #streetart when walking down the side streets of Abbot Kinney! Don’t forget to look down on the ground, too. . . . #mural #urbanart #travelgram #california #travelblog #thecreative #travelwriter #travelbug #theprettycities #dametraveler #darlingescapes #girlswhotravel #traveladdict #cali #mytinyatlas #ilovetravel #theglobewanderer #contemporaryart #modern #artgallery #creative #conquer_la #discoverla #wanderlust #losangelesgrammers #conquer_ca #lagrammers

A post shared by AC Travels (@globalwanderslut) on Apr 5, 2017 at 8:33am PDT

Where To Find It: Multiple locations including Chicago, New York City, Austin, and Los Angeles

Hosier Lane

Hosier Lane – definitely worth a visit when you’re in Melbourne. The street art down that Lane looks amazing and is even something for non-art-lovers as it isn’t your basic art museum. Go check it out on your next trip to Melbourne!

A post shared by Franziska Maria (@franzi.hnzlr) on Apr 5, 2017 at 6:22am PDT

Where To Find It: Hosier Lane, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia

Wynwood Walls

The bright side is the right side

A post shared by J E N I M A (@heyitsjenima) on Mar 22, 2017 at 4:57am PDT

Where To Find It: 2520 NW 2nd Avenue, Miami, Florida 33127, USA

The post Where To Find 16 Of The World's Most Instagrammable Walls appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The Mercedes-AMG era is inching closer towards lineup domination with the unveiling of a new GLC63 SUV and coupe variant in the Silver Arrows’ iconic performance trim.

The family-friendly duo will see primary upgrades in the engine department with the proven Mercedes-AMG twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 slotting into both models. That equates to 469hp (350kW) and 650Nm of torque on tap for the base models.

Those who are still power hungry can opt for the GLC63 S, the coupe-only model which pushes total power output to 503hp (375kW) and 700Nm of torque.

Given that great power comes great noise for your neighbours, Mercedes-AMG have installed adjustable flaps to the exhaust which can curb unwanted noise. Those adding the optional AMG Performance exhaust will also be glad to know that it comes with a button to open or close this flap on demand.

Helping put down the power to all four wheels is a limited-slip differential available as standard on all GLC63s. The S model again receives a more potent option with a faster electronically controlled differential.

In the comfort stakes the Mercedes-AMG twins also score some brownie points with independent air suspension and adjustable damping through a drive mode selector. In this case the Sport+ on the GLC63 and RACE mode on the GLC63 S will stiffen suspension and keep drivers suspended the happy rev-range for maximum response.

Don’t believe us? Watch the teaser for the GLC63 below complete with a throaty soundtrack.

The post Mercedes-AMG Unleash Their Latest Pair Of Performance SUVs appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Pop the champagne, put on a jazz record, and get the Duesenberg out of the garage. You could soon live like Leo in the New York mansion that served as Jay Gatsby’s home in the 2013 film adaptation of The Great Gatsby.

That is, if you have US$85 million to spare.

The pricey pad in Long Island wasn’t just the brainchild of talented set designers. It’s a very real mansion, very really constructed in 1928, that boasts 18 bedrooms and 32 bathrooms across its expansive 56,000 square feet.

The sprawling estate makes the most of its eight acres. Along with the main house, there are two separate guest houses. For recreation, there’s an indoor lap pool, an outdoor pool with a slide and swim-up bars, a lazy river, a bowling alley, a full tennis court, an electronic casino, a shooting range, and a private dock that can accommodate a yacht up to 200 feet long.

For relaxation, there are Japanese and English gardens and koi ponds, as well as an in-home hair salon, multiple wine cellars, and several saunas and steam rooms.

The waterfront compound also comes with smart home technology and a two-storey garage, the latter of which fits nine vehicles and sports a hydraulic lift. Though Daisy Buchanan’s place isn’t in view, the panoramic perspective on New York City’s skyline more than makes up for it.

The post The Great Gatsby Movie Mansion Is For Sale appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Bentley are foregoing their duties as manufacturers of lust-worthy saloons and finally moving into…photography. You read right.

This isn’t your usual round of bird watching photography though. The project which is part of a new interactive ad for the Flying Spur W12 S is essentially a game of spot the Bentley amongst Dubai’s towering skyscrapers. If that sounds like too much work then you’re in luck because the photo also holds the record as the highest resolution landscape photo ever created to a tune of about 57.7 Gigapixels.

