how to do a best man speech

Amazing Tips & Themes For Your Magical Wedding

The Ultimate Best Man Speech Guide (Examples And Templates Included)

Being picked to be the best man is such a great honor. You will feel blessed that the groom has thought of you, and considers you the best man and friend for the job.

As the best man, you will likely have many responsibilities in the run up towards the wedding. You’ll have to try on suits, organize the bachelor party, but the best man speech is the thing that most look forward to, or dread!

A best man speech needs to hook the audience in, reveal some funny stories about the groom, and even the bride, but also wish the couple well, and spread some laughter amongst the audience.

But, you have to do all of this in one single speech that can’t be too long, and can’t be too short! 

So, how can you nail the best man speech? Well, that’s where we come in handy. We can offer you this ultimate guide to creating a best man speech, including tips, structure and examples you can take inspiration from. 

How To Structure A Best Man Speech

If you’re unsure of how to go about planning your best man speech, then we can help you out with this simple structure to follow and keep yourself on track. 

This structure is a sort of guide, you don’t have to use it, but it’s a good idea to follow the structure so you cover all bases when doing the speech.

A good best man speech begins with:

Try introducing yourself with a funny one liner about who you are and how you know the happy couple.

After you’ve had your fun, balance this out by saying something meaningful and sincere about the groom, his qualities or your friendship. 

Best Man Speech Do’s And Don’ts

There are definitely a few do’s and don’ts when it comes to speaking at someone’s wedding. You’ll want to keep it concise, funny, but not too over the top jokey. Here’s our recommendations of what to do, and what not to do. 

First things first, you’ll want to plan ahead, and write a few stories and anecdotes down that you can remember. Do this for a few weeks before the wedding, so it gives you time to come up with the right memories to share. 

You should also consider who this speech is going to be said around.

If the groom’s very traditional great aunt or grandma is there, it could be a good idea to avoid any crass, rude stories that could make family members uncomfortable. Save those lines for the bachelor party! 

Finally, make sure you focus on the couple, not just the groom.

This day is about the two of them. While you are doing a speech because you are the best man to the groom, it is important that you bring in the bride/partner in your speech so that overall you are wishing both of them well on their new adventure. 

What Not To Do

Don’t use foul language, or inflammatory language. You don’t want to cause a dark cloud over the event by offending anyone or causing a scene.

The same goes for mentioning exes (who could well be at the wedding) or bringing up sore subjects during the speech. Keep it fun, lighthearted, and hilarious. 

This is far more impactful and will really get the audience involved in your speech. 

Finally, and this is an important one- don’t make it about you. This is not your shining moment, your time will come.

It’s a chance for them to see the couple in a different light, from your perspective, not learn everything about you. 

Tips For Writing A Best Man Speech

We’ve also got some brief tips for writing and performing your best man speech!

Qualities To Talk About In The Best Man Speech

For instance, if you’re talking about the groom’s thoughtfulness, use funny anecdotes that relate to this, and bring it back to that whenever possible.

You want to talk about his great qualities, poke a little fun, or share a funny story, but then talk about how these qualities have translated into his relationship with his partner, or how they have brought them closer together. 

Best Man Speech Examples

Good evening everyone. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Tom, younger brother and best man of the groom. For those of you that do know me…heeeeeeey! 

In all seriousness, I have always looked up to my big brother. He’s always had a flair for sports, and genuinely has a heart of gold.

Being the youngest of the two of us, Jack has made me a better man, mainly because of the character building he put me through as a child. Jack would love taunting me by stealing my favorite stuffed animals. 

I was so excited to see our little furry boy happy and playing with his toy until I realized that Jack had offered up Mr. Snuggles in sacrifice with a huge grin on his face. It was a day I won’t forget. 

Despite the taunting and the terrorizing, Jack has been the man that I’ve always aspired to be. In all of the years I’ve been around Jack, he’s always been tenacious and worked hard for what he wants. And he’s always gotten it.

With Jack being the older, but not often the wiser brother, he managed to get himself into some mishaps in the past.

When he did finally get a chance to take Jenny out on a date, he turned up at the wrong house, and managed to slip and break his shoulder all in one fantastic, first meeting with the parents.

With Jenny at his side, Jack’s clumsy mishaps are less and less. You truly bring out the best in him, Jen. I would say welcome to the family, but you’ve been a part of our lives for some time already, and I am truly blessed to be able to call you my new sister. 

From day one, you’ve fit right in, as you too have taken on the role of teasing Jack just as I wanted. Let me tell you guys, there have been many pranks that Jenny and I have pulled off on Jack.

Other times, we’ve hidden around the house just when Jack is coming home from a long day at the office, to ambush him with Nerf guns until he pleads for mercy! Let’s just say justice has been served for Mr. Snuggles. 

I quickly realized that Jenny and Jack were cut from the same mold. You two are a real example of what it means to marry your best friend, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the two of you.

Hi everyone! For those of you who don’t know me already, I am Zach, the best man of James! When James asked me to be the best man I felt like it was such an honor.

Then he reminded me that it’s not just about organizing the bachelor party and I have to actually come to the wedding so…here I am. 

Just kidding. Me and James have been through thick and thin. I’ve watched him go from a weedy, awkward teenager to a less weedy, awkward adult!

Britney would probably argue with me over the adult part! James has always had that boyish sense of humor that’s often gotten us into trouble over the years. 

He’s probably carving out some obscenity in the wood I thought.

This is why it came as such a shock when later that day it was I who was called into the principal’s office, and as I walked with my head hung in shame to my fate, James smiled wide and proudly.

Ever since that day, James and I have been at war with one another to get the other one back! But deep down, I know that James would do anything for me. If I needed someone at 4am, James is that friend.

Despite our differences, I know he’s as good as family to me, and all of the Henderson’s have welcomed me into their home on many occasions, and now Britney gets to have that same privilege. 

In all seriousness, if Britney gets half as much joy in being married to James, that I have had in being his friend over the years, then she will be incredibly lucky indeed. 

On behalf of all the groomsmen, bridesmaids and myself, I would like to thank James and Britney for having us be a part of their special day. I know how hard you’ve worked to make this a day to remember, and you’ve definitely succeeded. 

Hello everyone. My name is Joe and I’d just like to thank John for finally confirming that I am in fact – the best man, after 20 years of friendship. 20 years is a long time.

Just think, back then…Low rise jeans were in fashion, Spiderman was the favorite superhero, and Ben Affleck and J-Lo were together. So really, nothing has changed in 20 years, and the same goes for our friendship. 

I remember one time in college, we decided that reading books and writing our own essays just wasn’t for us anymore. We decided to pay someone to write us an essay, and we would switch it up to pass the class.

Since then, I’ve realized what a tenacious person, good friend and loyal individual John was, and it’s an absolute blessing to be up here with you tonight as your best man. 

So, if you wouldn’t mind joining me in raising a glass to John’s mom, who can’t be with us today, but is with us in spirit. Cheers. 

In addition, I’d like to thank both Mia’s parents, and John’s dad who have helped make this day extra special for the happy couple, which I’m sure they are eternally grateful for. 

Finally, I’d like to thank the groomsmen for organizing and completing the best bachelor party Miami has ever seen. I only hope it was the send off John was hoping for before he begins the next stage of his life with Mia. (But I highly doubt it) 

Ladies and Gentleman, I have an announcement to make. If there is anyone here tonight that is feeling nervous, apprehensive, or maybe even a little nauseous at what lies ahead…then it’s probably because you’ve just married Adam. 

Before I start the character assassination that is my best man’s speech, let me just thank Adam and Olivia for having us be a part of this very special day.

Our time at University was one of the best in my life, and I’ve far too many stories to tell you about our lovely Adam here. 

And why wouldn’t he be? All those who know Olivia know what a lovely, and caring person she is. She deserves a good husband. Thank god Adam got there first before she could find one! 

Adam was at my side within SECONDS…to let me know he caught my fall on video. Emergency Medical Services *Scoff*. Only when he saw the angle of my ankle did his medical training kick in.

Hello everyone. My name is Kane, and I am the best man, and longtime friend of Rob. I was, however, somewhat surprised to be asked to be the best man, as Rob has never been able to admit this over the years.

I asked friends and family for advice, and according to tradition, I am supposed to sing Rob’s praises and tell you all about his fantastic qualities. Well, sorry to tell you, but I can’t sing and I don’t lie. So that’s out of the window. 

His willingness to do anything for anyone, without accepting anything in return is what makes Rob extra special, and a joy to be around. 

Looking back, I was probably a big nuisance always wanting to go play over his house, but I had some of the best time of my life growing up with Rob by my side. We’ve been there for every big moment of each other’s lives.

I can’t think of anyone better to look after my Rob here, and I know he will do everything he can to look after you for the rest of his days. 

Best Man Speech Frequentl Asked Questions

Does the best man have to do a speech, when does the best man’s speech happen.

The best man speech will typically happen after the groom has said a few words. However, every wedding is different, and the bride and groom may organize the day differently depending on how they think the speeches should flow. 

How Long Should A Best Man Speech Be?

What should you include in a best man speech.

There are a few things that you should include in the best man speech. This is who you are, and how you know the bride and groom.

Who Should You Thank In A Best Man Speech?

To summarize, writing a best man speech is not all as bad as it seems.

Now, instead of stressing out about what you are going to say, how you are going to say it, you can look forward to the wedding planning process in the run up to the big day, and most importantly…the bachelor party!

Lisa Plaitt

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in: Character , Etiquette , Featured

Brett • April 11, 2022 • Last updated: April 20, 2022

10 Steps to Giving the Best, Best Man Speech

At some point in your life, one of your buddies or your brother will probably ask you to be the best man in his wedding. This is a great honor. One of the duties of a best man is to give a speech wherein you say a few kind words about your friend/brother and his new wife. If you’ve been to many weddings, you know that oftentimes best man speeches can quickly devolve into an awkward, drunken spectacle. The mixture of booze and lack of preparation results in the best man rambling and sharing inappropriate and embarrassing stories about the groom in front of hundreds of family and friends.

If you don’t want to make yourself look like a real ignoramus, and you want to truly be the best man, here are a few pointers to keep in mind as you prepare to give your speech.

