Speech by John Slagel
Hello. Here is the speech that I emailed you about. My brother in law was married last year (September). I spent 6 months writing and rewriting the speech to perfect it. Many people commented that it was one of the best ones they have ever heard. I hope you agree. I hope that it helps others, because this responsibility caused many sleepless nights!!! My brother in law David was killed 8 weeks after his wedding day while riding his motorcycle. His wife was following in her car and had to witness the events. They were on their way to my sons birthday party. I would like to honor him b
We have included third party products to help you navigate and enjoy life’s biggest moments. Purchases made through links on this page may earn us a commission.
Speech Type: Best man
Speech Creator: John Slagel
Speech Date: Aug2005
Hi there… How's everyone doing this afternoon? I'm glad that you're all here to share in this monumental celebration. I want to start out by acknowledging all the lovely bridesmaids. They did a wonderful job today and I think you'll agree that they all look absolutely stunning!
I'm John by the way. I'm honored to be standing here in front of you today as David's best man. I've known David about 10 years now. We had a lot in common like the usual bar hopping and shooting pool, so we quickly hit it off and became good friends. So much so, I ended up marrying his sister Tracy just so that we could still hang out on weekends and holidays… Just kidding dear…
There are a few of us in this room today that thought David might never marry. In his defense though, it's certainly not because he isn't the marrying type, David is just basically one of those guys who is meticulous, and settles for nothing but perfection, so it just took him a little longer to find that perfect person. We first met Kim a few years ago during what used to be a guys only weekend. See, every year a group of us guys pick one Pittsburgh Steelers’ away game to attend. And as we planned our trip to New Orleans for a game, David announced that he was bringing his friend Kim. We all looked at each other like "what?! You remember the "no chick" rule right?" Well it turns out that Aunt Kimmy ended up being the best part of that weekend. Not only could she hang in there with us guys all weekend, but we found out that it's much easier for a good looking woman to get beers on Bourbon Street than it is for an unruly drunk guy in a group of unruly drunk guys. And to boot, she also helped us put on face paint. So she helped us look better and get us beers. At that point, we all began thinking, hmmm.. This guy may just be smarter than we gave him credit for!
Seriously though, Kim was the best part of that weekend. She has a natural way of bringing out the very best in everyone she meets and she has a heart of gold and if you happen to give her some beads – She's always happy to take off her .… Oops, I was supposed to edit that part out. Sorry…
Anyway, getting back to David. I've read so many best man speeches that just deliberately abuse and embarrass the groom. Even though that would be fun, I wouldn't want to do that with David because it just isn't what he's all about. David is the kind of guy who is positive and funny in any setting. The guy has a way of drawing everyone in like gravity. And the things that come out his mouth sometimes just make the world a more enjoyable place to be. So I hope I've given him a proper introduction. He's truly a class act and the best brother in law a guy could ask for and its’ easy to see why he's so in love with Aunt Kimmy. They compliment each other perfectly.
I want to wrap this thing up before I start to sound too much like a Hallmark commercial, but I do have one bit of advice for the bride and groom. Even though I'm probably the last guy in the room who should be offering advice of any kind, I've been happily married for 8 years now and I attribute that happiness some advice that Tracy's Uncle Jim gave us. He said "always be honest and talk to one another, and never ever go to sleep mad at each other. You don't know what tomorrow holds, so be sure that you make the best of every moment together".
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that I invite you all to stand and join me in a toast to the Bride and Groom…..Mr. & Mrs. David Griffith. May your love be modern enough to survive the times yet old fashioned enough to last forever. May God bless you both with Love, Good Health, and 8 or 9 children. Cheers.… Or as they say in Hawaii: "Heepaheepa Hulo"
