So your best friend is finally tying the knot and he asked you to be the best man. You get to be the right hand man as he utters his vows, but at the reception all eyes will be on you as you give the best man toast.

Here's 4 tips for giving memorable best man toasts:

1. Be prepared. Don't expect to grab the microphone and give a memorable speech off the top of your head. Write a rough draft early and give yourself time to edit and revise. You don't want to draw a blank at the last minute.

2. Practice. You'll feel silly reading a speech in front of a mirror, but trust me it will help you smooth out any rough spots in your best man toast. Time yourself and have a friend or two as your audience.

3. Stay away from one-liners, which mostly bomb when added to best man toasts. Instead, focus on telling stories about growing up with the groom. If you don't know the bride very well you can ask her bridesmaids to help provide some material.

4. Remember you're at a wedding. Odds are there will probably be quite a few older relatives and children present. Choose your words carefully and use judgement in your language and in the stories you share. A little humor in best man toasts can be a good way to break the ice. But launching into a string of profanities or stories of wild sex escapades will make your speech memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Written by Mike Collins. To receive 20 professionally written best man toasts, visit Top Best Man Toasts.