As the best man you will have a number of important responsibilities.

You will have to:

• serve as the groom's personal aide throughout the wedding process.

• help the groom pick out wedding formal wear.

• plan the bachelor party.

• hold onto the wedding rings during the ceremony.

• distribute the payments and tips to the officiant, band, caterers, etc.

• decorate the getaway vehicle.

• keep the other groomsmen in line.

• and most importantly, give the first toast to the newly married couple at the reception.

Writing a best man speech can be a challenge for many people. And delivering a wedding speech confidently can cause angst in even the most self-assured best man. Luckily, you are not the first person to deliver an important speech in front of dozens or even hundreds of people. There are some tried and true tips to follow that will enable you to give a confident and heartfelt toast:

• The key is to plan ahead. Write down what you are going to say and practice your speech out loud.

• Introduce yourself to the guests. Not everyone at the wedding will know who you are and this will help put your speech in the right context.

• Thank the parents of the bride and groom, the bride and groom, or whoever flipped the bill, for inviting everyone to the event.

• Tell a funny and even slightly embarrassing story about the groom. Ideally this is a story that involved both you and the groom.

• Mention something amusing about the bride's and groom's relationship. This should be aboveboard, positive, and classy. The goal is not to insult or embarrass the couple.

• If you do not tell a story about the bride and groom, make sure you mention the bride in some way. As an example - compliment the groom on his luck in finding such a great partner. You don't want the entire speech to focus solely on the groom.

• Consider including a quote at some point during the toast. Quoting an author, poet, famous person, or even a family member is a great way to impart a sincere, touching, and heartfelt message without being mushy.

• End the wedding toast on a high note - express good wishes for the couple's future.

• And make sure to actually propose and execute a toast. Have the guests join you and lift their glasses. Then complete the toast with a "Cheers", "Salut", etc.

Remember, the best man speech is one of, if not, the most important responsibilities you have. Make it memorable, make it confidently, make it great.