Note: We originally published this article over 10 years ago and since that time we’ve gotten hundreds of emails and letters from best men sharing how our guide to the best man speech helped them deliver a speech that got compliments from not only the bride and groom, but also from everyone else at the wedding. This guide is battled tested and works. 

1. Prepare. Don’t walk into the wedding reception thinking you’ll know exactly what to say when you get there. If you have a few weeks before the wedding, start mulling over some ideas for the speech. Begin brainstorming and jotting down thoughts, stories, jokes, and quotes you might want to use. If you don’t know a lot about how your buddy and his wife met, ask. Think of stories from you and your buddy’s past that show what a great guy he is. The goal of the speech is to celebrate the couple and make them look good.

2. Stay sober. Sure, you want to enjoy yourself, and yes, alcohol may help take the edge off of giving a speech in front of hundreds of strangers; they don’t call alcohol liquid confidence for nothing. But make sure you’re not sloppy drunk when you give your speech. You don’t want to be completely uninhibited or you might say something you’ll regret later on. Besides, a man doesn’t need a crutch to help him tackle a challenge. Be man enough to postpone your own gratification until after the speech is completed.

3. Open by expressing gratitude. Thank all the people who made the day possible. Single out the bride and groom’s parents by name, and offer a toast to them for not only putting on the wedding but for raising two fine people. Thank the guests for coming.

4. Tell a story–make a connection. The ideal way to structure a best man speech is to find a connection between a story about your friend and your support for the couple. Share a story about how your friend would always lament that he would never find a woman with x,y, and z qualities, but how he finally did in his new bride. Or tell a story about the moment when you were hanging out with the couple and you realized your friend had found his match. Another good angle is to talk about the way that the bride and groom balance one another. Relate a funny (not embarrassing, see below) anecdote in which one of your buddy’s personality traits tripped him up in some way. For example, the story could be about how your friend is very shy and how this shyness caused some humorous event to occur. You then talk about how bubbly and outgoing his bride is, and how they therefore balance each other and make a perfect team.

5. Avoid controversial topics. Keep your speech on topics that aren’t controversial, offensive, or embarrassing. You would think this is common sense, but people somehow forget this when they’re standing with a microphone in their hand in front of a crowd of people. What gets people in trouble is attempting to be funny by sharing some embarrassing story or cracking some lame joke about a ball and chain. It usually comes out horribly and no one laughs. It’s okay to share a humorous anecdote, but not one that gets laughs at the expense of your friend and his new wife and embarrasses them and their guests.

Don’t talk about the groom’s past relationships, don’t tell people what you really thought of your buddy’s wife when you first met her, don’t slam the food, don’t make comments about “looking forward to the honeymoon” while winking at the bride–basically, just use some tact and common sense.

6. Avoid inside jokes. I hate when people do this in small groups. I hate it even more when people do it in front of larger groups. If you want to keep people’s attention, save the inside jokes for when it’s just you and your friend.

7. Keep it short. Nothing irritates people more than some rambling drunk going on and on and on. People have probably already listened to the maid of honor and the bride’s father give their spiel. By the time they get to you, the crowd is ready to eat cake and get on with it. Shoot for no more than five minutes.

8. End with a quote. An easy way to end is by using a quote that wraps the speech up nicely. In “How Do You Know When She’s the One?” I shared the quote my father-in-law used at my wedding. You can’t go wrong with it: “Marriage is not about finding a person you can live with, it’s about finding the person you can’t live without.” After that you can simply say, “My friend has found that person.” The End.

9. Raise your glass and propose a toast. Raise your glass and say something to the effect of: “Here’s to a lifetime of happiness and love for ____ and ____!”

10. Remember to be yourself. No need to get formal or try to be someone you’re not. And there’s no need to follow these instructions exactly either. Simply use them as a guide and be yourself. Let it flow naturally. Use your natural voice and mannerisms. Make it personal and sincere and say things from the heart and you should be golden.

Here’s your crib sheet:

1. Open by thanking those who made the day possible–end the intro with saying “Thank you to all those who have made it here today.”

2. Transition to your speech: “I am especially glad to be here on this occasion to celebrate this wonderful day with my friend/brother.”

3. Talk about how you know the groom, why you’re grateful for having him as your friend, and why he’s such an upstanding guy.

4. Share a story about your friend and connect it to the couple.

5. Raise your glass and ask everyone to join in a toast to the happy couple.

6. Let out a sigh of relief.

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• Who Gives a Speech at a Wedding Reception? How to Write a Wedding Toast Tips for the Father of the Bride Speech How to Write a Best Man Toast Advice for the Maid of Honor Speech What to Know About a Newlywed Toast Public Speaking Experts' Wedding Speech Tips 60 Quotes to Use for Your Wedding Toast

How to Write and Deliver the Perfect Best Man Speech

Our three experts will help you become an all-star orator.

Photo by Sydney Noelle Photography

In This Article

Being asked to be someone's best man is a tremendous honor, but it's also a role that comes with a number of important responsibilities . While you're going to be responsible for everything from groomsmen shepherding to bachelor party planning , there's one task that requires your utmost attention and efforts: giving an incredible wedding speech.

The best man's speech traditionally follows the groom's speech (if he's giving one) and may or may not follow the maid of honor's toast (generally speaking, the better orator should go second). This is a chance for you to say some kind words about your relationship with the couple and your best friend. Wedding speeches are meant to be quick, lighthearted moments during the reception, so while you should expend effort crafting thoughtful words, you don't have to overthink it. Still, we know public speaking doesn't come easily for everyone, and if the thought of public speaking has your kneecaps sweating, we're here to help.

With tapped three experts—President Barack Obama's former speechwriter David Litt, wedding toast advisor Pete Honsberger, and public speaking expert LaQuita Cleare—and asked them to share the best tips for writing a perfect man speech.

Meet the Expert

• David Litt was the speechwriter for President Barack Obama from 2011 to 2016 and is the author of the New York Times best-selling book Thanks, Obama.
• Pete Honsberger has been a serial groomsman, speaker, and wedding toast advisor for most of his adult life. When it comes to wedding toasts, he's seen just about everything—you can read about it in his book, Wedding Toasts 101: The Guide to the Perfect Wedding Speech .
• LaQuita Cleare is a public speaking expert and the founder of Clear Communication Academy , where she prepares CEOs, actors, and other professionals to become stronger, more engaging public speakers.

If you're hoping to write and deliver a best man speech that will blow everyone away, follow our expert-approved tips.

Photo by Glorianna Chan

Best Man Speech Template 

Getting all your thoughts and feelings down on paper can be overwhelming, especially if you're not used to sharing those sentiments with the guys. For those who are unsure of what to write for the big day, here is a guideline to help you find your flow.

Find a Theme

A theme is a unifying idea that ties the whole speech together. Think of it as the takeaway of your speech, or the one thing you want guests to remember. The best way to identify your theme is by making a list of your favorite stories. "You’re not going to just write a speech from scratch. Start by brainstorming stories. Most importantly, what you’re looking for is the theme that comes out of those anecdotes," says Litt.

Build a Framework

The best way to organize your thoughts is to create a blueprint of the key points you want to hit first, sort of like a toast skeleton. After you've established the roadmap, fill it in with pertinent details and memories while still ensuring you're staying on point. "Think about it in terms of ideas," says Litt. "You can get in one or two short anecdotes, maybe three, and one big idea. If those are good, you don’t need more."

Instead of thinking of yourself as the speaker, imagine that you're actually standing in the audience. Think about what the audience would like to hear, rather than what you want to do.

Nail the Opening

According to Cleare, your opening remarks need to be just right. Remember that you only have a few seconds to grab the attention of your audience, so make the most of them. "This can be a fun quote that the bride or groom always says or you can use the story of your relationship with the [couple] as the opening," she suggests.

Focus on the Newlyweds

Most best men will include a story or two about their friendship with the groom, but don't center the whole speech on it. "Remember the relationship that you’re celebrating is the one between the two people getting married. You’re giving the speech because you can shine some unique light on that relationship," says Litt. "If the relationship that you’re really giving the speech about is the one between you and the groom, things [will get] awkward."

Share Your Feelings

Deliver something more meaningful than one joke after another. "Generally speaking, men think of the best man speech as a funny speech to give because we’re very uncomfortable sharing how we actually feel. But, what makes a good best man speech is the part where somebody shares how they feel. Humor is just the icing on the cake," says Litt. The newlyweds chose you to speak because you have something notable to add to their big day. Embrace your personal insight into their bond and don't try to dilute it by just being funny.

Photo by Elizabeth Austin Photography

Best Man Speech Writing and Delivery Tips

Now that you have at least a rough idea of what you want your speech to be like, it's time to put pen to paper. Finished writing? Practice, practice, practice, and ensure every word you say is a good fit for the big day. After all, there's nothing worse than raising a glass at the end of your speech and hearing crickets. These tips will help you do all of that and more.

Consider Your Audience

You can't nail a speech if you have no idea who to tailor the content to. "Feel free to ask beforehand. When I was writing speeches for the president, we had a point of contact where the speech was happening to say who exactly is in the audience. You can do a smaller-scale version of that. Your point of contact is probably your friend getting married . But, the nice thing about giving the best man speech is that, ideally, it’s both specific to you and universal to the couple," says Litt.

If you're open to it, Cleare also suggests bringing other attendees into the mix during your deliver. "Don’t be afraid to involve your audience! You can pose a question to them during your speech," she notes. This is a great way to make everyone feel included.

"I would say almost never start with talking about how nervous you are. I’d also say just relax. That’s a hard thing to tell someone to do. But remember, you’re not putting on a show," says Litt. "You're simply talking about your best friend and the love of their life, two people that you've probably spent a lot of time with. In the end, it should just flow and come out easily." Litt also suggests, "imagine you’re just telling a story to a group of friends because, really, you are."

Put Down Your Notes

No, you don't have to memorize every word of your toast, but Cleare recommends that you "bring the confidence, and put down your notes" on the big day. "Don’t worry about memorizing your speech word for word. It is more important to connect, deliver with confidence and have fun," she explains. The more you can engage the audience—look at them, feed off their energy—the better your toast will be received.

Stay True to Yourself

Stick with who you are and how you would normally act around your friends; you don't need to adopt a character just because you're giving a speech. For example, if you aren't normally the comedian in the group, don't try to tell a bunch of jokes. If you're not usually a super-sentimental person, don't force it. There's nothing wrong with keeping your speech more lighthearted. The couple already knows (and loves) your personality, so the more genuine you are, the better your speech will be received by both the newlyweds and their guests.