The shot was taken by mounting a camera on one of the tallest buildings in Dubai and took 48 hours to capture and 18 hours to download. The result is an image consisting of staggering 1,825 individual frames.

The post Play Spot The Bentley In The World's Highest Resolution Photo appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Whisky is the new currency that makes the world go round. From the foothills of Scotland to the artisan distilleries of Japan, the choices in liquid gold these days are simply staggering.

Lest we forget, every year the World Whiskies Awards also like to hold a little contest to find the world’s newest and most coveted drop based on taste across a dozen different variations. Well that day has arrived and the best whiskies of 2017 are in.

Presented in partnership with UK-based Whisky Magazine and The Drinks Report, the winners this year hail from Japan, Canada, the UK and the USA. And proving once again that the rise of Japanese whisky is no flash in the pan is this year’s winner of Best Grain, The Fuji-Gotemba Single Grain 25 Year Old Small Batch.

Virtually unknown outside of Japan, The Fuji-Gotemba Single Grain is produced at Kirin’s Fuji Gotemba distillery which started operations in 1973. Its distinct taste is derived from the ample use of pristine waters flowing down from Mount Fuji’s melting ice (we know right – you can’t even make this stuff up).

The ageing process then takes place in x-Bourbon barrels for 25 years before going through two distillation processes to come to the final product  – in very limited batches of around AU$2,000 per 700ml bottle.

The notable list of winners this year also includes:

World’s Best Grain: The Fuji-Gotemba Single Grain 25 Year Old Small Batch (Japan)
World’s Best Rye: A.D. Laws Secale Straight Rye Bottled in Bond (USA)
World’s Best Blended Limited Release: J.P. Wiser’s Dissertation (Canada)
World’s Best Wheat: Bainbridge (UK)
World’s Best Bourbon: John J. Bowman Single Barrel Bourbon (USA)
World’s Best Blended Malt: Johnnie Walker Green Label (UK)
World’s Best Blended Whisky: Suntory Hibiki 21-Year (Japan)
World’s Best Single Cask Single Malt: Venture Chichibu Whisky Matsuri 2017 (Japan)
World’s Best Single Malt: Craigellachie 31 Year Old (UK)

See the full list of winners now over at World Whiskies Awards or get your whisky hats on at at Sydney and Melbourne‘s coolest whisky bars.

The post The Best Whiskies Of 2017 Have Been Announced appeared first on DMARGE.

Your buddy has just asked you to be his go-to guy on one of the biggest days of his life. Congratulations. It’s now your job to steward him through the days between bachelorhood and matrimony, guiding him down the path to wedded bliss like a tuxedo-wearing, champagne-slurping sherpa.

No pressure or anything.

If this is your first time performing these hallowed duties, every brain cell is firing on full panic mode. You’re falling asleep every night in a cold sweat, imagining all the things that could go wrong if you forget your best man speech or Aunt Jodie hits the bar too hard and gets frisky.

As the groom’s second-in-command, you have one job above all else: get your shit together. It’s your sacred responsibility to ensure things go smoothly and the happy couple makes it to the honeymoon with their love, sanity, and limbs intact.

Here’s how to make sure he never regrets choosing you over some other chump.

Start Planning Now

The countdown to the big day begins the second he gets on one knee and she says yes. Likewise, your role begins the second he asks you to be best man (whether he gets on a knee or not) and you say yes.

It may be too early to make definitive arrangements, but it doesn’t hurt to start musing on things like where the bucks party should be held, who should be invited, and whether any of them are out-of-towners who will need accommodation. The sooner you start planning, the less everyone will be stressed when things really hit the fan.

Make Bucks Party Magic

Ah, the fabled stag do. Responsibility for this legendary last celebration of singlehood falls squarely on your shoulders. You’ve seen The Hangover. You know you have a lot to live up to.

The most important thing to remember is that, whatever you do to mark the occasion, it must suit the groom. If he wants to lose teeth and steal tigers and hook up with Heather Graham, give him a night so debaucherous it will be impossible to forget and traumatic to remember.

But if he’s not that dude – if he’d rather play a round of golf and go whiskey tasting, or just hit the local bar for pints and pizza – give him the bucks party he’ll actually enjoy. Talk to him about what he wants if it’s not obvious.

