Best Man Speech: Tips For Success

A best man's speech is an important part of a wedding reception. It's a chance to celebrate the groom, entertain the guests, and show support for the happy couple. A great speech can be humorous, heartfelt, and memorable. It should be well-planned, with personal touches, and confidently delivered. Here are some key elements to include in a best man's speech:

- A strong opening line: Grab the audience's attention with a joke, a compliment, or an inspirational quote.

- Introduction and connection to the couple: Introduce yourself and explain your relationship with the groom and the couple.

- Gratitude: Thank the previous speakers, the couple's parents, and the couple for inviting you.

- Stories and anecdotes: Share funny, heartwarming, or embarrassing stories about the groom. Include how you met and your favourite memories.

- Compliments to the couple: Talk about the groom's positive qualities and how the couple met.

- Well-wishes and a toast: Conclude with sincere wishes for the couple's future and raise a glass to them.

- Appropriate length: Keep the speech concise, aiming for around 3 to 7 minutes to hold the audience's attention.

- Rehearsal: Practice your speech multiple times to refine your delivery and build confidence.

Icebreakers and jokes

The best man's speech is one of the highlights of any wedding, but it's also a nerve-wracking task. The best man is expected to be funny, but also to celebrate the groom, entertain the guests, and show support for the happy couple. A good icebreaker or well-chosen joke can help you to warm up the guests and calm your nerves. Here are some tips and examples to help you craft this section of your speech.

Icebreakers

An icebreaker is a great way to kick off your speech and set a friendly tone for what's to come. It can be a light-hearted joke, a humorous introduction, or a self-deprecating comment. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• "I was taught by my parents that if I had nothing good to say about someone, to sit down and be quiet... (Sit down)
• "Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to thank all of you for being here today, especially those of you who knew that I'd be saying a few words – it's very touching that you still decided to come."
• "I've been worried about giving this speech for a while now. Fortunately, last night I slept like a baby – I woke up crying every two hours."
• "I just heard there was a competitive sweepstake on how long the best man speech should last. I put my money on 45 minutes, so make yourselves comfortable!"
• "This speech won't contain anything embarrassing about the groom. Instead, I'll refer only to the kind and funny side of their character. Thank you and goodnight."
• "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. For those of you who I haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet, my name is Chris, and I am officially Paul's second best man... second best, ladies and gentlemen... nobody likes to be second best, do they? Well, Paul, looking at his career, he should know better than most..."

Jokes

When crafting jokes for your best man speech, it's important to be original and engaging. Avoid overdone best man jokes and clichés, as they will likely fall flat. Instead, focus on the groom's unique qualities and experiences. Here are some tips for writing effective jokes:

• Keep it warm and funny, never edgy.
• Avoid politics, negative stories, and stories that are already amusing.
• Draw inspiration from current news stories, surveys, research, inventions, and weird news.
• Use wordplay and male-stereotyping (done tastefully).
• Make connections and associations with the news story and the wedding or the groom.
• Exaggerate and use informal names to make the joke funnier.
• Avoid repetition and unnecessary information.
• Keep it brief and concise.
• Avoid best man jokes that are old, tired, and overdone.
• "I see that a bakery has been in the news for producing a Guinness-flavoured wedding cake. Sadly, we didn't have one of those today, so instead, you'll just have to rely on this moving speech to supply some boozy 'tiers' [tears/tiers pun]."
• "The groom has done very well to get through today because he has recently been mourning the loss of a man who had a massive impact on him, a man who he regarded as a true hero, a man who made his passage through life so much easier. I am speaking, of course, about the passing of Eugene Polley, the inventor of the TV remote control."
• "I was pleased to read that, thanks to the efforts of celebrity chefs like Heston Blumenthal, fondue sets are becoming popular again. So maybe 10 of those wedding gifts will get used after all."
• "I hope that Karen is getting used to now being called Mrs Karen Jones because I read an article this week about how a number of brides these days are reluctant to take the groom's surname. I know this certainly caused a bit of a stir at the recent wedding of my mate Dave Hitler."
• "Concert organisers recently pulled the plug on Bruce Springsteen's microphone after he had been performing for three hours. As a reluctant public speaker, I'm hoping the same thing will happen to me after three minutes."

Introducing yourself

The best man speech is an important part of the wedding reception. It is an honour to be chosen as the best man, and with that comes the responsibility of giving a memorable speech. It is a chance to celebrate the groom, entertain the guests, and show your support for the happy couple.

The first step in crafting your best man speech is to write down your thoughts, feelings, and memories. You might not remember everything about the groom at first, so just write and write until you get all your ideas out.