Don't Rely Solely on Humor

While a few jokes sprinkled in can be a great tool for loosening up the crowd, don't make these the meat of your toast—especially if comedy doesn't come naturally to you. "Let me put it this way. There’s such a thing as too many bad jokes, and that number is about one. The more you treat it as an open-mic night, the less happy everyone involved is going to be. You don’t need to go in thinking, 'How do I get invited back next week?'" explains Litt.

Keep Things Positive

Even if you think it's well-meaning, don't turn the toast into a roast or make jokes at the couple's expense. "I’ve seen best man speeches where someone thinks, 'Oh, my job is to roast the groom.' Unless the couple specifically told you that’s your job, that’s not your job. The way to think about jokes is that you don’t want people to be laughing at the groom or at the couple. You want people to be laughing because they suddenly know the groom better than they did before." says Litt.

Don't Upstage the Newlyweds

Litt's previous boss (former President Obama) really enjoyed telling other people's stories at speaking engagements, and this ultimately strengthened his messages. "His speeches are not really about him. They’re about other people," says Litt. Channel Obama by keeping your speech focused on the couple. "You’re not performing. You’re there because you know someone and care about them, and you’re sharing that with a bunch of other people. Even a great best man speech is not supposed to steal the show. If somebody says, 'That speech was nice but almost forgettable because we were so focused on the bride and groom,' that’s a win. You don’t need to be the star," advises Litt.

Keep It Appropriate

"My general rule for wedding speeches is: If you have to ask yourself, 'Is this appropriate?' it’s not. And if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t know, ask a friend. If they give you that slightly horrified look, listen to that look," explains Litt. Keep in mind that your audience will include guests of various generations and cultures, like your friend's grandparents, boss, and colleagues. Refrain from mentioning anything that you wouldn't want your grandma or boss to know.

Get a Second Opinion

Remember, you'll be delivering this toast in front of an audience (as if you could forget, right?). So it doesn't hurt to get some feedback on what you're planning on saying. "If you’re the kind of person who has a track record of going a little too far with your surprises, you should be self-aware enough to run this by a third party—maybe another close friend or a friend of the bride," says Litt.

The last thing you want to do is stand up and give a speech that you've never said out loud. "The best thing to do is practice with a friend. Anybody giving a big speech rehearses beforehand. If you’ve already gotten good feedback from field-testing your remarks with a smaller group, then you’re going to come out on the wedding day comfortably knowing you have a good speech. It's that uncertainty that can be scary when you’re up there speaking," says Litt.

Cleare notes that you can practice your public speaking at any point—you don't need an occasion as big as a wedding to work on your skills. "Practice your public speaking regularly. You don’t have to wait for a big day to improve," she says. "From volunteering to lead a work meeting to giving a toast at a party with friends, [you can practice almost anytime.]"

Keep It Short

Let's be realistic: Super-long wedding toasts annoy guests. "I’ve never been to a wedding where anyone said, 'That was a great wedding, but the best man speech was just too short and that ruined it.' I would say five minutes is the absolute maximum. Three minutes is fine. There’s no question that if you’re reading this, you’ve sat through a speech that was too long. But when you start writing a speech, you almost never think, 'Is this going to be too long?'" explains Litt.

Limit Your Drinks

Don't embarrass yourself by slurring through your toast. "Being one drink in works for some people, but being more than one drink in is never a good idea. At that moment when you’re like, 'You know what I need? Another couple of shots.' That is never what you need," advises Litt.

Mind Your Body Language

A telltale sign that you're nervous? Fidgety body language. Cleare suggests rehearsing not just your words, but also how you'll stand and present yourself on the big day. "Practice open body language instead of putting your hands in your pockets or crossing your arms," she suggests. "Using gestures while you speak will also make you appear more confident and increase the value of your message." And, whatever you do, don't forget to make eye contact with the crowd. "Your eyes tell all," Cleare says.

Photo by Elizabeth Warrick

Best Man Speech Openers

Still at a loss for where to take your speech? If you need a little help getting your speech going, our experts share a few ideas to kick-start the process. Use these openers to help get your inspiration flowing.

Introduce Yourself With a Twist

Want to tell the crowd exactly why you're the best man? Honsberger says to get straight to the point and tell them how you know the groom. Most importantly, add some flavor to the first few lines. Spice it up a bit, as anyone can do the standard, “For those of you who don’t know me….” Simply put, ask yourself what a twist would look like in your own introduction. 

“Good evening, if you’re in this room and don’t know me by now, then you’re probably at the wrong wedding. I am, of course, [your name], and I’ve been best friends with [groom] for 25 years…”

“Hello and welcome to tonight’s reception. [name of groom], YOU truly are MY biggest fan. Wait, that didn’t come out right…As I was saying…”

Crack a Joke, Even a Corny One

Remember the audience when determining whether your joke should be said, but ultimately, try and see if you can get the crowd to laugh in the first 30 seconds. To achieve this, Honsberger says to simply reach into your own bag of jokes or look one up online. "I’d encourage you to first spend a little time reflecting on your own comedic ability. If you’re coming up empty, then consult outside resources," he notes.

"Hello, I’m the best man [your name]. This entire day has been beautiful so far. In fact, I’m getting emotional. The wedding cake has me in TIERS. (looking at a three-tiered cake).” 

"You’re probably wondering why I asked you all here tonight…well, I can promise it’s not for my 'Magic Mike' performance. You’ll have to stick around to the last song for that."

Be Hilarious With a Straight Face

While still technically a joke, this is you working hard to sound serious while saying something absurd. And if you get this right, you’ll hear a little giggle immediately, followed by laughter from the rest of the crowd once they figure out what you said was a joke.

“Good evening, I am [your name], the best man and [relationship to groom] of [name of groom]. Tonight we’re in a room full of great men–doctors, lawyers, military veterans, and successful businesspeople–yet I am the 'best.' His words, not mine.” 

"As Abraham Lincoln once said, [say something outrageous than Lincoln obviously never said—an inspirational quote, movie line, piece of advice, etc.] … and that’s what brings us all together tonight to celebrate [couple's name].”

Introduce a Recurring Theme

Choosing an overall toast theme can help you start strong. If you decide that your relationship with the groom can be summed up by sports, college, vacations, a mutual love of running, or whatever fits you, that can be your theme. And if that’s the case, your opener is simply the first, or the best, story you have related to that specific topic. 

“Hello and welcome, my name’s [your name], and I’m here to talk about my amazing friends Mike and Liz. They are truly a story of opposites attracting. 

For example, Liz’s favorite food is french fries, and Mike is allergic to potatoes. Mike has an obsession with ice cream, and Liz is lactose intolerant (pause for laughter).

Thankfully, things have a way of working out, and we are gathered tonight to celebrate the most important thing they have in common…incredibly good looks. I mean, LOVE.”

Just like that, you’ve captured the audience, let them into the world of the married couple, and got them excited for the rest of your toast. 

Ask a Question to Answer Throughout

If you’re questioning your toast opener, try leaning into that approach. Instead of looking for the answer, embrace the question. Think about what you would want to know about the groom if you were a distant relative or family friend sitting in the audience, says Honsberger. What would be an interesting question to explore about the couple? Use that. 

“Good evening. My name is [your name] and I’ve known [groom] for more than [#] years. As I was preparing this toast, one question consistently rang in my mind: How do I summarize a friendship that has lasted since we [when you met]? Believe it or not, [groom] was [name a quirk or characteristic about him] back then, too.” 

“But really, how can I possibly speak to all of our experiences in just a few minutes without turning it into one big inside joke? Do I talk about …?” 

Then, spend the rest of the speech answering that question, and you’ll never lack information to share. 

Rhyme-Master Flex

Really want to capture the intrigue of everyone in the room? Start rhyming your sentences. Honsberger says he tried this in his first-ever wedding toast, and the result was an audience hanging on every sentence, wondering what the next line would be.

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen, I am Dan's younger brother, Pete. Many of you, I already know. Some, I have yet to meet.

Dan and Kate, thank you so much for this amazing chance, to speak on your special day … by the way, I call first dance. (crowd boos in jest) Sorry, but I called it! 

I’ve looked up to Dan ever since I’ve had sight. He was always bigger than me, and he was always right. 

Being the oldest of four boys couldn’t have been an easy thing. But in a house full of hyenas, Dan was the Lion King."

Read a Definition from the Dictionary

Here’s a chance to leverage one of the most straightforward and honest resources in existence: the dictionary. All you need to do is find one word that defines the couple’s relationship, says Honsberger. This can be serious and sentimental or funny—your choice. Just make sure it's relevant to the couple. 

“Google’s second definition of the word ‘love’ says, ‘A great interest and pleasure in something or someone.’ I think this is beautiful and an understatement when I think of [bride] and [groom]’s marriage. Although I was a little concerned when, under the definition, the word “love” was used in a sentence as ‘His love for football.’ Hmm, strange…”

“Who’s ready to dance tonight? Wikipedia defines the word ‘dance’ as ‘a performing art form consisting of purposefully selected sequences of human movement,’ and those words have honestly never come to mind when I think of [groom] dancing. I might be kidding, but there’s only one way to find out!” 

Tell a Story of How You Met

If the groom is a friend, chances are you have a good story of the first time you met or early in your friendship. If it’s your brother or family member, simply use one of your first memories together, whether playing, adventuring, or getting into trouble.

“The year was 1993, the class was kindergarten. I was building a beautiful tower of blocks when out of nowhere, they were knocked to the ground by a classmate without mercy or even an apology. That classmate was Matt, and we’ve been best friends ever since. And Matt, I’m sorry for throwing the blocks at your head after that.” 

Begin With a Quote

Simple and overused? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely. If you want to make the groom smile immediately during your toast, use a quote that you both recognize. If there’s one that his partner appreciates, too, even better. The most important reminder when using a quote is to ensure the audience feels like they’re part of it, too. Unless the quote is universally known, briefly mention its origin right after saying it. Let them into the joke and they’ll be with you for the rest of the toast. 

