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Thread ID: 42979 2004-02-28 08:08:00 OT: Best man speech miknz (3731) Press F1
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218833 2004-02-28 08:08:00 Need some help from you fellas,
Am the best man at my mates wedding in a few weeks and I need a bit of help with the speech. I have goggled for some info but keep getting sites were you need to pay to get any decent info on structure and what to say and what not to say.
Can anyone shed a bit light on this for me?

Cheers
miknz (3731)
218834 2004-02-28 08:22:00 Look here as a start.

www.hitched.co.uk

Stick to UK sites, as US customs are a bit different (assuming a formal structure is planned)

If you want to push your luck, when responding on behalf of the Bridesmaids, you could mention that they all agree the Bride looks lovely, and that it seems ironic that XX years ago she was being tucked up in bed with a dummy. Now its happening again tonight ....
godfather (25)
218835 2004-02-28 09:32:00 Go to HumourShack.com for wedding and other jokes.

Wedding speeches can be a bit unnerving but if done well will be remembered by everyone for years to come. You will get a lot of pleasure from that.

Sadly many people make the mistake of using sexual and insulting jokes
in the mistaken belief they are funny. Great Aunty Fiona isn't amused and
the rest of the relatives feel uncomfortable. Billy Connolly can do it but the rest of us are set to fail in that area.

So my advice is to keep away from "rude" jokes. My main suggestion is that you practice your speech - often. Unless you are very comfortable with public speaking, the only recipe is to really know what you are about to say before it comes out.

Listen to a comedian. Often they do not even tell jokes. They simply say ordinary things but it is the pauses that give the cues for a laugh.

So when you practice, record yourself on tape or video and listen for when you should pause or emphasise a word. Recording isn't really necessary if you can get a sense of how to deliver the words.

And remember - at a wedding everyone wants to enjoy themselves so you are more than halfway there. Practice.

Best of luck.
Winston001
Winston001 (3612)
218836 2004-02-28 09:46:00 my advice is to keep away from "rude" jokes. My
> main suggestion is that you practice your speech -
> often. Unless you are very comfortable with public
> speaking, the only recipe is to really know what you
> are about to say before it comes out.
I agree with Winston - wedding night jokes are old hat.
Write down all the things you might say, and then cross out half of them. Those who are not used to public speaking often tend to go on a bit long.Everyone will be pleased with a neat brief speech which says the right things about the right people.
TonyF (246)
218837 2004-02-28 09:50:00 I'm finding difficult to type here as tears are running down my cheeks. Face not rear!!

Thanks for that link. Not that I have been a Best man for a while but I read about three examples. I have about 797 more examples to read and I guess that will last me a while.

The best OT thread that suits me.
Elephant (599)
218838 2004-02-28 09:54:00 My message was to Godfather BTW. I don't have thread map on as I just want to read the new posts Elephant (599)
218839 2004-02-28 20:04:00 Cheers G.F. I am sure I will get some ideas from the exaples listed in your link.

mik
miknz (3731)
218840 2004-02-28 20:21:00 Lots of good advice there ( No really rude jokes: don't go on too long etc) but may I add something that seems really obvious....

And that is, don't forget that you are actually proposing a toast to the Bridesmaids.

I've attended more than one wedding where the Best Man spoke really well about his old mate the Groom, added on something about the Bride - and then gave the Bridesmaids one sentence at the end, almost as an afterthought.

You don't need to rave on about their beauty & charm etc, but remember to find out something they've done to help the bride that you can mention
Laura (43)
218841 2004-02-29 05:49:00 Hey man, keep it short. Not more than 2 or 3 minutes otherwise you loose the audience. include some history, something humorous and finish with something from the heart (what you feel in about the couple).
Always be sincere. And yes, practice repeatedly, you will look great if you appear to not rely on written notes.
Nodrog (4738)
218842 2004-02-29 05:52:00 Oh yeah, put in the bit that if your the best man, why is she getting married to him? Nodrog (4738)
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