As best man, you are required to make that speech that will capture people’s attention at the wedding reception and that can be a scary proposition for the average guy. If you don`t have any experience with making speeches, don’t panic, you can do it! Here are a few tips to make sure that any speech you make, best man or not, will be a success.

    • Write It Down. By writing your best man speech out on paper, it will be easier to remember, there’s something about writing things out that helps lock it into our brains. Then write the most important points on small cards which you can take to the wedding with you . . . just in case you get flustered during the speech.
    • Practice Ahead of Time. You will be far more comfortable in front of the wedding guests if you have rehearsed the speech and feel confident in your ability to remember it. You might want to work on the speech in front of a mirror or even practice it in front of another person to get some feedback.
    • Don’t Drink. A drunken best man speech is practically a cliché these days, but that doesn’t mean you should let it happen to your friend! A glass of wine before giving your speech is fine, but don’t have more than one or two drinks. Save the drinking for after your duty is done.
    • Be Yourself. There is really nothing better than being yourself at the wedding reception. You can find all sorts of best man speeches online, but in the end, you will get the best results if you add your very own style to the speech.

    Being prepared is key to giving a successful speech, no matter where you are. Practice ahead of time. In fact, it can even be useful to have a couple of standard speeches handy for those times when you are called upon to give a toast and haven’t had a chance to prepare.