Being a speech writer doesn't come naturally to most people, and being chosen as a best man won't necessarily make you into one. However, that doesn't mean that you can't write a great toast for the groom's wedding. With a little bit of forethought, you can easily prepare a speech that will make the entire wedding party happy – and make you one of the stars of the evening.

Starting off the best man toast is the easy part. Try introducing yourself – for those who haven't had the pleasure of meeting you before – and explain how you know the groom. Thank him for choosing you above other people (you probably won't want to say it that way) as your best man, and thank the bride too – it's good manners. You might also want to direct people's attention to the mother and father of the groom and bride, making it clear you're honoring all the important people at the wedding.

The next part of best man toasts is a little tougher. Many best men like to start their speech out with an amusing tale about the bride and groom, or maybe even just one about the groom himself. A little good natured ribbing is allowed here, even expected – you might want to talk about how you never thought someone would marry the groom, etc, something silly of that nature. Don't get crude – there are parents in attendance. Talking about past girlfriends and exploits is probably not a great idea either.

Your next goal will probably be to tell a little story about how the bride and groom met, and how the groom felt when he met his bride-to-be. You can include a little story about how cute they were together, or how you knew they'd end up married, but don't talk too long or get overly emotional – plenty of other speeches will handle that. Some grooms want their best man toasts to include a small passage from their favorite poem or something of that nature – be sure to check with the bride and groom before including this part.

Sum up with wishes for a long life together, and propose the actual toast – which will usually be done with champagne. Just take a small swallow of yours and sit back down (no need to chug) and your hardest job as best man is finished.