by Joan Inong

Created on: November 24, 2010

You're his best man and even though you might have known him for a long time, you're stuck at what to say for your speech at his wedding. Fortunately, you can take comfort in knowing that you're not alone. Anxiety and writer's block while writing a best man speech has affected millions of men around the world. The following are tips that will hopefully give you some ideas on how to write a best man speech that will wow everyone at the wedding.

1. Brainstorm

The first tip is to brainstorm what the speech will be about. This is an important step because you will have to think about how you can talk about your friend's impending marriage (and your feelings about it) in a short amount of time. Knowing all that, you have to also cut out certain events. Your whole story won't be told, but it is still important to think about how your speech will convey your wishes for your friends' marriage.

2. Tone

Don't forget about the tone of your speech. Naturally, your speech will develop a tone, but you might want to actively decide which one you want your speech to focus on. Do you want a sad yet hopeful speech? Do you want a funny or a serious speech? How are these tones going to be appropriate to people at the wedding (especially to the couple that's getting married)? 

3. Funny story

Even if your speech is mostly serious, you might want to add a funny anecdote or story in the middle so that you can give your audience some comic relief. Think of a funny story that you don't think your friends would mind you telling. You might even want to get the "OK" from them first. Funny stories will help everyone remember that it is a happy day, and smiling and laughing a little bit won't be out of line.

4. Express your wishes for the couple

Many best man speeches end with a hopeful wish for the couple. This is a great way to end because you have a bigger chance of getting the applause. Not only that, but the couple will appreciate the positivity at the end. This is an event that is generally considered full of having positive hope for the future. 

5. Short but sweet

Long speeches are not necessarily the best ones. Even if your speech is short, people will like it if there was substance to the words. Think about content not quantity, and you will end up with a high quality best man speech that comes from the heart. 

Learn more about this author, Joan Inong.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.