Be the best best man you can. That means much more than bringing the ring along to the ceremony. It is a privilege to be asked to be best man and the more helpful you can be to the couple the better you will have fulfilled your duty. That means having a plan for all the duties you have to perform, before, on and after the big day. Naturally one of those is to give a speech at the wedding reception and that really should be one of the highlights of the day. So do your homework. Find out about the couple, where they met and how he proposed or any funny incident about their courtship. Obviously you will know the groom well so your speech should contain a story or two about your relationship. It might be about a football team on which you both played or it could be about a holiday you took together where the luggage got lost. You will probably know the parents of the groom so you might suggest that you hope his married home will be as welcoming as theirs. Say something nice about his new-in-laws too and tell the guests how much they have added to the wedding by being present. Speak about how beautiful the bride is and express your wishes for their happiness in their marriage. Traditionally you should respond to the groom’s toast to the bridesmaids, agreeing that they are wonderful. Finally, if the father of the bride is not doing so, you should end your speech with a toast to the couple.

Share on Facebook

It’s the wedding season and time to prepared for all those big days. The flowers will fade, the dress go in the back of the wardrobe and the cake will be eaten. What is said on the day will, however, be remembered by both the guest s and the couple. So capture the attention of the guests with your opening remarks. Make them feel warmly welcome. Make your speech light-hearted but still sincere. Speak about marriage itself and what it means to you. If you are the father of the bride speak of your pride in your daughter. If you are the father of the groom talk about your son and what he means to you. Maybe you are a best man and if so your speech should be reflect your relationship with the groom. Whatever your part in the wedding party a wedding speech should be about love and
laughter and happy ever after.

Share on Facebook

Wedding speeches don’t have to be given by the best man. The father of the bride does not have to speak at the wedding meal. It’s a day to express love and best wishes, of course, but these can be expressed by anyone at the wedding. The mother of the bride, for instance, might want to speak on behalf of her husband or on her own behalf. The son of the bride might be giving her away and wish to speak. A relative of the bride might like to express his thoughts on the day or a friend or peer of the couple might want to say a few words. No matter who speaks though the thoughts and feelings are the same. They want to wish the couple every happiness in their future lives. They may choose to give a bit of light-hearted advice to the couple or tell a tale about the courtship or about either the bride or groom as children. It’s important, of course, that the speaker remembers that a wedding is a family occasion so smutty jokes are taboo. Other than that, though, they can express, each in his or her own way how much they love the bride or the groom and how much they are enjoying the wedding. Whoever gives the speech should end it with an appropriate toast.

Check out our sample speeches

Share on Facebook

A best man has to have a plan. It’s all very well to bring the ring to the wedding service but a good best man does so much, much more. In fact he is to the groom what the aide de camp is to a Head of State. He is there to ensure that the big occasion goes smoothly. That means he will be helping the groom prepare for the big day and helping clear up after the wedding day too. It is his duty to look after the bridesmaids as well and of course he has to give a speech. What he says in that speech can make or break the day. He should not, for instance, tell tales out of school about the groom’s visit to a lap dancing club or a nudist colony. In other words he should remember that a wedding is a family occasion and the bride and her grandmother certainly don’t want to hear about the groom’s exploits as a single man. Instead he should focus on more innocuous feats of the groom and talk about his personality and about the future. After all he will certainly be wishing the couple every happiness in that future. If he is toasting the couple he should try to ensure that it is specific to the couple by doing a little research. His work is not finished when he hands over that ring but his speech is finished when he responds to the groom’s toast to the bridesmaids.

Check out our sample speeches

Share on Facebook

Best men hate having to make a speech. Other than that though they are quite different and that, of course, means that their speeches should be different too. Some are married for instance and their reply to the groom’s toast to the bridesmaid will be less fulsome when their wives are in the audience. The single ones, on the other hand, can sing the praises of those beautiful bridesmaids. Such a best man can even ask them to save dances for him. The best man who is a brother of the groom will have stories to tell of a shared childhood. A best friend acting in that capacity will have stories to tell too but usually of their adult activities and he should be very careful about the incidents he recalls! Some best men are not men at all but best buddies and women always have a different slant on things. So their speeches will reflect this. Occasionally the groom will ask his dad to be his best man and he will speak of their close relationship. Sometimes too, usually at a second or subsequent wedding, the best man is the son of the groom. Again he will have inside information to make his speech more personal. Whoever or whatever the relationship all best men’s speeches should speak of the beauty of the bride and the good qualities of the groom. They should express fond wishes for future happiness for the couple and, they will of course, end by replying suitably to the groom’s toast to those lovely bridesmaids.

