Let's say your friend is planning his wedding and asks you to be his best man. Then he tells you to prepare to give a best man toast. But, you feel uncomfortable about being in the spotlight and you wonder if he won't mind skipping this at the party.

Before you open your mouth to say how you really feel, think about some reasons for following this wedding tradition.

Imagine the Long-term Consequences

This may sound silly if you are macho, but if you talk yourself out of giving a toast, you may hurt your friend's feelings. It may damage your friendship.

Years from now, your friend, invites you to the wedding for his son and you see the best man giving a toast. You'll be reminded of when you had the opportunity to give a toast but didn't.

Your friend's wedding may be the only time in your life that you can be someone's best man. Not everyone gets this opportunity.

Consider Your Toast a Wedding Gift

You can view the wedding toast as more than just a tradition. The words are a gift from your heart. Your toast is the personal wedding gift your friend will remember for a lifetime. The value of your toast exceeds the monetary value of any other gift he'll receive that day.

Give the Guests What They Expect

Can you imagine a wedding party without someone standing up among the guests and talking about the wedding couple? It would be like a cake without the icing. Your toasts would make the party complete. Hearing the best man toast is one of the fun and entertaining parts of a wedding party.

You might actually enjoy giving the speech and seeing how people react. When you see them smiling and laughing at something funny you said, you'll be glad you didn't say no to your friend.

Copyright Leroy Chan