A successful best man’s speech calls for calmness, confidence - and good, clean jokes. Iain Hollingshead gets a survival kit from the experts
For most men, the excitement of the royal wedding lies not in what shade of ruffled white Kate Middleton decides to wear, but what Prince Harry will say in his best man’s speech. If it doesn’t contain at least one injudicious reference to Prince William’s chopper (after all, he is a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot), the nation will be sorely disappointed.
Perhaps aware of the potential pitfalls, the younger prince said recently that he would be “selective” about his disclosures, for fear of upsetting his grandmother. However, Prince William’s chosen supporter – as best men at royal weddings are traditionally known – did promise to entertain the party by embarrassing his brother and “making him lose a bit of hair”.
As a best man myself later this year, I am beginning to appreciate the delicate balancing act the job requires: how to be witty without being offensive. And with up to 75 per cent of us suffering from glossophobia – fear of public speaking – it’s no wonder people resort to self-help books and yogic chanting to calm the nerves on the day.
So how do you face up to the challenge? First, the speech itself. When you rise to your feet, under intense pressure to be funny, what do you say?
To help, there are ready-made speeches on the internet which can be subtly tailored for the groom in question. Bestmansspeeches.com asks you to fill out a form with questions such as, “What car does he drive, and has he got points on his licence?”, before providing 10 minutes of “original, witty and very funny” material – and a bill for £34.99.
source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/royal-wedding/8468695/Royal-wedding-why-its-time-for-Prince-Harry-to-speak-up.html
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