His day has finally arrived, and you stand before the gathered crowd at the reception to give a memorable best man speech. You know the bride, and she looks radiant. Your parents are holding their breath, waiting to hear their son give a speech to sum up the whole occasion – but are you ready?
Writing a best man speech for your older brother takes some more consideration than others, as there is no one on the planet of whom you have more stories, anecdotes, and yes, embarrassing takes. But it’s time to pause and take stock. You don’t want to say just anything – you want to draw from experience, and speak from the heart. Take a moment and read on about how to write a best man speech for your older brother.
Edit Yourself Carefully
When we become nervous, we tend to vocalize what sounds like a good thought without carefully thinking it through. What you don’t want to happen is to share the details about some of the seedier or more embarrassing adventures you have shared with your older brother. Look over your rough notes and edit anything that might be taken the wrong way. If there was a wild weekend in Cozumel, leave it between the two of you.
You may wish to insert some things your brother shared with you concerning his new bride. Review your conversations and pull anything and toss it should it speak in a questioning or negative tone. Couples who begin dating come across rough patches at times, and if your older brother shared any of these with you, forget them. People change over time, and sharing doubts and negative observations, even in a light hearted manner, will fall flat. The wedding is a time for good memories, and that is what you are there to provide.
Be Prepared
After penning your best man speech, sit down with your older brother and his bride and go over it. Practice it in front of them so they know the tone you are shooting for. From their feedback, you will be able to identify any questionable statements and make the proper adjustments long before you take the spotlight at the reception. Be critical, and let your brother be critical as well. The wedding is about him and his wife, after all, and aiming for a funny event that might not sound so funny to the audience is definitely something to avoid.
Photo credit, thank you: https://www.flickr.com/photos/linsay007/