Best Man Toasts

 Often best man speeches are referred to as best man toasts, unless of course you literally mean the toasting of the happy couple that most best men will do to finish off their speeches. However, as I write this article, I assume you want information on best man speeches which cover the topic of best man toasts. So, whenever I mention best man toasts please be noted that I am probably referring to best man speeches.
While proposing a wedding toast to the bride and the groom, do not make the mistake of thinking all you have to do is raise your glass and say a few of words to the happy couple. Remember your audience (including the groom himself) is probably expecting a full fledged best man speech from you, not just a toast. You need to have your toast ready along with your best man speech. In a nutshell, make it a point to prepare for your best man toast the same way you might want to prepare for the original speech. If you are not sure how to construct a best man's toast there's always help around you - search for best man toasts as well while you search for best man speech samples and templates.
When it comes to best man toasts, make sure that the topics you choose to talk about are suitable for everyone in the audience. It's common that best man toasts are funny, but there is a fine line sometimes between funny and rude. Remember that the groom has not only his entire family sitting in the room, but also the family of his new bride.
There are jokes that the groom might find funny when he's with his buddies, but not when he's with his in-laws. And there are probably stories about the groom that are hilarious, but would make him look really bad to people who don't know him well. Also, there might be stories about him he rather you didn't tell in front of his mother. Use direction.
Here's one important rule: don't get too drunk before you get up to speak. A lot of people have seen best man toasts where the best man can barely stand, and it's usually not a pretty sight. Granted, there are people out there that are just naturally very funny when they have had a bit too much to drink, but the problem here is that most people are not.
The drunken best man toast also tends to offend as much as it entertains. As mentioned earlier, there are some stories better not told at a wedding reception, and the drunken best man doesn't always have the filters to decide what is appropriate and what is not.
Best man toasts are often the most entertaining toast of the wedding, as long as it stays within the boundaries of appropriate topics and behavior. In addition to personal stories about the groom and compliments to the bride, jokes about the institution of marriage itself, or about the differences between men and women are very popular.
Remember that you don't have to re-invent the wheel. The best man toast is not the most important part of the wedding reception; people are looking for some light entertainment after the more emotional speeches that usually precede best man toasts. The most important thing for you is to take the time to prepare. Write a speech yourself or find help writing one and then rehearse it so that you know it almost by heart. Remember to relax and enjoy it; it's a happy occasion and your audience is already enjoying themselves. If required you can try some sample best man speeches modifying them in a way that suits you most.
Although it won't be enough to just get up and improvise a few words, the best man speech shouldn't go on too long either. Anything over 5-7 minutes is normally too long, and will begin to get boring. Remember, there are usually a lot of people who want to get up and "say a few words" at a wedding reception, so it's better for everyone if each speaker tries to keep their toast short and sweet.