If you are the best man at your best friend's wedding, the father of the bride or groom, or even the maid of honor, you will be expected to make a speech, or a toast, to the bride and groom.
You'll want to know the best ways on how to make the perfect wedding speech.
The first thing to remember is to be prepared.
Many will just wait until the moment arrives and say whatever comes into mind at the time.
To make a meaningful and memorable speech you need to know what to say ahead of time.
Find out how the couple met or some other interesting story about them.
Be sure and wish them a happy life together.
The speech can be serious as well as funny but it should never be too long.
This is still their day and not yours.
Since a wedding is still a formal occasion, the speech should never be too silly.
In a very formal setting, the one who makes the speech will be introduced by someone.
One of the first things to do is to thank the people at the reception for attending this very special occasion and thank them for being an important part of their lives.
The speech should include little bits and pieces of both the bride and the groom.
These separate stories will tell a bit about each one of them as an individual and how they came to be who they are today.
The parents of the couple should be addressed and mentioned on how well they raised their children to be who they are today.
There are always some invited guests who are unable to attend and the speech could include some small messages from these people to make up for their absence.
If there are any special messages from those who are in attendance they could also be given during the speech.
Many of these speeches will lead up to both laughter and applause at the end.
It's a smart idea to save anything that's really amusing until the end so that the moment will still be light and emotional at the same time.
You can even have a friend lead the applause to be sure that it's done right.
A good way to deliver a successful speech, even at a wedding, is to practice in front of a mirror before the day arrives.
This way you can see what your expression looks like and will help to keep you smiling throughout the speech.
Even though this is an important and heartfelt occasion, it is still a very happy one and there's no reason to have a serious face while giving the speech.
Have a good drink of water before making the speech to keep your mouth from being too dry.
Nervousness can add to a dry mouth and the water will work much better than alcohol.
When it's time to toast the bride and groom you can relax and enjoy your real drink.
Do what is comfortable to you during the whole speech and everything will come out naturally.
The bride and groom will be very grateful to you for your wonderful and thoughtful comments for years to come.