“Good evening everyone, my name is [your name], and I’m the best man tonight. When coach [name] used to tell you to ‘Be an Athlete,’ this is what he meant. When anyone on our team missed a tackle, it was ‘be an athlete,’ when our jerseys weren’t tucked in, same saying. We’ve adopted that as a cure for any issues in life. When [groom] really wanted to introduce himself to [bride], the solution was simple. ‘Be an athlete.’ And he was. So if you see [groom] miss a step on the dance floor later, be sure to remind him to ‘Be an athlete.’"

Read Something in a Different Language

Looking for a way to involve international members of the family in your toast? Look no further than practicing a phrase and reciting it in their native language to begin your toast. If that doesn’t apply in your situation, yet you still want to shake things up and be unique, you can translate a wedding-related sentence into another language. It will be intriguing, and you’ll sound smart! 

“Hello and welcome to everyone in both families on such a beautiful day. Me llamo Pedro y necesito que te diviertas porque esta boda es muy cara (wait for laughter from Spanish speakers). If you don’t speak Spanish, I said that I need everyone to have fun because this wedding is really expensive!” 

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, this speech is about the couple getting married, why you love them so much, how happy you are for them, and why you're honored to have this role in the wedding party. Keep things light, positive, and succinct—and also remember that the celebration is all about love, and no one is here to make you feel nervous. Make time to practice the speech, take a few deep breaths before you begin to speak, and focus your attention on the couple. Before you know it, you'll have given a speech for the books!

The best man traditionally speaks at the wedding reception following the maid of honor, though some couples may schedule the speeches during the rehearsal dinner instead.

The best man gives one speech either at the wedding reception or, less commonly, the rehearsal dinner.

The best man's speech serves as a special lens for the audience to better understand the groom, and the newlyweds, through his significant position in their lives. The focus should be to highlight the relationship of the newlyweds rather than the relationship between the best man and groom.

A Guide to Wedding Reception Toasts

• Who Gives a Speech at a Wedding Reception?
• How to Write a Wedding Toast
• Tips for the Father of the Bride Speech
• currently on How to Write a Best Man Toast
• Advice for the Maid of Honor Speech
• What to Know About a Newlywed Toast
• Public Speaking Experts' Wedding Speech Tips
• 60 Quotes to Use for Your Wedding Toast

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In This Article

• Top Speech Examples
• How To Write The Perfect Speech
• Speech Template

Best Man Speech Ideas

• Opening Lines
• Toasts Examples
• Speech Jokes
• Speech Delivery Tips

Frequently Asked Questions

• Wedding Party & Reception

Best Man Speech Magic: Crafting Words that Resonate and Inspire

Via Unsplash

Hey there! Your friend’s wedding is just around the corner, and he’s chosen you to be the best man? Crafting the perfect best man speech might seem daunting, but trust us, it’s simpler than you imagine.

Below, you’ll find a wealth of tips and examples from Wedding Forward team to guide you through crafting a best man speech that will leave a lasting impression. Moreover, our editorial team interviewed two distinguished experts in the field: Mindy Weiss, the founder of Mindy Weiss Party Consultants and a best-selling author, and Steven Greitzer, a wedding tech entrepreneur and officiant, serving as CEO of Provenance . Their invaluable tips and advice also have been integrated into this article.

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Top Best Man Speeches Examples

It is much easier to write a best man speech when you have some examples to draw upon for inspiration. That’s why Wedding Forward team have prepared variety collection of inspired best man speech to help you craft your own!

Best Man Speech For Friend

Best Man Speech for Brother

“Good evening, hope everyone is having a good time tonight. I feel very privileged and honored to be standing here tonight celebrating this lovely union. Two years ago, Matt gave the best man speech at my wedding and made a lot of awkward jokes. So needless to say, I’ve been waiting for this moment for a really long time! For those who don’t know, I am Matt’s brother, Mike. I first met Matt when I was two years old at our parent’s house in Boston. To be quite honest, I wasn’t thrilled because I really wanted a sister. And I think he knew because Matt would do ridiculous things like throw my toothbrush in the toilet, pour water at me when I was asleep and run across the room naked when I had any friends over. This made me less popular than I already was. Matt always excelled in school, was captain of the debate team (apologies to Cara, but he can argue his way out of anything!) and can make a mean steak. The truth is, despite him being an annoying brother at the time, I came out winning in the end. Because of him and this beautiful night, I am getting the sister I always wanted. Cara, you’re beautiful and our family loves you so much. Thank you for making my brother so happy. Let’s celebrate this amazing union and raise a glass to the newlyweds ! On behalf of the groomsmen and bridesmaids, we’d like to wish you a life full of love, happiness, and joy. To everyone who made tonight happen, thank you. You’ve made this night very special.” Source

Short Best Man Speeches

“Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please? As the best man, I stand here today to say a few words about the remarkable love story between my incredible friend, [groom’s name], and his beautiful bride, [bride’s name]. [Groom’s name] and I have been through thick and thin together, and I’ve had the privilege of witnessing his growth as a person. But it wasn’t until [bride’s name] came into his life that I saw a change I can only describe as transformative. Their love is like a beacon, guiding them through life’s ups and downs. So here’s to the newlyweds—a couple who have found not just love, but true companionship. May your journey be filled with happiness, passion, and an everlasting bond.”

“Sure, here’s an even shorter best man speech example: Good evening, everyone. For those who don’t know me, I’m [Your Name], the best man. I want to thank [Bride’s Name] and [Groom’s Name] for this wonderful celebration. [Groom’s Name], you’ve been an amazing friend, and seeing you with [Bride’s Name] brings such joy. [Bride’s Name], you complete [Groom’s Name] perfectly. Together, you both inspire us with your love. Let’s raise a glass to the happy couple. May your life together be filled with love and happiness. Cheers!”

Funny Best Man Speeches

Best man talk for adam and kate.

“Adam and Kate – What a great day to get married! Marriage carries new responsibilities. Kate – from now on, you should never argue or disagree with Adam, because he is now the head of the family and the king of his castle. You will be expected to keep your hair and make-up perfect at all times – to dress in a way that pleases Adam. You should cook his favorite meals every night and encourage him to go out with his friends on a regular basis. Do these simple things and your marriage will be blessed with many years of happiness. Kate – I know that Adam loves you very much… because he spent a long time writing this speech for me. Congratulations to the both of you!” Source

Best Man Presentation for Sarah & Simon

“Sarah & Simon – every great relationship starts with rings. In the beginning, the phone would ring and just the thought of speaking to one another was exciting. Your love grew and so did your commitment to each other. The engagement ring soon came after. There were no doubts… your love was true. The engagement ring has now turned into a wedding ring and we are all here today to celebrate your marriage. Now of course… the suffer-ring begins. (smile and raise your glass) Peace and happiness to the new bride and groom!” Source

Speech for Neil and Claire

“Hi my name is Paul and Neil has asked me to be his best man for this wonderful occasion. I would like to say it is a very special honor but with it, comes the responsibility of giving the bloody speech. I would not say it is very comfortable to wear a tuxedo in a 30-degree church, which is not air-conditioned. The church ceremony I’m sure you’ll all agree was a wonderful, wonderful occasion. Maybe a little hot, but I’m glad to see so many of you have replaced your electrolytes with fuel of the alcoholic kind since the reception began. I have known Neil and Claire for_________ [how many years] years. You might say Neil and I met by accident, but it is no accident that Neil met Claire. If you know Neil you know he is an excellent athlete, in fact I noticed his Athletes foot right away. This was a man who had his knees and ankles shaved, for easy taping. I knew this was a hard-core sports fanatic. We both share a tremendous love of football and basketball. For many years, we have had a running bet during the season as to who will score more goals or more runs which of course, I always won. Neil is a ______________ [Groom’s Occupation] in Truro, and I thought__________________________________[Funny or quirky aspect about grooms occupation] Neil is a man who has dedicated his life to __________________[Grooms occupation] And now I’m sure will use his experience with ___________________________[what the Groom does in his occupation] in his marriage with Claire. It is great that Neil found Claire. He has always been looking for someone young, dynamic, intelligent, attractive, and with good health insurance. Neil and Claire met_________________________ [where they meet], But I have it on good authority that Neil started looking for a wife on the internet. And with a multitude of resources at his fingertips, he found some really great stuff, but sadly was unable to find himself a suitable partner. That is, until I mentioned to him that the correct category to be looking should be Woman Seeking Man. I explained the way it works, send an old picture when you still had lots of hair, lie about your height and weight, and at all other times be sincere and honest. I imagine that when Neil and Claire met and introduced each other he said I’m Neil and she said, “I need a Diamond.” So, Neil said, sure let’s pick one out. Claire is a Diamond. Neil is a gem; I think together they make beautiful jewellery. No Marriage would be complete without some brotherly advice to help set you on your way… So I canvassed the room and got some really good stuff for you! Love, honor and cherish each other, and don’t forget to take out the garbage. Your wife is always right. Just in case she is not right, refer back to #2. Always, yes always, notice every new hairstyle or dress. Do something nice for each other every single day. If she asks if something makes her look fat the answer is categorically, NO. Flowers are always a good Idea, even if you are not in trouble. There is really nothing better than a good foot rub or massage. Your wife is more important than sports. I guess. Even the cup final. It is a great joy for me to see Neil and Claire so happy. You learn things when you get older. Hmmm, I mean more mature. You make better decisions, isn’t it great that two people would entwine and commit to each other for life. Love, isn’t that what it is all about? We are here to celebrate that glorious event and this ceremony is all about letting the world know how much Neil and Claire’s love for each other is a reflection of one’s own soul in another’s. Anyway, it is time to celebrate the joyous and unbridled love that these two spectacular people will share the rest of their lives. Would you please stand now and join me in a toast. To love and laughter and happily ever after.” Source

What are the key elements that should be included in a memorable and heartfelt best man’s speech?

That is what Steven Greitzer, wedding tech entrepreneur and officiant, CEO of Provenance, said:

“There are many key elements to take into account when pulling together a great toast:

• Include 2-3 stories in your speech that capture the essence of the groom and your friendship.
• Make sure your speech is appropriate by discussing “no-go’s” with the couple beforehand.
• Acknowledge the groom’s partner in your speech and speak about how the relationship has helped the groom grow (more on that below).
• Offer a thematic takeaway, such as the importance of friendship or the strength of the couple’s love.
• Be sure to practice

The Provenance Toast Builder is the best and easiest way to make sure your wedding toast captures what you’re trying to say.”