The best man speech should be about 3 to 10 minutes long. It should start with a great opening line that grabs the audience's attention and sets the tone for the rest of your speech. Begin by introducing yourself and explaining your connection to the couple. If you don't know the groom very well, you can mention how you met and for how long you've known him. You can also share a funny or embarrassing story about how you met.

"Welcome everyone, my name is [X] and I've known [groom] since we were kids. [Groom] hates it when I take all the attention away from him, so as a mark of respect, please don't stand on the tables and chairs when you give me a standing ovation at the end of the speech."

"Hello everyone, I'm [X] and I've been best friends with [groom] for the past 15 years. For those of you that already know me – I apologise – for those that don't, don't listen to any of the rumours!"

"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, for those of you I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet, my name is Chris and I am officially Paul’s second best man… second best, ladies and gentlemen… nobody likes to be second best, do they? Well, Paul, looking at his career, he should know better than most…"

"Hello! For those who don't know me, I'm [Your Name], the best man. I've known [Groom] since middle school, which means that it was before we learned mullets weren't a good look for either of us."

"Good evening, everyone! I'm [Your Name], and I'm extremely honoured to call myself [Groom]'s best man. Also, please excuse the puffiness under my eyes; I've been happy crying since before the ceremony."

Reading out messages

If you know the couple well, you could also include messages from them to each other. This is a great way to add a romantic element to your speech. You could share a message from the groom to his new spouse, or vice versa, that expresses their love and excitement for married life together.

When reading out messages, it's important to keep things light and respectful. Avoid sharing anything that could be seen as embarrassing, humiliating, or need-to-know. Steer clear of topics such as pregnancy scares, drug use, or anything else that could reflect poorly on the couple or your friendship.

• Keep it brief: You don't want to spend too much time reading out messages. Aim for a maximum of 3-5 minutes for this section of your speech.
• Mix it up: Include a variety of messages, from heartfelt wishes to funny anecdotes. This will keep your speech engaging and entertaining for the guests.
• Be creative: Feel free to think outside the box and include unique or unexpected messages. Just make sure they are appropriate and won't cause any offence.
• Rehearse: Practise reading out the messages beforehand to ensure a smooth delivery on the day. This will help you gauge the timing and tone of this section of your speech.

Remember, the messages you read out are a chance to add a personal touch to your speech and celebrate the couple's special day. So have fun with it and don't be afraid to get creative!

Sharing anecdotes

If you're nervous about public speaking, it can be helpful to write out your thoughts, feelings, and memories first. Then, you can use a template to structure your speech.

• Keep it positive. Avoid mentioning exes, drugs, alcohol, or other inappropriate topics.
• Make it about the groom. While it's okay to include yourself in the story, the focus should be on the groom and how much he means to you.
• Include sensory details. What did the scenery look like? What were the prominent smells, sounds, and tastes?
• Add a bit of embarrassment. It's okay to poke fun at yourself, the groom, or a mutual friend, as long as it's lighthearted and not too embarrassing.
• Keep it short and sweet. One to three anecdotes are enough to make your speech memorable.
• Rehearse your speech. Practice will help you feel more confident and ensure your stories are clear and concise.

Offering advice and compliments

The best man speech is a chance to offer the newlyweds some light-hearted yet sincere advice for their married life ahead. If you're married, you could offer some words of wisdom from your own experience, or ask married friends and family for their tips. You could also ask the couple's parents for advice based on their decades of marriage.

Your speech is also an opportunity to compliment the couple and express your well-wishes for their future. You could highlight the groom's best qualities and relate them to the occasion, for example:

> Of course, marriage for everybody is a major adjustment. For example… before today, as a smart single man, [name] had the answers to everything. Now, as a married man, he has the answers to nothing.

Or, if he's renowned for his generosity:

> I don't think I know anyone more generous – generous in giving help, in advice, or in the pub. That last one may have to be reigned in a bit now you are married, but only from tomorrow.

You could also express your approval of his choice of bride:

> I can't imagine a couple more ready, more right for this blessing. And I couldn't ever have imagined a bride more perfect for [name of groom] – thank you, [name of bride], for bringing him and all of us such happiness.

Pay tribute to the bride's efforts in organising the day:

> [Name of bride] took on another full-time job recently: planning the wedding. And I must say that while the pay isn't good, the hours are long, and the work isn't glamorous, the returns will be everlasting.

Suggest how the bride has had a positive influence on the groom:

> The splendid day we are all enjoying has only come about because of the love between [name of groom] and [name of bride] and their decision to show their commitment to each other through marriage. I have to say that [name of bride] has been a wonderful influence on [name of groom]. Since the day that they met, he has been a happy soul and I wish them both all the future happiness they deserve.

If you're the sentimental type, you might want to save this kind of compliment for the end of your speech.

Frequently asked questions