Top Tips for a best man's speech

While a wedding places considerable stress on the bride and groom, little thought - if any - is ever given to just how stressed the best man can be. Putting together a wedding speech takes a lot of effort, and there is usually considerable expectation for the best man to perform, more so even than the groom on the big night ?

Of course the main problem with wedding speeches is that they tend to get overcomplicated. The best man speech is something of a cornerstone within weddings and something that guests will look forward to with anticipation. Of course, this can mean that the best man will try and opt for something extravagant and unnecessarily complicated when something that little bit simpler would have hit the mark better.

A good wedding speech should be short and snappy. Try and keep it to around five minutes and no longer than seven. After all, people aren't attending to hear the best man's speech although this is certainly one of the main highlights of the evening.

While inappropriate jokes and stories are traditional in such a speech it's important to know when to stop. Remember there will be friends and family members present who may not care to hear such stories and some stories could even cause the whole event to be postponed, something your wedding insurance company will definitely not be happy to hear about.

Remember a good joke isn't necessarily a dirty one. Try to include both the bride and groom within the story, perhaps with a little tale of how they got together or similar, and don't forget to toast them both to a happy future.

And although there is considerable pressure on the best man to tell a cracker of a speech, common advice suggests it's always better to err on the side of caution. A mediocre speech is far better than one which offends and could ruin the rest of the evening for some guests and members of the wedding party.