Having signed on to be the best man for a friend or family member means taking on a number of duties, and one of the most important of these is giving a toast at the reception. The Best Man toast is an expected part of the evening, and it can be one of the most memorable parts of the event. If you want to be sure that your Best Man speech is remembered for all the right reasons, be sure to avoid these all-too-common mistakes.

1. Don't Disrespect the Bride.

It's expected that a Best Man speech will contain one or two teasing jokes about the groom, but keep your words regarding the bride limited to praise. The wedding is her special day, and nothing is poorer in taste than disrespecting her. That means being careful to discuss the bride in a positive light and not mentioning one of the groom's exes or making references to his previous romantic conquests.

2. Don't Be Vulgar.

While the bride and groom may not be offended if you drop an F bomb or make a lewd joke during your speech, you don't want to upset a great aunt or teach the ring bearer a colorful phrase that will have him sent to detention. Keep things clean. If you're not sure if something is appropriate, just don't say it!

3. Don't Steal the Show.

You're there to honor the bride and groom, so don't steal the limelight. Keep your toast within 3 to 5 minutes. Make sure the toast is truly focused on the couple, not on yourself. While it's fine to talk about how much the groom means to you or to tell a story about your past, make sure the emphasis is on him and your well wishes for the couple.

4. Don't Toast Drunk.

Make the sip you take when you propose the toast one of the first tastes of alcohol you have at the reception. When you're nervous, just one drink can go right to your head and lead you off script and into potentially embarrassing territory mid-speech.

5. Don't Wing It.

Even if you're used to public speaking on the fly, don't show up for the reception without a toast properly written up and prepared. Put the "best" in Best Man by taking the time to get your speech ready and rehearse it ahead of time.

Not a skilled wordsmith? Worried about how you'll pull off the toast? Let GroomStand do the hard work for you. With our Custom Wedding Toast Service, we will custom create a toast speech specifically for the event. The toast will be professionally written and last for 3 to 5 minutes. We can deliver within 2 to 3 days or within 24 hours for a small additional fee. You'll even get a list of tips to help you deliver your toast perfectly. Oder yours today or check out our Custom Wedding Toast Service page to learn more.