Try the Toast Builder

How to Write Best Man Speech

For a great wedding speech, there are some simple rules you have to follow. Here you will find examples of best man speeches Dos and Don’ts from our editors.

• Plan your speech ahead (think about your best man speech structure, choose formal or funny style) and practice.
• Tell a short story ( keep the speech to about 5 minutes or less ) with jokes (2 or 3 will be enough).
• Get sentimental at some point, make compliments to the bride.
• Finish on an optimistic note (end your speech with love quotes or wishes for the happy couple).
• Be thankful (express gratitude towards the couple, their family, and anyone who helped make the wedding happen).

Don’ts

• Do not cross the 2-5 mins time limit.
• Do not make it about you.
• Avoid dirty jokes.
• Do not ignore the bride. Let her know how happy you are, that she is ending up with your friend.
• Avoid rude remarks. Keep your manners in check, even if it’s for a day.

Infographic

Best Man Speech Templates

Click here to download free printable templates of best man speech!

When creating the Best Man speech outline for your talk, include the following elements to involve everyone, making one and all feel that they are important participants in the merrymaking for the newlywed couple:

Use a Magnetic Opening Line

The opening words of your Best Man presentation should grab everyone’s attention. If you favor a romantic approach to start off a speech, you can start with a statement like, “True love wins all,” and then list the various ways the Groom, through his true love for his Bride, has won all her attention and affections.

• If some of the Groom’s favorite hip singer-songwriters date back to the 1960s and ’70s, you can quote from Bob Dylan: “ Love is just a four-letter word ,” going on to mention the many words of just four letters that relate to feelings of true love like “ kiss, hold, keep and ever. ” Be intent and clever with the use of language, and you will achieve better engagement with your audience.
• If your tastes (or the tastes of the newlyweds) are somewhat more classical, you can start by quoting the familiar line from Elizabeth Barrett Browning: “ How do I love thee, Let me count the ways. ” This popular line has been repeated in many variations by countless poets and songwriters ever since, so have no fear of labeling yourself as an egghead when quoting it. This opening line will also give you a chance to mention the main virtues and attributes of the Bride.

Thank the Other Speakers

It is always appropriate and appreciated if you thank the other speakers for the occasion. These speakers usually include the Maid of Honor and the Bride’s Father as well as any other members of the wedding party that the Bride and Groom ask to speak.

It is always good form to express your gratitude for their contributions to this special moment and event. Never criticize or make jokes about what they say or how they say it. Just thank them politely and continue with your own remarks since you know very well how to write a best-man speech.

Congratulate the Newlyweds

Congratulate the wedding couple on this exciting first chapter in their lives together. This is the ideal time to tell the guests how you met your great friend, the Groom. If you happen to be the Groom’s brother or cousin, you can recreate moments of hilarity from your younger years together or shared experiences of suspense or intrigue.

Recalling funny incidents or telling best man speech jokes involving the Groom is totally acceptable, so long as you keep the format and content clean and respectable.

Expert tip from Steven Greitzer:

“A great best man speech strikes the perfect balance of humor and sincerity. You want it to be memorable, but for the right reasons. Check with the couple to see if there are any topics you need to avoid or any topics that might be of particular concern to anyone in the audience. In the Provenance Toast Builder , the couple has the option to call out any topic they do, or don’t, want you to include. If you have any jokes in your speech you are unsure about, run them by someone who is close to the couple who you trust. And if you have a feeling that a joke might upset them or not land well with the audience – err on the side of caution. It’s their big day, not yours! There’s a way to have a funny best man speech that doesn’t upset grandma. Find the balance.”

Compliment the Bride

Now it is time to pull out the stops and give high praise to the Bride using your knowledge of how to write a best man talk. Highlight and emphasize her finest qualities, talents, and accomplishments.

Let them know just how overjoyed you are to celebrate the marriage of these two special people of whom you think so highly. Then give the Bride another charming compliment using top-quality speech writing tips.

Read Messages from Absent Guests

Take time to read some messages from invited guests who could not attend the wedding. This gesture is always appreciated by the absent guests and the Bride and Groom, alike. It also includes their congratulatory thoughts and best wishes for the newlyweds in the day’s special events.

Include a Famous Quote or Poem

Enchant your attentive audience of wedding guests further by reciting a well-known quote or poem that suits the occasion. This adds a creative literary element to the post-wedding celebration for the honored couple. You may want to consult other templates, including a listing of groomsman speech examples.

Best Man Speech Quotes

Choose Best Man speech quotes that reflect the couple’s personality, add humor, and keep them relevant.

Love is like war: easy to begin but very hard to stop. H. L. Mencken

Marriage is a workshop where husband works and wife shops.

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. Mignon McLaughlin

Propose a Toast to the Wedding Couple

Raise your glass of champagne so the guests can eagerly follow your example as you deliver a heartfelt toast of optimistic good wishes for the excellent health, increasing wealth, and everlasting happiness of the newlyweds.

The toast should be given with gusto and true sincerity and may include mild best-man speech jokes. Remember that you speak for all the well-wishers in the room who want all the best for this newly married Bride and Groom, so put your best energy, spirit, and talents for convincing elocution into this featured Grand Finale.

The “Thankful” Speech

“Hello everyone, it’s such a pleasure to be here tonight as [Groom’s] best man. And I want to begin with saying what an honor it is that I was chosen to stand by your side today. You’ve always been someone that I looked up to and I am just beyond grateful that I get to share in this moment with you and [Bride]. [Groom] is someone that I’ve come to care for greatly over the years and I am so happy that he’s found someone to share his life with and start a family with. [Groom] has always been my right hand throughout the biggest moments of my life and I can’t wait to be able to watch everything beautiful unfold for the two of you. Cheers to a lifetime of happiness!”

The “Smart Move” Speech

“There’s an old saying about friendship that reads, “It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them,” and goodness that couldn’t be more true for me and my boy, [Groom]. I could go into all the funny stories that include some of that stupidity but instead I’d rather focus on all the smart moves he’s made. His friendships, the relationship he has with his family, his career, it’s all a reflection of the incredible man he’s become. But really, the smartest move he’s made is marrying you, [Bride]. Let’s toast to the best decision [Groom’s] ever made. I wish you a lifetime of love, happiness and success.”

The “She Was the One” Speech

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming out tonight to celebrate the wedding of two people we all love, [Bride] & [Groom]! When I first met [Bride], I knew that she was the woman [Groom] would end up marrying. Even if it hadn’t dawned on him quite yet, it was obvious to everyone around just how smitten he was with her. They talk about a bride’s glow, but this man was shining since the moment he met [Bride]. He changed for the better without realizing it. And we all could see it. He couldn’t stop talking about her. We’d go out with the boys and [Bride’s] name would be brought up every two minutes. So, when he came to me to tell me that he would be proposing my only response was, ‘Well, it’s about time!’ There’s something special about these two. They go together without forcing it. They love each other without fighting it. And they care about each other without thinking about it. She was the one from the very beginning [Groom], and we’re all so happy to be able to take part in your big day. Cheers!”

Best Man Speech Opening Lines

Your opening lines are your best-man speech icebreakers, so it’s important that they are good. Grab the attention of your guests with witty best man speech openers such as these.

• “I would like to begin by congratulating the groom on his excellent taste in best men. He has really outdone himself this time, and I’m pleased.”
• “I have been asked by the bride and groom not to share any embarrassing stories, crude jokes, or pranks during my best man’s speech… so I guess that’ll be it from me! Thank you all for listening.”
• “If you cannot hear me at the back, nothing to worry about. By the complete silence in the front row here, you can rest assured that you’re really not missing much.”
• “Is anyone here this afternoon feeling nervous and queasy at the thought of what lies ahead? If you are, it’s probably because you’ve just married (groom’s name).”
• “All of you here who really know the bride must know that she is a wonderful person who deserves a good husband. Thank goodness (groom’s name) married her before she found one.”

Best Man Speech One-Liners

I am about to make the groom cry. I just received the food bill.

He is smart, tall, kind, generous….. Who am I actually talking about?

Hi, the groom is a great friend. Our friendship is 2hours old. I was hired as he’s got no friends.

His colleagues describe him as a first-class banker – I may have misheard them.

I heard some time that marriage is a 50/50 affair. Believe that at your own peril. We have factors called women and improper fractions.

One-liners are sharp jokes delivered in one sentence. A good one-liner is concise and meaningful. It is instant but loaded with humor that can keep the guests laughing for a while. It is important that the best man speech jokes contain one-liners.

Best Man Toasts Examples

“It’s been an emotional day, even the cake is in tiers.”

“Folks, I have been told I am not allowed to have a drink until AFTER my speech. If I seem like I’m in a hurry to finish, it’s because I am.”

“I hope the two of you have the two essential things it takes to have a successful marriage 1) a sense of humor 2) selective hearing.”

“Psychiatrists say that girls tend to marry men like their fathers. That must be why mothers cry at weddings.”

“Love is not about how often you say I love you, but how often you show that it’s true.”

Best Man Speech Jokes

“They say marriage is a journey, and tonight we celebrate the beginning of an epic road trip for the bride and groom. Just remember, guys, never forget to ask for directions!”

“They say the key to a successful marriage is patience, understanding, and a remote control with fresh batteries. Groom, make sure you always keep that remote handy!”

“Let’s raise our glasses to the newlyweds: may their love be like Wi-Fi, strong and never disconnecting, even in the midst of Netflix binges!”

“As the best man, it’s my duty to share a piece of advice with the groom: in marriage, always remember that a happy wife means a happy life… and also remember to nod and agree, even when she’s wrong!”

“Marriage is a lifelong commitment, just like the gym membership the groom signed up for and rarely uses. But this time, there are no cancellation fees!”

Best Man Speech Tips

When delivering your best man speech, it’s essential to captivate the audience with your words and presence. Here are some tips to ensure a memorable and engaging delivery:

• Maintain good eye contact with the audience: Look directly at the guests while speaking. Eye contact helps establish a connection and shows that you are genuinely engaged with them.
• Speak clearly and at a moderate pace: Enunciate your words clearly and avoid rushing through your speech. Speaking at a moderate pace allows the audience to understand and absorb your message effectively.
• Use appropriate gestures and body language to enhance your delivery: Use hand gestures and body movements to emphasize key points and add energy to your speech. However, be mindful of not going overboard and distracting from your message.
• Incorporate pauses for comedic timing and to allow the audience to react: Timing is crucial, especially when delivering humorous anecdotes or punchlines. Pause before and after delivering a joke to build anticipation and give the audience time to laugh and react.

