yes. you're supposed to give one.

If you're married, it's appropriate to give a short bit of advice. Nothing serious or deep though... just a "tip".

Make sure your stick the landing - "... so let's all toast to ____ and ____ and their happy life together as husband and wife" or something like that.

 

If you're married, it's appropriate to give a short bit of advice. Nothing serious or deep though... just a "tip".

If you're already married, you should be giving the guy a warning before he gets to the "I Do" part.

Or, you can take a bite out of a bar of soap. You will be sick enough, that no one will question it. Stay hydrated as soon as you're done with the puking part (6 hours tops). You will recover fast.

If you decide just to give the speech, sounds like you already got it nailed. Just fill in the details from what you posted above. Good luck. :cheers:


RF

 

Talk about the groom, if you know how they met or have a funny story about the two of them that's good too...but stick with the groom. If you can embarass the guy all the better.

Sounds like you have the meat of it nailed.

 

I saved mine from last year; feel free to poach whatever you want from it...

Good evening,


For those of you that don’t know, my name is xxx, and today I have the great honor of being the best man. I’d like to thank xxx for allowing xxx to choose me.

I would also like to congratulate the happy couple – not so much on getting hitched, but for choosing to have their wedding outside of hunting season. A wedding in a month that ends in ‘r’ would have forced several of us to make decisions that would have repercussions for the rest of our lives, and I’m pretty sure the crowd would have been significantly smaller. Of course, the groom may have also been a no show…

Let me begin by thanking all of you all for coming. I know it means the world to xxx and xxx that each and every one of you came to be with them on their wedding day.

Seeing the happy couple walking down the aisle earlier today, I’m sure we all agree that the bride looked absolutely stunning and xxx looked absolutely stunned.

A little insight for those of you who don’t know our bride very well…I have gotten to know xxx pretty well over the last few years and one of the biggest things that jumps out at you is her love of animals. She absolutely glows whether it’s feeding and talking to the horses, or playing with, laughing at, and EXERCISING the 3 labs that are running around the farm. It is completely obvious that if some poor little creature is ever in need, she’ll be the first person to step up and help out…which of course is why we are all gathered here this evening…

As for the groom – xxx and I have been the best of friends for the better part of our lives now. For those of you that need to know something about xxx; (please don’t take this information outside of this room) xxx leaves his keys in all of his vehicles, the house and shop are almost always unlocked, he secures almost nothing. However, the three things that xxx ALWAYS locks are; his fishing room…his gun cabinet…and his bait cooler. That pretty much sums up xxx’s top priorities, and one would assume you may soon see a lock hanging off of xxx as she has joined those other prized possessions.

Now I could stand up here for the better part of the night and tell you some great stories from our adventures over the years, such as; the ten hour drive home from fishing in Neah Bay, with a detour through downtown Seattle no less, with a blow up doll bungeed into the drivers seat of my dad’s boat that we were towing , or the time xxx’s driftboat came off the trailer at 75 mph in the dark and gave us the best fireworks show we’ve ever seen as it slid down the road behind us. And then the state trooper pulling up as we tried to load it back on the trailer and says with an absolutely straight face “I don’t know how to tell you guys this, but this isn’t one of the better fishing holes around here”…

Anyway, the point of this is that xxx and I have a saying that always seems to get said with a smile across the cab of the truck as we’re buzzing down the road returning from one of our hundreds of journeys...

“It’s always an adventure”

This buddy, is the beginning of your greatest adventure. The two of you are a wonderful couple, and it has been an absolute joy to watch your relationship grow to what it is today. You have caught your 100 lb. salmon…your 1000 lb. marlin…your 120 lb. (wink at xxx) fish of a lifetime.

Everyone, please stand and raise a glass to toast these two incredible individuals that have finally official been joined as one… xxx and xxx xxxxxxx.

Good luck!

 

I'd also put something in there about the Mrs's to be. After all they are a new couple. One thing on public speaking memorize the points you want to cover not the speech itself - way easier.

Now the speech my best man gave wasn't exactly PC, but it was a funny little bit about how he met the both of us assout:

 

Cool thanks for the replies. Funny thing is I met the bride fishing too and she's fished with me on several occassions over the years. Both before the first one was born and after. I thought his and hers matching rod and reels would have been great presents but my wife didn't see it that way.

 

I think you have a good out line for a great toast already!
"I want to keep it very short and sweet but the other part wants to talk about the maturation of the groom over the years (known him 11 years) and how we met (funny fishing story) and how wrong first impressions can be (looks like he'd be right at home with the Arayan Brotherhood). Really just a super nice guy that I feel honored to be the Best Man at his wedding."

 

The 3 B's of speaking:


Be Brief
Be Witty
Be Gone!

 

Try googeling "best man speaches". There are some good examples out there. The only advice I could give is ...don't start drinking until after the toast.

 

not for the speach but I usually offer a couple toasts to the couple during the coarse of the evening. Simply stand and loudly say "A Toast!", when you have their attention fire away... one of my favorites is short and simple... and appropriate for weddings in the Scottish tradition:

Toast to the couple:
Here's to love and unity!
To dark corners and opportunity!

Toast to the gathered:
There are good ships and
there are wood ships,
the ships that sail the sea.
But the best ships
are friendships!
May ours always be!

have fun with it!

 

Don't speak - Let them know that they've heard it all before at other weddings but what you want to hear is a few stories from others/family members that may know some inside scoop on your best friend that they're dying to tell. Wrap it up by saying thanks to all for sharing the stories, ask all the older women in the crowd to turn in the keys they have to your friend's apartment, and offer up a toast and tell him "Good Luck". Your job is done with the others doing the talking. That part about hating to speak in front of crowds is the #1 fear of people - you are not alone so don't feel bad. There's nothing wrong with you.

 

Well wedding is over. Speech went well. Lots of people told me it was a great one and more importantly the groom was very happy with it. Told the story of how we met 11 years ago on his first fishing trip with me. How much he's matured over the years. Toasted the groom for finally getting married. Toasted the bride for having the patience to wait until he came around. Told her even though the wedding was delayed by over an hour it's ok because she had to wait over 6 years to get married. Then toasted the two of them for a long and happy life. Thought I would be paranoid of the large crowd but was ok. I could have talked a lot more. No notes so forgot a few things but that's ok it was long enough.

 

At a wedding, go for class and not humor. Be sober, keep it short, light, don't hit on the bride or embarras the mother-in-law and get to the raised glass part real quick and you will be good-to-go.