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YOUR BEST MAN SPEECH SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY

Delivering a best man speech is an important endeavor. Your words will be closely listened to by many, remembered by the wedding party and most importantly, the speech should honor the groom. It is the groom and bride's special day, and the speech should focus on their future and congratulating them on their happiness.

If you will soon be a best man at your friend's upcoming wedding, then it is your responsibility to give a best man speech during the reception following the ceremony. These speeches are known as toasts, and much care needs to go into preparing the oratory. To name a few, the best man speech needs to be:

respectful
complimentary
witty
personal
sincere
appropriate for the audience
memorable

Foremost, the speech must be congratulatory. While the toast will be heard by everyone attending the reception, you need to remember that the best man speech is primarily for the newly married couple.

What to Consider Before Writing

A starting point when preparing a best man speech is to consider your relationship with the groom. This will determine the appropriate tone of the speech and what sort of content you will include. For example, a father of the groom best man speech would touch on the groom's childhood and characteristics. Similarly, a best man speech delivered by a childhood friend of the groom would most likely reminisce about times they shared together when they were young and make for humorous funny best man speeches with the appropriate funny best man speech quotes.

Length of the best man speech is another important consideration. Your speech does not need to be so long that it begins to bore the listeners and you lose their attention. Alternatively, the speech should not be so short that it gives the impression you spent little time considering your best man toast. It is important not to rush through the speech. Best man speech jokes are a great element to include in your toast, if you think they will go over well.

Do's and Don'ts of the Best Man Speech

There is a certain etiquette that goes along with the delivery of best man speeches, and there are definite do's and don'ts when it comes to best man speech writing. The focus of the speech should be on the groom, but do not omit the bride completely. If you quote another person, be sure to appropriately attribute that quote. Some other basic advice include: be sure to stand up straight, don't read directly from the card and do not drink too much beforehand.

How to Begin Your Toast

The most difficult part of writing a best man speech for a wedding can be the first line of the toast. This will be the first words the audience hears and will set the tone for the remainder of the speech. It is fine for your first words to be simple and polite. Don't feel pressured to start off with a bang. Following are a few sample best man speeches ideas for good first-liners that may help you begin to write your own speech:

"Everyone, if I could get your attention, I would just like to say a few words."

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen - let me first say that the bridesmaids look absolutely beautiful today."

"Hello ladies and gentleman, I would like to thank everyone for coming today and making (insert bride's and groom's names) wedding such a special occasion."

"Here's to the new husband and wife - may they remain lovers for all of life."

Making it Funny

Perhaps you want to include jokes in your best man speech to make it witty and humorous. If you aren't naturally a funny man, then you can find some funny speeches or quotes in books, the Internet, friends, family, magazines, or in newspapers. These jokes will give you some ideas, or you can incorporate a good joke somewhere into your own toast. Remember that your speech also needs to have a serious side, and it's not a good idea to let the entire speech become a laugh-fest.

The most effective best man speech writing will be one that is natural and remains true to your character. Don't try to deliver a speech that is completely different from your personal style. For example, if you are a nervous public speaker, don't feel shy to poke a little fun at yourself during your speech. Also, take the atmosphere of the wedding and reception into consideration. If it is a very serious affair, limit the humorous side of your speech. If it is a light-hearted affair, make your speech likewise with funny best man speeches.

Your friend's wedding is tomorrow and you haven't prepared your toast yet? Don't panic, discover...

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