If your brother offers you the chance to be his Best Man then you should be delighted to accept the honor, regardless of the pressure that goes with the role in having to give a Best Man speech. It’s a big deal for your brother to ask you, he could have asked a friend rather than his brother so its kudos to you that you were his number one choice.

Many people (myself included, incidentally) asked a friend rather than a brother, and as years pass find they rarely hear from their friend while their relationship with their brother is stronger than ever so take the role seriously and be the finest Best Man that you can.

There is a certain added pressure of giving a Best Man speech when it is an occasion of a relative’s wedding primarily because all your relatives, especially your parents, will be there listening to your every word. To help you out in this regard I have included a quick guide below which will point you in the right direction to give great short Best Man speeches for a brother.

You Should.

• open your speech warmly and include a special welcome for relatives.
• make sure to praise your parents in the fantastic job they did in raising you both.
• keep jokes and stories clean and short.
• include flattering words about the Bride and her family.
• say some nice words about the Bridesmaids.
• talk about your brother as a role model.
• share a quick story about your brother’s devotion for the Bride.
• end with an uplifting Best Man toast.

You Should Not.

•  tell any stories about your brother that could embarrass your parents or the Bride.
•  make any reference to past girlfriends.
•  have too much to drink as nobody like a Best Man slurring through his speech.
•  center your speech around one gag, if it flops your whole speech flops.
•  veer off course, stay on topic so you remain control of the speech.
•  speak in a monotone manner, practice your speech for it to have best effect.
•  laugh at inappropriate moments.
•  try to be too funny, balance your speech between funny lines and sincere remarks.

While there is a degree of extra pressure involved when you are the Groom’s brother there is also that extra degree of satisfaction that can be gained when giving an awesome Best Man speech to the adulation of friends and family, get the speech right and you will find that you watch the tape of the wedding a lot more often than the Bride and groom.

5 Tips To Save Time On The Wedding Day.

As Best Man you will be very busy on the day of the wedding with various requests and duties that will be thrown your way, so to help ensure that you have enough time on you hands to perform your duties, today’s post focuses on ways that you can save time on the wedding day. Your priority should be on giving a great Best Man speech and to ensure that you do so, being in a relaxed composed frame of mind is very important.

1. Involve the Groomsmen.
The Groomsmen will be delighted to help where possible, as it will make them feel involved in the celebrations rather than taking a back seat to the Best Man. They can help in accepting gifts, assisting with transport and similar tasks. There is no need to overstretch yourself when the Groomsmen are available to help.

2. Prioritize tasks.
You should know the duties of the Best Man on the day of the wedding by know so if you are in the middle of something important and are asked to help somebody with something (to buy a round of drinks, for example), kindly explain that you will be happy to do that once you finish what you are doing, if urgent assistance is required ask one of the Groomsmen to help out.

3. Get an early start.
Getting up early to make your confirmation calls to the limo driver, DJ, photographer etc will reap great rewards should there be a problem with any of them, as it leaves you with more time to find an alternative. It is worth noting that there rarely is an issue but oversights can happen so err on the side of caution until you have confirmation from all concerned.

4. Have a clear head.
While it may be tempting to have a few drinks on the wedding day, going overboard will be to your disadvantage as your speech be flawed. By having a clear head you will get things done efficiently and save on repeating tasks that you may have mishandled due to your alcohol intake. Don’t forget that a successful Best Man speech will make the alcohol afterwards worth the wait so don’t be tempted until you have delivered the toast.

5. Be confident in your Best Man speech.
If you are a nervous Best Man and regularly slip off to your hotel room to keep practicing your Best Man speech then you are not only wasting time but also run the risk of making yourself more anxious about the speech. You will be better served practicing your speech in the weeks leading up to the wedding so you are confident about your speech, this is worthy advice as the speech is your most important duty as Best Man so don’t leave it to the last minute.

When it is your time in the spotlight you want to ensure an enjoyable day is had by all, you can help achieve this by remaining confident and calm throughout the day. Unexpected tasks often arise so to ensure you have enough time on your hands to take care of these requests without interrupting the flow of your day.

Short Best Man speeches work far better than tedious long Best Man toasts for a number of reasons, we have outlined the top 5 reasons in today’s post.  It is important to remember that the wedding day is about the Bride & Groom so don’t try to overshadow them with a long speech as it will not be received well.

1) The Boredom Factor.

If you want to give a 10 minute speech then by all means do, just be sure to wake the guests up once you finished. No matter how impressive you think your speech is, it will be lost on the wedding guests if you speak for longer than 5 minutes. The deafening silence that will greet your completed speech will provide proof, should any be needed, that you chose to speak for too long.

2) Difficulties with the speech delivery.

Trying to master a stage for 5 minutes with a great Best Man speech is certainly achievable, but trying to deliver with style for much longer will present difficulties to the novice public speaker (which most Best Men are).

3) Short is sweet.

Great short Best Man speeches will leave guests with many fond memories, long Best Man speeches not only bore the wedding guests but also leave them with too much information to digest and appreciate.

4) Short Best Man speeches provide less opportunities for hecklers.

It is normal to be nervous as you deliver your Best Man speech, however nothing will rock your confidence more than getting some heckles front the guests. The longer you speak the greater the opportunity for people to shout heckles in your direction. To prepare yourself for the possibility of hecklers read this post 5 Great Responses To Hecklers.

5) You will enjoy the speech more.

With a short Best Man speech you have less material to remember so you can spend time rehearsing your speech. As you practice your speech you will find that your confidence is sky-high and instead of being worried about the speech you will end-up looking forward to it.

Another element to consider is that the Best Man will not be the only person giving a speech, the Groom and Father of the Bride usually give short speeches and other attendees who often speak include the Maid Of Honor, the Bride, and sometimes the mother of the Bride, combined that is a lot of speaking, so do your bit and keep yours short.