Though some people are completely comfortable addressing a room full of strangers, others may be better at jotting down their thoughts creatively before speaking. What if you are one of those that panics at the thought of a crowded room. What if you dread public speaking and meeting new people? What do you do when your best friend, your brother-from-another-mother, asks you to represent him on the most important day of his life, as his best man? Surely, you cannot say “no.” Surely, you understand that a great honor has been bestowed upon you and you’re touched by being chosen. As long as you have plenty of time before the blessed event, it should be no problem. Just follow these tips, and you will be able to write the greatest best man speech ever to be delivered.
The first thing you do, is search the Internet for other best man speeches. Tap into the plethora of information at your fingertips. You’re not the first nervous guy to be in this dilemma, and lucky for you, guys tend to stick together and help each other out. Obviously you shouldn’t copy someone else’s speech word-for-word, but the Internet should give you lots of ideas for your own speech. Your friend wouldn’t have chosen you as his best man, if there weren’t plenty of fond memories between you two. This will also give you plenty of ideas of how a best man’s speech should sound, so you can get to work on your own.
Grab a pen and paper, and jot everything down that you can think of: going back to when you and your friend first met, and take the memories that come to mind first. This is called brainstorming. Picture your friend, and write down the first thing that comes to mind. Then, write down everything you can remember. When you are done with this list, start crafting your memories into a narrative. This may take several drafts. Feel free to put down your speech and set it aside to be worked on at a later time. But make sure you get back to it. It’s generally not a good idea to talk about former girlfriends or first wives. Be witty, but be careful not to insult anyone. Try to focus on the future and be positive and sweet. After all, it is a wedding! Remember your audience and try to talk about things that everyone will find appropriate and entertaining.
Be careful not to make your speech too long. At the end, wish the bride and groom luck and give a toast to them.
It’s a great idea to rehearse your speech a few times before the actual wedding. Read it to someone you trust to give you good advice. There’s no need to memorize it, but you may if you wish. Best of luck, and congratulations on being chosen as the Best Man!