By implementing these delivery and presentation tips, you’ll engage the audience, leave a lasting impression, and make your best man speech a memorable highlight of the wedding celebration.

Are there any common mistakes to avoid, and how to overcome nervousness or stage fright?

According to wedding planner Mindy Weiss, “speeches can help make or break a wedding” . And we agree with this opinion. Speeches have the power to elevate the celebration, bringing tears of joy and laughter to guests, while also creating cherished memories that last a lifetime. However, poorly delivered speeches can disrupt the flow and energy of the event, leaving guests feeling disconnected and the couple disappointed.

Steven Greitzer convinced that one of the biggest mistakes is when the person giving the wedding speech only talks about the partner they’re closest with, unintentionally making the other partner feel left out and unimportant: “To help remedy this, the Provenance Toast Builder gives you the option to either talk about each partner 50/50, or to talk 70% about your person and 30% about their partner (which is a good rule of thumb). The Toast Builder also has thoughtful prompts to encourage you to share why they’re both 1) good people and 2) a great match for each other.

What is the best man supposed to say in his speech?

The best man should share anecdotes about the groom, praise the couple, thank everyone, and propose a toast. Keep it lighthearted and sincere.

How long should a best man speech be?

The best man’s speech should typically be 5 to 7 minutes long. This duration is long enough to share heartfelt sentiments, humorous anecdotes, and well-wishes without losing the audience’s attention. Keeping it concise and engaging ensures it remains memorable and enjoyable for everyone.

How do I write a good man speech?

Write a good best man speech by including humor, expressing genuine sentiments, avoiding inappropriate content, and keeping it focused on the couple. Practice for smooth delivery and timing.

There is truly something for everyone today to create the perfect Best Man Speech for that very special couple and their after-wedding reception, dinner, and celebration. Fond remembrances, amusing stories and anecdotes, humorous quotes, and emotional phrases end with the joyful ring of a clever, yet heartfelt Best Man Toast to the Bride and Groom. The contemporary wedding is truly a work of love and art with all the trimmings and enticing treats for one and all to treasure and enjoy.

Thank you for reading. Please let us know how we did.

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Best Man Speech: The Definitive Guide to Smashing it

by Catherine D July 12, 2019

Here’s all you need to deliver an incredible and unforgettable best man speech.

Congratulations!

You’ve just been awarded the highest honor a bro can receive.  You’re the best man! And that’s an honor greater than being knighted by the queen. But I’m sure you know what comes with it.

You’ll have to give that best man speech brosef!

Though, you won’t want to give just any speech off the top of your head that nobody is going to give a damn about.

Just remember what Uncle Ben said to Spidey, “With great power comes great responsibility”. It’s that serious, man.

You’ve probably seen best man speeches like this before. The guy stands up, hits the glass and says something, uninspired, about how he’s bros with the groom, congratulates the bride-to-be, and then sits down.

Or maybe you’ve seen another kind of speech, where the best man stands up and talks about nothing for 10+ minutes, putting you to sleep, because who even cares?

During a reception, there are about a million different things going on. People will forget the things that do not grab their attention, especially at a reception.

Everyone there is busy talking, eating, laughing, and will not care or even remember a boring speech in a few days. But not yours, my friend, you’re going to be the star of the day.

In this guide, we give you everything you need to know in sequence - from the writing process, all the way to delivering that wedding toast. Get your notepad ready for some very important tips on giving your wedding toast!

So How Do You Write the Best Man Speech?

The hardest part is always just getting started. Here are some basic tips on how to write a best man speech so that you can be prepared and dominate when the time comes.

Be Prepared and Plan Ahead

Practice makes perfect. Creating a fantastic speech doesn’t happen overnight.

If you’re going to wow the audience, you’ll need to make sure you’ve done everything you possibly can and covered every base - and man, that takes time.

Generally, 2-3 months is the right amount of time to give yourself when writing for a best man speech to account for the overall writing process and potential rewrites.

Considering all of the events that follow, like the bachelor party and the suit fitting, you’ll be too busy in those final moments to prepare a killer best man speech that’s even half decent.

Record Every Thought

You might be on the bus or in your car and think of an incredible quote or one-liner to say in your wedding toast, but our memories are very limited.

It’s difficult to remember what you even had for lunch two days ago, much less something you thought up some random time.

No matter where you are, record your thoughts. You could write in a journal, use your iPhone’s “Voice Memos” app or an app like Evernote . Scratch them onto a napkin, carve them into a stone near you, just get those wedding toast ideas down!

As long as you start capturing your thoughts, you’ll eventually reach a gold mine.

Think of this more as ‘capturing’ than ‘writing’. It’s easier to capture your raw best man speech ideas than banging your head on the wall trying to ‘write’ something from scratch.

Keep a Positive Tone

When it comes to the best man speech, the main thing to keep in mind is the goal of what you want to accomplish - celebrating the bride and groom. Here are some things to focus on:

• Your best experiences with the groom.
• How great a pair the bride and groom are.
• The best qualities of the groom.
• Possible first thoughts on the bride when they met (If they were good thoughts!)

Focus on the best of times, and further expand upon those points the best you can and maybe you can use those for a few wedding jokes!

With that in mind, here’s what not to say:

What Not to Talk About in Your Speech

While you may be writing to make your groom laugh, you need to remember your audience is diverse. You have children, elders, and teenagers so you wouldn’t want to write something inappropriate.

Generally, it’s best to avoid things like these:

• Any previous relationships.
• Anything about drugs, alcohol, gambling.
• Perverse topics, or anything of a sexual nature.
• Harsh negativity.
• Inside jokes that are too specific.

The idea is to avoid anything raunchy or disheartening during your speech, even if it might be hilarious in your head, you’ll have to avoid it in your best man speech.

Think about how upset Grandma would be if you happened to talk about how her little Jimmy actually hasn’t been saving himself for marriage - what horror!

How Long Should a Best Man Speech Be?

So you have a great speech, and you’ve covered every single talking point that fit. Everyone’s going to love this, right?

Wrong! When writing a best man speech, you’ll want to keep it way, way shorter.

The problem is that what you wrote is almost 30 minutes long! No bueno amigo. Nothing on this Earth could keep people engaged in a wedding toast that long.

You’re not going for a ‘F.D.R. Repairing the American Psyche During The Great Depression’ type of speech. What you want is more like an ‘I Love You, Man’ speech.

It seems like everyone from everywhere throws out an arbitrary number ranging from 1-10 minutes, but really, research shows our attention span is even shorter than a goldfish .

Which means you have 8 seconds to make an impression . Let that sink in.

The best man speech is usually between meals at a reception. That means you have to make your mark - and get in what you have to say in a short time. Meaning that short best man speeches are perfectly fine, you don’t have to overthink it.

It can be 1 minute, it can be 5 minutes.  Keep the audience engaged in your speech and don’t ramble off unnecessarily.

How do you do that? Practice!

It’s All About Practice

You know, it’s okay to feel unsatisfied with what you wrote. After all, you’re not the most accomplished writer in the world. You just want to prepare a great best man speech and get back to Netflix binging.

The writing process can be tough, so here’s an ideal approach that most people use when writing the best material:

• Write a few pages of content just to get the speech ideas out.
• Realize that you’ve written a movie's worth of material.
• Take what you really like.
• Edit until you stop hating it.

Being intimidated serves no purpose.

Get Interviewed Bruh

If you’re not the best writer (or capturer), the previous steps might seem a little intimidating to you. That’s fine. Not everyone can put pen to paper as well as they’d like, and if that’s you, consider having a friend interview you!

Getting a friend or family member to interview you about your experiences with the groom is a great way of getting wedding speech ideas. Here are a few topics to get interviewed on:

• Where did you meet?
• Did you like each other at first?
• When did you become bros?
• What kind of crazy experiences did you have together?
• What kind of bad qualities does he have?
• What kind of good qualities does he have?

Answering these questions with a recording device can help you when you need to put the best man speech together, and you can recall things you might never have just by writing!

Be (Relatively) Sober

Even if you have a Wade Boggs alcohol tolerance, it’s best to keep the drinks to a minimum.

( The guy drank 64 beers on one cross country flight, what the hell? )

Having one or two drinks is fine if it helps calm the nerves, but any more will mess up any chance of giving a decent best man toast, and you’ll just look silly slurring your words or acting strangely. Remember, all eyes are on you during your best man speech.

Try Some Best Man Speech Jokes or Quotes

So suppose you’ve got your speech together, but you have a placeholder like:

[ Put a joke in here! ] in 3-4 spots, and you really have no idea what to put in there.

We got you covered.

Here are some best man speech opening lines you could work with and personalize for whatever you may need, because the opportunity for wedding jokes is a rare thing! These make great icebreakers to warm your audience up.

“Well, where do I even start? [Groom] is just incredible. He’s brilliant, funny, caring… Anyway, I can’t really read your handwriting [Groom], so just tell me whatever the rest was after.”

“[Bride], you really are an incredible woman. You deserve an absolutely incredible husband, so I’m not going to stop until I figure out what’s wrong here.”

“Thank you everyone for bearing with me, I Googled ‘best man speech jokes’ and every site asked for my credit card before showing me any examples, so here goes nothing.”

“For those of you who know the bride, she’s really a wonderful woman who deserves a wonderful man. So good job, [Groom], for marrying her before she found one.”

“For anyone who finds this speech particularly not funny, I got all of my jokes from [Groom] so please, blame that guy.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, I wasn’t given a microphone tonight and I deeply apologize. To anyone in the back, If you hear silence at the front, be sure that you’re not missing anything.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, before I begin this speech I’d just like to say I am absolutely thrilled that I beat the bartender at rock-paper-scissors twenty minutes ago for the honor of best man.”

Putting Together a Best Man Speech Outline

Now that you have an idea of how to write a best man speech, it’s just as important to know how to structure it. While there are canned free best man speech templates out there, it's really best to get a bird's eye view on what you want to say and create a structure that works for you personally. Don't just take any random free speech template from online and fire it up. Not every outline or template will work for your needs, so get a good idea of your vision first then begin to structure it.

