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How to make the perfect wedding speech
When giving a wedding speech, the main point to remember is that you need to make the bride or groom feel that he or she is the most special, unique and beautiful person in the world. (This is especially important if you are giving the speech as the newly-wed spouse to your beloved.)
Wedding speeches are also not only the domain of the groom; it is very touching when the bride takes the effort (and the courage), to respond to her husband and thanks him for choosing her to spend the rest of his life with, too.
Of course, a wedding speech is also for thanking all the people who helped to make the day a success and for welcoming new members to the family, but the new bride or groom needs to know that you are honoured to have been chosen as their life partner. Spending 15 minutes thanking all your mates for lending you their cars, pearls, cuff-links and ice-buckets, and all your family by name for travelling from Nelspruit and Riviersonderend, is most thoughtful, but NOT if you only leave a line at the end of the speech to mutter "And lastly, thank you to my new wife/husband who looks great today". That will definitely not do, and may result in the wedding night not turning out to be the stuff that dreams are made of, after all.
Acknowledging your entry into a new family
When you marry someone, you marry into a new family too. This new family is (usually) excited and happy to be getting you too, but often parents may feel that they have said goodbye to the life they had with their children, as the newly-weds embark on a new and separate life.
Use your wedding speech to thank the parents for the great job they've done in raising their son or daughter and reassure them that the new bride or groom will be loved and cherished, that marriage is the joining of two families and there is only more love and happiness to be gained. Don't forget step-parents; they have often also played a big part in the family and deserve your gratitude and attention.
Jokes in wedding speeches and how people really feel about them
Unless you moonlight as a really good stand-up comic, you don't need to pepper your speech with jokes, which are often really bad and don't deliver the punch-line quite as you envisioned, especially if you're nervous. By the time the wedding speeches come along, all the grans, moms and aunts have shed a tear or two and the rest of the guests are also feeling all warm and fuzzy - whether from the champagne or all the love flowing freely around the room - and they will welcome all the (sincere) warmth and sentiment you offer in your speech.
Duties of the best man
An important part of the best man's wedding speech is the toasting of the bridesmaids. Tell them how stunning they look; all the members of the wedding party like to feel special on the day. Tell sentimental stories that make the couple fall in love all over again and forget the crass jokes.
It is tacky and distasteful to refer to the great bachelor or hen party the week before, and I have yet to meet a new bride or groom who REALLY found the nudge-nudge stripper stories funny, whether they were the ones involved or hearing it for the first time.
Beware of referring to the colourful past of the bride or groom too; not only is it not relevant to their new lives, but members of the past may be seated in the room. Remember the scene in Four Weddings and A Funeral when the best man said how relieved everyone was when the groom married this girl, as the previous girlfriends were all such 'dogs'? (The table of previous girlfriends in the corner did not laugh.)
Limit the length of your wedding speech
Wedding speeches are an essential part of the festivities, but don't forget that the guests are there to celebrate. There's usually quite a bit of food to follow, as well and dancing, drinking and cake. Keep your speech short, but succinct. Five minutes is usually sufficient time to get it all said, and just the right length to hold their full attention
You will probably be nervous, but that's ok - most people are - just remember that you are directing your speech at people who love, admire and respect you and really don't care if you make a mistake. The fact that you're up there, whether you're the bride or groom, or another member of the wedding party, shows that were loved enough to be asked.
When you marry someone, you marry into a new family too. This new family is (usually) excited and happy to be getting you too, but often parents may feel that they have said goodbye to the life they had with their children, as the newly-weds embark on a new and separate life.
Unless you moonlight as a really good stand-up comic, you don't need to pepper your speech with jokes, which are often really bad and don't deliver the punch-line quite as you envisioned, especially if you're nervous. By the time the wedding speeches come along, all the grans, moms and aunts have shed a tear or two and the rest of the guests are also feeling all warm and fuzzy - whether from the champagne or all the love flowing freely around the room - and they will welcome all the (sincere) warmth and sentiment you offer in your speech. 
An important part of the best man's wedding speech is the toasting of the bridesmaids. Tell them how stunning they look; all the members of the wedding party like to feel special on the day. Tell sentimental stories that make the couple fall in love all over again and forget the crass jokes.
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