Check out our sample speeches

Share on Facebook

Prince William and Kate Middleton aren’t the only ones getting married. All over the world couples are preparing for their wedding day and all over the world there are best men and fathers of the brides sweating worrying about what they will say in their speeches… Whether they are in Alaska or China the sentiments should be the same. After all a wedding for a father is about love and the best man is usually talking about his friendship with the groom. So the speech should be filled with warmth and affection plus a touch of humour. It is worth remembering too that if you are speaking at a second wedding that you have to be more careful about what you say. You shouldn’t mention the previous wedding unless with the permission of the couple. Mothers of the bride and groom sometimes speak but their speeches too will be about love. Sons of the groom sometimes act as best men and fathers sometimes act as best men for their sons. Girls sometimes act as best buddy and bridesmaids, or sometimes friends of the couple, also want to have their say. Whatever the relationship, wherever the wedding the speeches should be short and convey your sincere best wishes for the happiness of the couple in question.

Check out our sample speeches

Share on Facebook

A best man doesn’t have to be a man. Many grooms would like to break with tradition and have as their best man, a woman. In other words they would like to have a female friend or a best buddy accompanying them on their day of days. Obviously then the so called best man’s speech would be different because it is being given by a woman and women have a different perspective on relationships than men. A best buddy will often be a childhood friend and will be able to mention childhood incidents. She will be able to describe her relationship with the groom and often have a very good relationship with the bride too. Her speech will certainly wish both of them all that is good in life and marriage. Being a woman she may have found it easier to get to know the bride’s people and will be able to mention both families with ease. The groom traditionally ends his speech with a toast to the bridesmaids. His best buddy will certainly be able to reply to that toast appreciatively as a woman on behalf of other women. In fact a best buddy could turn out to be better than a best man.

Check out our sample speeches

Share on Facebook

Weddings don’t usually happen overnight. It usually takes months for a bride to select her wedding gown. The wedding cake takes months to mature. The flowers take a season to grow. Why then do speakers leave writing their speeches to the last minute? Whether you are the best man, father of the bride, father of the groom or even the groom himself you should give yourself plenty of time to write that all important speech. After all a best man, for instance, will need plenty of ammunition if he is to fire a salvo at the groom. The fathers of both the bride and groom will usually need to consult those oracles, their wives, for details of their daughter or son as children so that they can give speeches with the “Aah” factor The groom himself is usually so nervous that he cannot think straight at all and will need all the time and help he can get. A good speech is all about preparation and doing your research is part of that. Researching the family trees of the couple takes time. So if you have a wedding speech to write start early. Make it as professional as possible but of course you must sound as though you are speaking straight from the heart.

Check out our sample speeches

Share on Facebook

Wedding speeches can sometimes make or break the day. A good speech will be the cause of animated conversation and loving words will be remembered over the years. A bad speech will cause negative vibrations and even hurt feelings. Quite simply a bad speech can ruin the day. This is true of any wedding. A Christmas wedding, however, calls for even more thought. The speechwriter must bring the spirit of Christmas into his speech. It should reflect the warmth and joy of the season. A couple who choose a Christmas wedding do so for a special reason. A good speaker will discover what that reason happens to be and mention it in his speech. Often it is because it is the couple’s favourite time of the year. The speaker might then compare marriage with the season of loving and giving. That is not to say that a Christmas wedding speech should not be traditional. After all the best man should always mention, usually humorously, his connection with the groom. The father of the bride will end his speech with a toast to the happy couple. Perhaps, though, the speechwriter will include a reference to Santa or the Christmas tree or, appropriately of course, the mistletoe. It is always an added plus to have a topical mention in a speech. So if you are speaking at a Christmas wedding remember that the couple should have that wonderfully feeling children have when the see their bulging stockings on Christmas morning. Your speech should reflect that feeling of anticipation, that belief that dreams will come true.

Check out our sample speeches

Share on Facebook

After dinner speakers are often accomplished speakers and experts in a particular field. What though of the poor person chosen to be M.C. for the occasion? Quite often that job falls on the shoulders of someone who might be an excellent club member but have no experience at all of ensuring the such an evening goes off smoothly. They will know, of course, that they should welcome the guests as pleasantly as possible and introduce the guest speaker. Before that though they will need to discover what form the evening will take and organise the other various speakers. There may be a vote of thanks given to the speaker and the M.C should ascertain whether he or she is giving that vote of thanks or whether some else is. There could be a toast to the guests and s reply from one of the guests and if so the M.C. has to know who is going to give it and allow time for both the toast and the reply. It’s possible too that there may be a toast to the ladies and that one of the ladies will then reply to that toast. Depending on the formality of the occasion the M.C. may do all the thanking him or herself. So there is a question of timing to be agreed with any speakers. The M.C. should also give those important messages such as that there is a ban on smoking or tell the guests where the emergency exits are. Above all the M.C. should end the evening on a positive and pleasant note. Basically then it is a question of getting the protocol right and making the evening as enjoyable as possible for all the guests. If they go home smiling you will know you have succeeded!

Check out our sample speeches

Share on Facebook