Sweating bullets in front of a banquet hall at full-capacity, the words of your best man wedding speech are slipping away and all eyes on you. The groom’s little brother is recording you via cellphone, hoping to make funny videos out of this unmitigated speech failure. If only I’d followed the omniscient Internet’s best man speech advice, you’d quietly murmur. Save yourself from a wedding reception disaster by adhering to this wise instruction.
Preparation
Don’t underestimate the importance of preparation. This sort of speech shouldn’t be a rush job the night before or delivered ad lib. The time spent writing and practicing your speech in front of the mirror will determine the success of your best man speech. Practice in front of trusted family and friends, and ask for constructive criticism and feedback. Use a stopwatch to time the length of delivery. Take advantage of note cards if you find that your memory is worse for wear. Preparation is the key to every aspect of the best man speech.
Brevity
JRBriggs.com suggests the best man speech should last four minutes, not a moment longer. Within this time frame, deliver a concise speech. The four minute rule will ensure that you don’t dilly-dally with your content and that each spoken word has purpose and meaning.
Delivery
Equally important to what you say, is how you say it. Microphone or not, mumbling won’t go unnoticed. Be loud and proud, personify confidence. Enunciate clearly and articulately—again, with preparation, these elements will fall into place.
Story Time
Choose a story, or rather an anecdote for brevity’s sake, to place your friendship with the bride and groom into perspective for the audience. This may be an ideal moment to integrate some humor. Be judicious in your speech’s content—avoid clichés. Recall a tale in your best storytelling voice that illuminates positive character traits and is rich in entertainment. You’ll want to exclude the time everyone went streaking through the neighborhood. Be discrete; keep it chill.
Not About You
Your title of "best man" is somewhat of a misnomer. The true best man is the groom—remember that. This momentous day belongs to the bride and groom—your mission, should you accept it, is to solely focus on the newlyweds, and honor their sacred union.
Lay Off the Sauce
Drink one too many and your speech will devolve into slurred babbling as you desperately cling to the lectern before keeling over. Okay, that may be an exaggeration, but remember this general rule of thumb: increased alcohol consumption is directly related to your chances of ending up a drunk fool—at least in theory. If you’re prone to crippling anxiety attacks or general all-around nervousness then sure, one or two brews may calm your nerves and take the edge off, but why did you agree to take on the responsibility of the best man in the first place?