Flow matters, and it’s the most important thing in putting together great best man speeches. Without good flow, you’ll lose the crowd and people won’t follow what you’re saying.

Here are some great ideas to nail the best man speech structure and make your speech shine.

The Introduction

The introduction needs to serve a single purpose: Getting people engaged! This is the key aspect of any best man speech formula.

The One-Liner Approach

An incredible one-liner is a great way of getting started. A good idea for this would be to roast the groom a little bit, he probably wouldn’t mind.

For example, what faults does he have? You can take advantage of that to make slight jabs at him.

Or you can even make fun of yourself in the process, what do you both suck at? Maybe you want to talk about that awkward mullet phase you both had in high school. Live it up!

The Congratulatory Approach

Alternatively, you can open by showing gratitude to:

• The bride and groom, for bringing everyone together.
• The guests, for attending this incredible event.
• The parents of the bride and groom, for bringing them into this world.

This approach is a good option at the beginning. You can use it as a Plan B if you think you can’t gather an appropriate one-liner.

It’s easy to get lost in thought about what to follow up a good opener in a best man speech, but nothing is safer than a good story to engage your audience.

The idea is to create a connection to the groom and then present it to the guests.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Where you met the groom.
• What makes him a great guy.
• Crazy stories that show who he is.
• Why he’s an excellent fit for the bride.
• How he changed for the better after he met the bride.

Really, anything goes, and they’re all sure to keep people interested. Focus on the organic story of your friendship and don’t be robotic.

You’ll want to accomplish this in a way that stays kosher, though, avoiding unsavory details mentioned in our #4 tip.

Congratulate the Bride

So, you don’t have to do this, but we definitely encourage it. The issue is, not everyone really knows the bride. Honestly, maybe you met her a month ago, or a week ago.

Who knows, you could have met her literally just now. When your buddy gets hitched, it’s quite common to not really know the lady herself.

If this is true, you can handle this two ways:

Stick to something like:

“I knew she was a great fit for you the moment I saw you together”.

“She really is the perfect match for you dude.”

Sure the groom will know you barely know her, but whatever, if he really is your bro, he’ll appreciate that you’re saving face like this.

2. Avoid it.

Look, you’re the best man, it means the groom chose you, he knows you. Which means that he’s most likely expecting your best man speech to be about your experiences together, so keep the content focused around your relationship.

This means that it’s okay to avoid any mention of the bride after the first few words when writing a best man speech.

It works in most cases to just congratulate her in the intro, and then continue on with your speech avoiding her entirely.

This might sound a little underhanded, but it works, and most likely, the audience won’t notice.

If you know the bride, then speak about her.

If you’re just as close to the bride as you are to the groom, then you need to take all of the prior steps to make a compelling speech for the bride too, which won’t make the best man toast easy but hey, you don’t want to piss her off.

You could share a story about her too, or you can talk about one where the bride and groom shared with you, which is always a safe bet.

How to End Your Wedding Toast

Here’s where you wrap up your thoughts, and keep this part short, you don’t have to stress it too much.

It’s as easy as saying something like,

“Jack, Jill, to a lifetime of good health, love, and joy!”

There are a thousand different things you can say here, but the main idea is to keep the tone positive, upbeat, congratulate their love and wish the best for them.

NOTE: It is absolutely acceptable to keep a paper copy of your speech on hand because you’re not remembering your speeches like a world leader at the U.N. You’re just a guy who’s happy for his bro.

Best Man Speech Examples

Even if you have everything else down, it’s always best to have some speech examples of how to tackle your wedding toast.

People have done it before you, so why go in blind? Here are some different types of best man speeches for unique scenarios you may want to try for your best man toast.

Funny Best Man Speech (Example)

“Hello Everyone, I’m John, I’m the best man, and if you find this speech unfunny, [Groom] and I have the same sense of humor, so please blame him.

I’m just joking, of course, I promised [Groom] I wouldn’t roast him too much today or talk about anything too weird, so I’ll just talk about the good parts of his character...

...Thank you, everyone, have a great evening.

But really, [Groom] and I have been friends since before I knew how even to tie my own shoelaces. He’s a brother to me, even more than my actual brother, sometimes.

Sorry, Alex.”

Emotional Best Man Speech (Example)

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I’m the best man, Chris. [Groom] and I go way back, all the way from high school. Through the years, he’s grown from a pain in the ass, into a fine man.

[Groom] was always shy when it came to meeting new people, and that’s sorta hard to hear considering how a guy like that could be such a perfect match with [Bride]. But I can’t imagine him without you, because I’ve seen what it looked like.

[Bride], you are both so dear to me, please take care of [Groom], please keep him out of trouble.”

Short Best Man Speech (Example)

“Good evening, everyone, from the moment that [Groom] met [Bride], I knew that this was going to be something special.

The way you two talk to each other, you’re so alike sometimes that honestly, it kind of scares me.

But to quote Mark Twain, ‘To get the full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with.’ May your love be timeless.”

Hopefully these wedding toast examples give you ideas on how to model your own best man speech!

The Presentation - Delivering the Best Man Speech

You have the writing and the flow down. Great! Most of the hard work is all done.

But don’t forget, you’re delivering a best man speech. And grand statements are always accompanied by excellent speech etiquette.

Here are some best man speech tips that’ll help you deliver, so that you don’t look like an uncomfortable 4th grader at a talent show your Mom forced you into.

Practice Your Speech on Camera

You’re noticing a trend, right? Practicing the actual delivery of the best man speech in front of a camera is a great way to see what poor and good habits you have.

And then, you need to keep practicing to eliminate the bad ones. For example, do you notice that you slump too much? Do you happen to mumble? Do you look down a lot?

Take note of all of these when you look at the recording and then try the speech again while mindfully avoiding bad habits and watching out for awkwardly delivered wedding jokes.

Practice in Front of People

Sure, using a camera is an excellent way to correct issues, but there’s nothing better than getting an outsider opinion.

Getting a spectator to sit and watch you deliver your best man toast lets someone tear into your bad habits without any bias. It may be painful, but this is what you want, and a larger group of people is best.

That way, when it’s time to give the best man speech, the concerns an audience member might have are already known to you.

The Honest Truth Man

Remember that a best man speech is a celebration of the love and joy that the bride and groom share. You don’t have to stress about every minor detail, because the audience isn’t (and they’ll most likely all be drunk anyway).

They’re already lightened up, and in the mood for a good few words, so why spend your time being nervous? It’s not worth it. Enjoy yourself up there and just deliver that crushing best man toast.

After it’s through, you can start drinking again, which is what you’ll probably want to do anyway.

Say what you have to say, and raise a toast to the bride and groom. Use this guide as a helpful resource and come back to it as many times as you need to ensure a totally awesome best man speech.

Good luck on your best man speech!

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How to Write a Best Man Speech (6 Easy Steps)

So, it happened. You were asked to be the Best Man at a close friend or relative’s upcoming wedding. And of course, you said yes!

But now that means you have to write and deliver a Best Man speech, and maybe you don’t have a clue where to start.

After all, it’s not something you do every day!

If you’re feeling unsure then don’t worry, you’re in the right place. I’m going to tell you exactly how to write a Best Man speech.

And the good news is it’s not rocket science. It’s just a sequence of logical steps.

So let’s see what they are, shall we?

Step 1: Learn the Logistics

One of the easiest mistakes to make is assuming that things will run a certain way on the day of your speech.

To avoid any nasty surprises, find out in advance how the wedding day and the speeches will be organised. Because things may be a little different to what you expect.

Here are some smart questions to ask the Groom before you get started:

• What’s the date of the wedding (basic but crucial!)
• Where do the speeches fit into the overall schedule?
• Who else is scheduled to speak and in what order? (Usually it’s the Father of the Bride, then the Groom, then the Best Man, but there are lots of possible variations.)
• Are there any specific time constraints you need to be aware of?
• Are there any topics that the Groom would prefer you to avoid?
• Are there specific stories the Groom will mention in his speech (so you can avoid duplicating them in yours)?

The Groom may not have all the answers to hand, but just getting a few answers can give you confidence to start working on your speech.

Step 2: Brain-dump Lots of Ideas

Once you’re clear about how your speech will fit into the wedding day schedule, and you’re aware of any important constraints, it’s time to start generating some ideas.

During this early phase, it’s best to focus on quantity rather than quality of ideas. I call it “brain dump mode”.

You don’t need to worry about structure or flow or anything like that, you’re just getting some raw ideas scribbled on a writing pad or typed into a document on your computer.

Your aim is just to generate as many possible topics as possible that could be used somewhere in your speech.

(Imagine these as the basic building materials you’ll use to assemble your Best Man speech.)

Here are some questions to ask yourself while in this mode:

• How did you first meet the Groom?
• What are his best (and worst) qualities?
• What are the most memorable moments from your friendship?
• What are the “running jokes” you share?
• What makes him and his new wife a good match?
• What advice do you want to pass on to your friend?
• What tips can you give his Bride for life with him?

More so than other speeches in the traditional wedding line-up you’ll want to look for ideas that present an opportunity for humour.

Remember: a genuinely funny Best Man speech isn’t just one that’s littered with off-the-shelf jokes. It’s one where you draw humour from real-life observations and situations that are specific to your friend.

(For more help with generating ideas, you can also check out my list of Best Man Speech Prompts.)

Step 3: Decide on a Suitable Structure

Now that you’ve generated some raw ingredients for your speech (and hopefully far more ideas than you will need!) you’ll want a structure to contain them.

There are lots of different structures you can use, and the best one will depend on the ideas you have generated.

Here are some possible structures:

• Chronological — if you’ve known the Groom for a long time you can structure your speech around key phases of his life: e.g., school days, early adulthood, first job, etc. It’s usually best to work your way forwards from your earliest memory to the present day.
• Perspectives — another option is to look at the Groom from a few different perspectives. For instance, what’s he like as a friend, as a sportsman, as a travelling companion, as a drinking buddy, etc.? What’s he like in his professional life compared with his personal life?
• Characteristics — you could also organise your speech according to the Groom’s most striking qualities or characteristics. You could talk about his loyalty, his determination, his sense of fun, his ambition, and so on, illustrating each one with examples and stories.

