The Perfect Wedding Speech

by Michael Saville

Giving the Best Man's speech at a wedding. Is that something that fills you with dread, or is it something that you expect to do at some point in your life. What would you do if tomorrow your best friend gives you a call to announce that he is going to get married to the girl he has been dating for the last couple of years, and he wants you to be the best man. He tells you he is confident he has made the right choice (in selecting you as his best man, not in selecting his partner for life) and will leave it up to you to come up with the perfect wedding speech. It's a sudden announcement; the wedding is to be held in a matter of weeks. The pressure is on. How do you come up with the perfect wedding speech in such a short time? Is the Internet the answer?

Well consider this, do you think that a mass produced free wedding speech available to download from the Internet will go down well with the Bride and Groom's friends and relatives at the wedding reception. The biggest single problem with free wedding speeches that are available on the Internet is that they are generic to try and appeal to a wide audience. The information in them is very general. Whereas you will want to use specific information that is directly relevant to the couple, which in turn will gain the interest of all those listening.

It is widely known that public speaking is one of those activities that creates anxiety in the deliverer. This is why many people do their best to avoid having to do it, particularly at an important function such as a wedding. The fear of messing up the happy couple's big day is definitely an issue.

It's a good idea to keep the speech short, don't ramble on and on. Make it heartfelt and talk about your good times spent together as friends. Use little anecdotes about the groom and bride. It is always a winner to talk about how they met. Talk about when you met the bride for the first time (assuming you have met her before today). Obviously you will express your happiness at their decision and encourage the guests to do the same with the wedding toast.

If you still confident in your ability to deliver the perfect wedding speech then consider these pointers:

It is never a good idea to start to preach to the audience. You are not the Minister. That job has already been done. So don't get on to your soap box and start to lecture them or start giving them your advice on how to live their lives. Remember to talk about the happy memories you have, give personal stories, and offer your best wishes for the future.

There are bound to be guests at the reception who don't know who you are, so at the beginning of your speech make sure you introduce yourself and speak about your relationship to the groom. What you are doing here is telling the audience why his has chosen you for his best man as apposed to anyone else. This will help to get the audience on your side, before you move on to toasting the happy couple.

Finally, if you are stuck for things to say, read out a romantic poem that is a favourite of either the bride or the groom. Let the audience know it is a favourite before you start. You may bring the entire room to tears. If so then you have delivered a perfect wedding speech.