While you’re at it, take the rest of the guests into consideration, too. Don’t book a lavish weekend away if you know everyone is on a budget. Do your best to choose something that won’t make anyone uncomfortable or late on their rent.

And please, please don’t hold it the night before the wedding. Vomiting mid-vows is not a good look.

For inspiration, check out these bucks party ideas and awesome bucks party ideas.

Clothe The Crew

It’s up to the bride and groom to decide what the wedding party will wear, but you can ease the process along by helping to arrange fittings and alterations. Round up the groomsmen, ushers, and ring bearers and get them fitted for their kits. Make sure they have everything they need beforehand and again on the big day, including accessories like pocket squares and cuff links. Pick up the clothes when they’re ready and, if they’re rentals, return them when the the couple is safely shacked up in the honeymoon suite.

Practice Preparedness

Abide by the scout motto: always be prepared. Ideally nothing will go wrong, but if it does, it’s your job as the groom’s righthand man to make sure he doesn’t have to worry about it. Have cash and cards on hand in case last minute expenses crop up. Save pertinent phone numbers (caterer, limo driver, DJ, wedding planner, florist, officiant, parents, etc) in event of emergency. Pack a bag with a selection of easily-forgotten essentials, like deodorant and a phone charger, in case something is left behind.

Attend The Rehearsal

Make sure all the groomsmen know when and where the rehearsal takes place. Threaten grievous bodily harm if they don’t arrive on time. During the rehearsal, pay close attention to all instructions you’re given. The rest of the groomsmen will be following your lead. Learn as much as you can about other people’s roles during the rehearsal. If it turns out they weren’t paying attention, or something goes wrong on wedding day, you’ll be able to swoop in like a caped crusader and save the day. Attend the rehearsal dinner after to blow off (drink off) some steam.

Get A Good Night’s Rest

Sleep the night before. Seriously. Don’t just do it – make it a priority. Yes, you’ll be stressed. Yes, you’ll want to stay up all night watching best man speech videos on YouTube. Yes, your mind will be running worst-case scenarios through your head like the world’s shittiest slideshow. Do whatever you need to do to make sure you actually sleep and wake up feeling refreshed and ready to take on any curveballs wedding day has in store.

Be On Time

Since you were careful to get adequate beauty rest (right?), you’ll have no problem rising early and getting to the venue on time. Now it’s your job to play drill sergeant. Marshal the troops. Make sure everyone else also arrives in a timely fashion and looks ready for a Vogue shoot. Like it or not, this is part of your job and you have to be the boring responsible guy who badgers everyone else if circumstances call for it.

Herd Cats

See above. They may be the groom’s men, but they’re your responsibility. Write a checklist and make sure everything is in order before Mendelssohn’s wedding march plays. The groomsmen need to be well groomed, well dressed, well behaved, and definitely not drunk. Depending on the group, this may or may not be a difficult task.

Be The Body Man

If “best man” came with a job description, it would be pages and pages long. A better way to look at it is this: almost nothing isn’t your job. Leave the “kiss the bride” bit to the groom. Beyond that, come prepared to be anything and everything required of you. Gopher. Chauffeur. Valet. Wrangler of the ring bearer dog. No task is too small for the best man – after all, they didn’t name him the mediocre man.

Guard The Ring

Now’s the time to whip out the Gollum impression you’ve been working on. Guard the ring like it’s worth more than your life (if the groom is rich, it actually might be). Set an alarm to check on it at regular intervals if you have to, and make sure to check your pockets for holes to avoid any mishaps. Remember exactly which pocket you put it in. You don’t want to be fumbling for it when the moment comes. If it sounds like too much responsibility, remember this: people let their dogs do it. You can handle it, champ.

Start The Party

Think of yourself as a junior host. The bride and groom may be the official hosts of the evening, but you’ll be the one getting the party started. Hit the dancefloor if no one else is brave enough to take the first step. Mingle with relatives (bonus points if you’ve memorised some names ahead of time). Charm moms and bridesmaids. Flirt with Aunt Jodie a little bit. But remember, moderation is key. Don’t go overboard and get hammered, or try to hookup with a bridesmaid (or Aunt Jodie) in a corner.

