As one of my readers pointed out to me recently in my article entitled What are the Duties of the Best Man, I inadvertently left out the speech, or toast the best man is expected to make at the reception. Speeches are not usually something that something that people look forward to writing, much less presenting. I remember the dreaded speech classes in high school and college. Stage fright is something that everyone feels, butterflies in the stomach, cold sweats, shaky hands, we’ve all been there. Add to that that you’re at your best friends wedding and expected to give a heartfelt speech is even worse. The fear of bombing it and having all your friends and perhaps family there to witness it could be nearly too much to bear. So, here are some great tips you can use to help you get started when writing your best man toast.
Best man toasts are typically 2 -5 minutes in length, depending on how comfortable you are with speaking in front of people. You should probably start with welcoming everyone and thanking them for being there. Identify yourself as the best man and tell them how you know the groom. Then, you can tell some great stories from childhood, talk about bad habits, how the groom told you he was engaged, and other potentially funny events from your past. Helpful hint, stay away from anything that could potentially hurt feelings, embarrass the bride and groom, or start any fights! That would make for a memorable best man toast, but not in the right way.
After talking about the groom, talk a little bit about the bride, about the first time you met her, or other fun stories from everybody hanging out. If you were there when they first met, then share the story with the wedding guests, whether the story is romantic or not. Talk about them together as a couple, things that you’ve witnessed.
It should be easy to add some humor into your speech. Make a comment about how you are the “best” man and stop and grin or tug on your lapels, or after you say best man add in, “well, the best he could find anyway”. You could also talk about how nervous you are getting up in front of so many people, and how you practiced in front of a group of toddlers and they started crying. Use your imagination, but be careful with humor as some jokes can fall flat.
Always end your best man speech with something sentimental, such as, “I’ve known you for a long time, and am proud to call you my friend. I pray that in 50 years you’ll be as happy as you are today”. Be sure to ask everyone to raise their glass and toast the happy couple. Then walk over and shake hands with the groom and kiss the bride, and you’re done.
If you have any fun best man speeches you’d like to share, a good idea or how you’ve bombed, comment and let us know!
Tags: best man, best man speeches, best man toasts, wedding speeches
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April 22nd, 2008 at 11:35 am
[...] wedding day. For more tips and ideas on wedding speeches and jokes, check out my previous articles, Best Man Speeches and Maid of Honor [...]