OK, take a deep breath.  This is not going to be so bad.  In fact, it’s not going to be bad at all.  Actually, it’s going to be—dare I say?—fun.

This article is for those of you last-minute napkin-scribblers, or nerve-wracked public speakers. It is even for those of you potentially-too-drunk-to-talk-straight best men, who are just dreading getting up in front of everyone you know—and many you don’t—and delivering a speech that you are convinced is being beamed via satellite to millions around the world.

Well, I am here to tell you that you are fine.  And in good hands.  No need to worry.  No need to freak out or to be sitting in a neck-high pile of crumpled drafts or to be begging your best friend and his wife to elope.  No need for any of that.  What youdoneed, though, is to remember the following few pointers, and, I promise you, you are in for a smooth landing:

1.This is not gonna change the world.You are not running for office.  You are not speaking to a joint session of Congress.  You are not (to the best of my knowledge) onAmerican Idol.  You are a best man.  Plain and simple.  You are comfortable with much of your audience, and, perhaps more importantly, they are comfortable with you.  They don’t expect perfect diction, or intellectual wizardry; they just want to share in the warmth and the joy you feel when you think about the bride and the groom.

2.Be casual.These are your friends, and your family.  Hell, this is a party!  Just because you are wearing a rented tuxedo that makes you feel stiff doesn’t mean you have to talk stiff too.  Be loose and conversational, like you would during any chat you’d have with your friends.

3.Be yourself.  That’s why they hired you.It is so tempting to do a quick Google search and find a totally canned speech that you could read word-for-word like a news anchor reporting about the mortgage crisis.  Bleh.  Your personal style, your personality are the reasons you are the best man, and the speech should say as much about you as it does about the newlyweds.  Actually, is a great place to find or create a speech that fits your style.  They go through great pains over there to make sure that nothing sounds canned and than everything can be you-ified, so to speak.  You-ification is critical, and , with such a vast quantity of stellar material, can help you get there.

4.Have fun; it’s your show.Really, this is fun.  Treat it that way.  It is an honor, sure, and people will be paying attention to what you say, but, more than anything else, it is a chance to have some fun.  When else are you gonna be able to dredge up the most embarrassing facts about your best friend and share them in front of everyone you know without retaliation (until you get married, of course)?   When else are you gonna be able to make hundreds of people laugh hysterically or weep with joy with what you have to say?  Take advantage of it; havefunwith it.  You know very well how contagious laughter and enjoyment can be.  If people can sense that you are up there having a blast, then they, too, will join in.

There.  Feel better?  A little, at least?  Obviously, these steps will help you deliver a great speech, but the content is also key.  Definitely check out for the world’s largest collection of content that you can mold into the perfect speech for your needs.  Put it all together, and your best manhood will be remembered always—and not because you were too drunk to talk straight.