An Idiot’s Guide to Writing Best Man Speeches

You have fulfilled most of your sponsor responsibilities. You’ve already thrown a great bachelor party that the groom-to-be was so appreciative of, helped him choose an appropriate formal outfit that both he and the bride loved, and secured a good hiding place for the rings. so you can take them out gracefully when the time comes for the officiant to ask for the bands. You’ve even been the perfect best man at the rehearsal dinner.

So far, you have been at the top of your game as the best man. However, one thing clouds your head, something every groomsman dreads, groomsmen speeches.

Truth be told, best man speeches shouldn’t cause you so much pressure. After all, even if you screw this up, this isn’t really your night. It’s your best friend’s day and making a simple toast will not mean the end of a happy occasion. Well, unless you give a horrible toast where you make all the guests uncomfortable and the newlyweds turn their backs on you for the rest of the ceremony.

When giving a best man toast, here are some quick tips and tricks.

o Begin by writing down everything you know about the groom, the bride, and about them as a couple. Write about their qualities, any funny stories you remember, and most of all, write about why the two of you are good/perfect for each other. Do not stop your ideas here, even if you have no structure and even if your grammar or spelling is atrocious.
o Make your draft using all the details you have written above.
o Clichés are still welcome if used sparingly, but if you can eliminate them altogether, then all the better.
o It is always a good idea to start your speech by breaking the ice with a quick joke. Note that the operative word here is fast. If your joke takes about 3 minutes to tell, then it’s not fast. Maybe use a funny phrase about marriage, since that’s a better idea.
o Keep your toast under 7 minutes. If you go beyond that, even if you are giving a powerful speech, you will still lose your audience. Best man speeches should be short and sweet.
o Write your speech on healing cards that can fit in your back pocket. Don’t write the whole speech on the cards, but some important key points that you can refer to by looking back from time to time.
o Have a close confidant listen to you give your speech or if you are embarrassed to do so, ask them to read what you have written to test the waters, so to speak, on how you will be received by an audience.

These are simply tips on how you can make and deliver your best man speech.