Nail The Speech

This is your time to shine. Though most of your duties are performed behind the scenes, the best man speech is your moment in the spotlight. Don’t screw it up. Much has been said about how to nail it. A few good rules of thumb are:

• Prepare. This is not the time for winging it.
• Make it a toast, not a roast. No offensive jokes, wild stories, or tales of the ex-girlfriends.
• Focus on the groom, but don’t forget to give a shoutout to the bride.
• It’s cool to be funny, but don’t try too hard. Your audience also wants to hear something heartfelt.
• Use accessible anecdotes. They cease to be funny or moving if no one but you and the groom knows what the hell you’re talking about.
• Don’t drone on. Ten minutes is plenty, and many a best man has brought the house down with less.

Design An Exit Strategy

Help the bride and groom make their escape. It’s harder than you think to exit a room full of (now intoxicated) people trying to drown you in goodwill. If they’re leaving in some kind of vehicle, gather the rest of the wedding party to decorate the getaway car. After the dust has settled, assist with any luggage, transportation arrangements, hotel check-outs, and vendor payments that remain. It ain’t glamorous, but somebody’s gotta do it. Think of the karma you’re racking up.

Decline If You Need To

Here’s something that’s rarely talked about: if you don’t want to be best man, is it ok to say no? Opinions may differ, but we’re saying yes. It’s hard to imagine a worse best man than one who doesn’t want to be there. It’s generally considered an honour to be tapped for the role, but if you know it’s not your thing, it’s better to disappoint now than be a disappointment on the big day. The sooner you let the groom know, the sooner he can find a happy replacement.

Pat Yourself On The Back

If you took the job, and the wedding is done, give yourself a giant gold star for the miracle of modern manliness you just achieved. Your friend bestowed his highest honour upon you and you pulled it off like a pro. Now reward yourself with a massage and the stiffest of drinks.

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“Once a cheater, always a cheater.” At face value, that sage bit of relationship wisdom seems like little more than a common sense warning, passed down by generations of well-meaning grandmothers. But according to a new paper published in the journal Nature, there’s an entire scientific phenomenon condensed into those six words.

The paper, titled The Brain Adapts To Dishonesty, examines the way repeated lies influence human behaviour to prove that the ‘slippery slope’ exists.

“Anecdotally, digressions from a moral code are often described as a series of small breaches that grow over time,” reads the paper. “Here we provide empirical evidence for a gradual escalation of self-serving dishonesty and reveal a neural mechanism supporting it.”

One of the brain’s most amazing qualities is its ability to adapt. “Habituation” describes a form of learning in which the subject decreases (or ceases entirely) its response to a stimulus that’s repeated. When you wear a new watch, you may be conscious of the sensation of pressure against your skin – but over time, you adapt to the feeling and forget you’re wearing it.

Smokers can’t fathom why non-smokers are bothered by the smell of tobacco. The water in a cold lake feels warmer soon after you jump in. The sound of construction down the road isn’t as annoying on Friday as it was on Monday. These are all examples of habituation and sensory adaption.

The same phenomenon applies to dishonesty. Using functional MRI and a behavioural task, the authors of this paper discovered signal reduction in the brain as a result of a history of dishonest behaviour, consistent with adaptation.

In other words, the more someone lies, the more comfortable they become with lying. What begins as small acts of dishonesty can escalate into larger transgressions.

It’s easy to apply this finding to repeated cheating in a relationship. Each time someone steps out, their negative emotional response to the act decreases. They become more comfortable deceiving their partner and more disconnected from their sense of morality. If it doesn’t feel bad, why stop doing it?

A cheater’s brain may also help rationalise their bad behaviour, further diminishing their negative emotional response (even if they’re caught).

“When participants were dishonest for the benefit of someone else, dishonesty at a constant rate was observed,” the study says. “This is consistent with the suggestion that the motivation for acting dishonestly contributes to its affective assessment, such that when a person engages in dishonesty purely for the benefit of another it may be perceived as morally acceptable.”

An especially habituated philanderer may justify their cheating by convincing themselves (and trying, probably failing, to convince their partner) that it’s for the greater good. At the very least, they’ll talk themselves into believing that there’s a totally relatable, perfectly good reason why they had to be a dirty, rotten, two-timing dick.

Be honest: you’ve known that person, heard of that person, or been that person.

Moral of the story? Listen to your grandmother. She may not have been a scientist, but she knows what’s up.

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