How You Can Master Your Best Man Speech

You're sitting there, hunched over your computer, staring at a blank page. The last speech you wrote was in your Speech 101 class, and that was quite a few years ago. Your buddy finally popped the question to his girlfriend, and he has asked you to be the Best Man. All you have to do is stand next to him at the wedding right? Not exactly. As a Best Man, you hold a lot of responsibility and are an active participant in your friend's wedding. One of the biggest responsibilities you have is your speech. Where do you start? What should you say? These are very common questions asked by guys like you all the time. Don't worry, with a little good advice and some practice, you can nail your best mans speech and make your Groom proud.

Being genuine is probably your top priority. You don't want to load your speech with messages straight out of a Hallmark card, and you definitely don't want to give the impression that you haven't thought about what you're saying. Start off with a deep breath. It's hopefully not the night before the wedding, so you can relax and write a relaxed speech. Writing a relaxed speech will help you to be more relaxed when you present it at the wedding. The key is to be relaxed. Also, forget any sort of formal structure you have ever learned when writing an essay or presentation. You don't need a thesis or body paragraphs or anything. You want your speech to be conversational and to flow naturally. So tap into some fond memories and get ready to start your speech.

The best man speech generally contains an introduction, some good memories of the Groom, and a final toast to the wedded couple. The speech usually falls between three to five minutes long. Any longer than that and the audience might get bored. The speech takes place during the reception and usually follows a few other speakers, such as the Father of the Bride, among others. Start your speech by introducing yourself. Make sure you address your relationship with the groom, as this heavily affects the mood and content of your speech. Whether you're the father, son, cousin, best friend, or brother to the Groom opens different opportunities for you to add special touches to your speech.

If you want to have a note card with you, that's fine. However, you should only right key words on it. You don't want to be reading off your cards like a script. Reading directly from your hands can't give you the natural kind of speech you want. Practice all you can without a paper aid, that way you can keep it with you as a crutch or in case you blank. Glancing down for a quick reminder is perfectly okay. With enough practice, you will have memorized all the key points you want to hit on. Do you best not memorize it verbatim, however. Try to say it a little different every time. You definitely don't want to sound rehearsed. Know your speech well, but make it new and exciting for the audience.

Even the best speakers out there get nervous while making a best man speeches. Everyone knows how nerve wracking your situation is, and no one is expecting you to deliver the next "I Had A Dream" speech. If you mess up, don't sweat it. Most likely the audience wouldn't even notice. Presenting your best man speeches should be fun, not your worst nightmare.