The best man and maid of honor are usually each asked to make a short speech on behalf of the wedding party. After that, the microphone is sometimes turned over to whoever would like to say a few words. Saying your name and briefly summarizing your history with the bride or groom will be enough. Don’t talk about yourself too much. Remember, the focus of your speech is the married couple.
Use jokes judiciously to break the initial tension and keep the crowd relaxed. Try not to let your speech turn into a stand up comedy routine. Keep your humorous stories and remarks appropriate. There will be people of all ages in your audience, including children. Funny stories might include a funny story about the bride and groom’s meeting, or an anecdote about one of them as a child.
Sharing unique memories or stories is much more effective than simply complimenting the bride or groom because it is a more personal touch.
If you decide to use a quote for this segment of the speech, make sure it is short, relevant and not a cliche.
Acknowledging the people who helped make the wedding festivities possible will make you appear humble, as well as making them feel appreciated. Express your gratitude in a couple sentences. There’s no need to go on and on thanking every person individually by name.
Treat your speech like you would a school assignment. Compose several drafts, check it for errors and have a friend proofread it to make sure it sounds good.
Familiarize yourself with the order of presentation if multiple speeches are to be given. Don’t spend the entire ceremony fretting over your speech. If you’re sufficiently prepared, you won’t need to give it a second thought until it’s time for you to deliver it.
Know your speech word for word, but try not to sound like you’re simply reciting it from memory. Pace yourself and give every passage emphasis, emotion and clarity.
Put your entire speech on a couple note cards rather than a several large sheets of paper. Not only will this look better, it will help you keep your speech at the appropriate length. Only look at your notes if you draw a blank or forget the next part. This will allow you to keep your eyes up and engage your audience. Even the most riveting speech will be a bore if the person giving it is reading off a note card the whole time.
Take a few slow, deep breaths. Think about what you’re saying and shut out all other distractions. Imagine that you’re giving your speech to one person instead of a room full of people. Have a drink or two if it helps your nerves. Just don’t have too many—you want to be focused and clear-headed when it’s time for you to take the floor.
It’s perfectly okay to give a short speech. Simply say a few kind words, raise a toast and hand back the microphone. Speak slowly and deliberately. It’s easy to start chattering too fast when you’re nervous. By talking slower than you feel like you need to, you’ll probably be going at just the right speed. People who are underprepared or extremely anxious tend to talk aimlessly. Avoid this by sticking to what you’ve written and look to the crowd for cues about when their attention is evaporating.
Take a moment to speak to the bride and/or groom directly. It’s normal to get a little choked up! As long as you can finish your speech, there’s no need to worry. It may even be flattering, as it will show the people you’re talking about how much you truly care.
It’s customary for the best man or groomsmen to toast the bride, and the maid of honor to toast the groom.
