Godfather Speeches – The Deadly Sins to Avoid – Part 1 of 2

If you’ve ever seen a romantic comedy movie, chances are you’ve seen a iffy godfather speech. You know the… insulted girlfriend… angry boyfriend… silent stunned room and the clumsy best man desperate to find the right words to fix it. It’s fine for the movies, but in real life the sequels will be over 97 minutes long.

To make a good best man speech, it’s best to avoid the 7 most common mistakes found in those Rom-Com type situations. I call them the 7 deadly sins, as there are 7 major prohibitions and the repercussions can be disastrous.

#1 Deadly Sin: Insulting the Girlfriend

Well, you’d think this would be a no-brainer, but the fact that it’s the number 1 deadly sin means that, unfortunately for the bride, groom, and every sensible guest in the room, it’s a more common mistake than you think. Remember, ALWAYS, that the bride is the star. (Yes, she puts aside those thoughts that she is going to marry your best friend!).

Definitely don’t say anything insulting or negative about the bride, even if you mean it. There’s a time and a place for everything… isn’t it!

Definitely don’t say anything about the Groom that insults or embarrasses the Bride. Talking about past indiscretions is prohibited. No matter how funny you think it is, remember… don’t insult or embarrass the bride.

#2 Capital sin: improvise

A few nice words here… a joke there… and a toast… right? Wrong! Don’t confuse the job of giving the best man speech as any old speech. Your best man speech is meant to wrap up the first phase of your friend’s life and usher in the next phase. It’s impossible to give this the credit it deserves without at least having a plan or framework to follow.

Don’t risk humiliating yourself and totally disappointing the Boyfriend and Girlfriend by trying to think on your feet. It just won’t work. Prepare your speech and please practice it… out loud.

#3 Deadly Sin: Rambling

Another good reason to prepare and practice your speech is to avoid rambling…and on…and on. A short speech is more powerful than a 20-minute retrospective. You are his best friend, you can chat later. The guests are there for the bride and groom, not to listen to you all night.

They want to eat, drink, and party, not hear about every bad habit, binge, or how much they’ve helped you since the first time you met. Knowing when to stop is essential. As such, to avoid rambling…and on…and on, let’s move on to the next deadly sin.

#4 Deadly Sin: Trying to be a stand-up comic.

If you’re a stand-up comedian, great, be yourself. If you’re not, don’t even go there…again, be yourself. Stay true to his personality style: he was good enough that the Groom asked him to be best man. Just go with it. Guaranteed, the boyfriend won’t expect you to suddenly become a different person with a different personality just because you get an award-winning comedy speech. That is not the purpose of the best man speech. You would look awkward, obvious, and downright awkward trying to be something you’re not.

Not only will you embarrass the bride and groom, but you’ll embarrass yourself…and immortalize it on DVD to play over and over again!

When you avoid this, you won’t be providing new material for future Rom-Com movie writers. You should also have a very happy girlfriend and boyfriend… and who knows, you might be asked to be best man again!