The Best Man Speech 

Traditionally the wedding speeches are delivered after the meal has been served.  Nowadays however, it is becoming increasingly common for couples to arrange to have the speeches before sitting down to eat.Making a speech is a daunting task for anyone so getting them over and done with so that you can sit back and enjoy the food and drink is becoming a more popular choice. 

It is a great honour to be chosen as the best man and a successful speech should be light hearted and amusing and keep everyone present entertained.

The best man speech is the last to be made and is usually the high spot of the reception and the one that everyone looks forward to.    Although the prospect of having to stand up in front of all the guests may be daunting, with the right preparation there is no reason why you cannot deliver a great speech.

The best man speech should ideally be about 1000 words long or last 5-10 minutes, any longer and you are at risk of losing everyone’s interest.As well as being congratulatory it should be complimentary and optimistic about the future of the newly married couple and of course contain a few friendly digs and anecdotes about the groom.  

There are many resources, websites and publications that contain information and example speeches and ideas. 

Duties of the Best Man 

·         To thank the groom for asking him to be his best man 

·         To tell amusing stories about the groom  

·         To read out any messages and cards – keep to a minimum 

·         To toast the happy couple anad wish them happiness in their new life together 

·         To invite the guests to enjoy the remainder of the day 

·         To introduce the cake cutting if required 

Do’s and don’ts 

• Don't drink excessivelybefore the speech, the last thing you want is to slur your way through your speech in front of guests. 
• Take your time, rushing a speech just makes it hard to hear what you are saying and actually keeps you in a nervous tempo, as much as you want to get it over with, slowing down your speech will help you relax and convey confidence. 
• Don't overdothe nudge, nudge, wink, wink stuff, plenty of time for that later! 
• Write your speechout on place cards and number them, this makes it much easier to avoid losing your place. 
• If you can’tthink of what to write get a professional wedding speech writing guide, there are many available on the internet