Note: Different structures will also give your speech a different “feel” so think about the style and tone you’d like to aim for.

You can also combine these structures to suit your needs. You could even choose a more novel structure driven by a big idea.

For instance, what if you structured your speech as a fairy tale with the Groom as an intrepid hero who has to overcome different challenges to win the heart of the princess (his Bride)?

Or you could structure your speech as a business presentation, complete with PowerPoint slides, which describes the “features and benefits” of the Groom as if he were a new product.

If you’re not sure what structure to use, look at your list of brainstormed ideas and see if they fall naturally into a set of categories.

Step 4: Organise Your Ideas

Looking at your chosen structure, write 3 to 5 headings for the main body of your speech. (You’ll add an introduction at the start and a toast at the end later in the process.)

Then pick the best ideas from your brainstormed list and start to drop them underneath the headings or sections of your speech.

What this looks like in practice will depend on whether you’re working on paper or on your computer. (Writing single ideas on sticky notes and moving them around between different headings or sections can be very effective.)

However you organise your speech, keep an eye on the balance between different sections…

If a section has too many ideas, you’ll need to trim it down.

If it doesn’t have enough ideas, you’ll either need to cut the whole section or generate some more ideas for it.

Here’s what a simple outline of your speech might look like:

Introduction

• Introduce myself as the Best Man and childhood friend
• Make a joke about how weird it is to see him dressed so smartly
• Apologise in advance to the Bride for what I’m about to reveal about Jason

School days

• Tell the story of us meeting on the first day of secondary school
• Talk about how I was always getting him in trouble (and how one teacher told his parents I was a “bad influence” on him)
• Talk about the temporary falling out we had when we fancied the same girl

University days

• Describe how he went off to university and I got a “real” job, but we stayed in touch even as we took different paths in life
• Tell the story of the messy weekend when I visited him in his student accommodation for the first time (and I got him into trouble — again!)
• Say how proud I was the day he graduated with a first class degree (but I had to buy the celebration drinks because he had no money left)

Working life

• Talk about how getting a job was a wake up call for him after his “cushy” three years as a student
• Say how none of his friends really understand what his job entails and how we all suspect he’s really a spy (like a really boring version of James Bond)
• Tell the story of the lads holiday we took after his first year at the company and how he got food poisoning on the last day and spent most of his first day back in the office toilet

Give him some credit

• Talk about how he’s a loyal friend who’s been a great source of support during hard times
• Talk about the time he used his annual bonus to pay for a big night out for all his friends to thank them for their generosity when he was a skint student
• Compliment him on his work ethic and the success he’s created for himself in life

Talk about the Bride

• Describe the time he introduced me to Caroline for the first time (and how I didn’t make the greatest impression on her)
• Tell the story of the holiday to Turkey where he invited her along and I got to know her properly (and had the chance to make a better impression)
• Talk about some of the personality improvements I’ve seen in Jason since he started dating Caroline

Raise a toast

• Wish them much happiness for the future
• Raise a toast to the couple

Step 5: Write Your First Draft

Once you’ve organised your speech ideas into a rough outline, it’s time to create the first full draft of your speech.

This isn’t so you can memorise the speech perfectly, but it helps you decide if the speech flows smoothly.

Write your speech out in long hand if you prefer but I find it easier to type it into your computer and move sections around as needed.

Start with an outline like the example given above and then start to expand each of the main points into sentences and paragraphs.

Tip: If you’re entering your speech on a computer and your software supports it consider using the dictation feature to create the first draft. It’s an effective way to write your speech in the same style that you speak.

Try not to agonise over the exact wording of each of the points. Your goal is just to get a rough version of your whole speech written down.

Once your speech is around the right length too long as fine consider doing some editing based on the following questions:

• Is each section of my speech roughly the same length or do some sections get too much attention and others not enough (i.e., it’s unbalanced)?
• Do the sections flow smoothly into one another or do I need to use more transitions (sentences or short paragraphs that link one idea to the next)?
• Is the overall structure effective or does it need a rethink?

Once you’ve finished this step you should have a full draft that, with some additional editing and polishing, you’d feel happy giving at the wedding.

Step 6: Practise, Revise and Repeat

Once you’ve completed your first rough draft, it’s time start practising your speech to see how it sounds and flows when spoken out loud.

You have a few different options during this stage of your speech preparation:

• You can just read the speech to yourself and see how it sounds.
• You can make more of a performance of it and practise in front of a mirror.
• You can film yourself on your smartphone and watch yourself back at your leisure (warning: watching yourself can feel awkward at first but the discomfort quickly fades!)

As you practice your speech out loud you’ll find that some sections flow better than others. You’ll realise that certain ways of phrasing certain sections are fine on the page but turn into tongue twisters when spoken.

Have a pencil to hand and make notes over any sections that need tweaking to make them easier to perform.

Note: You’ll need to “rinse and repeat” to evolve your speech into the finished version.

Once you’re fairly happy with your speech content, you can give your speech in front of a trusted friend or relative to get an external perspective (not the Groom though — his first exposure to your speech should be on the wedding day).

Getting feedback from someone else will help you understand if the parts you intend to be funny seem funny to other people too. Ask them to be candid about what works and what doesn’t.

Note: Time yourself to get an idea of how long the speech will last. Add an extra 20% to allow for audience reaction and the possibility of being more verbose when giving your speech for real.

Once you’re happy with you speech there’s no need to memorise it word for word. You can always summarise the main topics of speech using small cue cards and use those as a safety net on the big day.

Go Write Your Best Man Speech!

It’s time to stop wondering how to write your Best Man speech and just get on and do it. Because the truth is that these six steps are all you need.

Why not make life easier for yourself by writing your speech over a couple of weeks, rather than squeezing it into one afternoon the day before the wedding?

Taking your time helps to give you a bit of perspective on your speech content and also gives your brain a chance to come up with some new ideas.

(You’ll have more time to practice too.)

Read More Like This

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How to Write a Best Man Speech – Full Template With Examples

It’s the moment you’ve always been waiting for: your best friend or brother has asked you to be his best man! But as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. And in your case, that responsibility is writing a truly epic best man speech. To help you with this daunting task, we’re breaking down everything you need to know to give an unforgettable best man speech — plus some examples and templates to get you started!

We get it, public speaking can feel downright terrifying. But when done right, a best man speech will instantly light up a room and earn you allllll the best friend points. No pressure or anything! In this guide, we’re here to help you nail your moment in the spotlight with all the best man speech FAQs, advice, and examples you could ever need. Let’s get into it!

Table of Contents

Best man speech faqs, our best advice for writing the ultimate best man speech, the foolproof best man speech template and examples.

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If you want to write a best man speech that leaves the room in tears (of laughter or joy, take your pick!), the first step is preparation. This isn’t the type of best man duty that you can leave to the morning of the wedding — procrastinators, we’re looking at you!

So, to help you knock it out of the park, we’re breaking down everything you need to know to write an unforgettable best man speech. From the best topics to cover to the best topics to avoid , here are all of our best man speech FAQs!

P.S. This is just an overview to get you started. Keep scrolling for our complete template and examples that you can use to write your own epic best man speech!

Is the best man required to give a speech on the wedding day?

As best man, you’re in charge of more than just standing next to the groom (and looking fly) on the big day — you’ve got responsibilities, my friend! And in addition to rocking a great ‘fit , keeping the other groomsmen in check, and getting everyone in the party mood, one of those responsibilities is giving a killer best man speech.

While the best man isn’t required to give a speech on the wedding day, it is a fun tradition that goes back decades. This is your chance to share your love for the newlyweds — and tell a few funny stories about your best friend while you’re at it!

Because of this, the happy couple (and the guests) will likely expect you to stand up and say a few words, but if you’re extra nervous about public speaking, feel free to talk to the love birds about skipping it. They may have another tradition or ritual that you can do instead of a best man speech.

Still searching for the perfect ‘fit for the big day? We’ve got you covered with this list of the most stylish suits for groomsmen !

At what point in the wedding day does the best man speech happen?

Traditionally, the best man speech takes place during the reception after the groom (or couple) has given their toast. This is when everyone is gathered together, the good vibes are rolling, and the drinks are flowing. It’s the perfect time to congratulate the couple and get the party started!

While this is the traditional timing for best man speeches, the couple may have different preferences based on their wedding timeline. It’s always a good idea to check with them ahead of time to ensure you’re fully prepared for your moment in the spotlight.

What kind of topics should you cover in a best man speech?

When it comes to best man speeches, there’s no one-size-fits-all formula. Every speech is different, just like every couple is different! But no matter which direction you choose, you want to focus on congratulating the newlyweds and expressing your love for the happy couple.

While you probably have endless crowd-pleasing stories about the groom, it’s also important to spotlight the couple as a whole, instead of writing your entire best man speech about your friend.

Do you have a funny story about the groom asking his S.O. out on their first date? Or a sweet anecdote from when he told you he found “the one?” This approach will help them both feel special on the big day — and earn you brownie points with both sides of the guest list!

P.S. We’ve included more specific examples to write about in your best man speech down below, plus a template to get you started!

What topics are off-limits during a best man speech?

Remember: this a wedding, not a bachelor party! When writing your best man speech, the goal is to keep it classy and appropriate for all ages, while still injecting a bit of your personality into the toast. It’s a delicate balance, so here are a few topics to avoid on the mic!

• Super personal or embarrassing stories: Sure, you might have some hilarious anecdotes about the groom, but if they might embarrass the couple or their families, then they’re better left unsaid. After all, this is a celebration of love, not a roast!
• Controversial topics: Whenever you’re giving a speech (and especially at a wedding filled with your best friend’s loved ones), you should avoid anything that could be considered controversial or offensive. This includes jokes or comments about religion, politics, race, gender, or sexuality. Even if you think you’re being funny, you don’t want to risk offending anyone in the audience.
• Past relationships: If there was ever a time to not talk about an ex, it’s at that person’s wedding. No matter how good the story is, bringing up the couple’s former flames during the best man speech will only ever be awkward when they’re sitting next to you in their wedding best.
• Inside jokes: The most successful best man speeches are the ones that make the entire audience smile, laugh, or tear up. To keep your speech inclusive and engaging for everyone in the room (not just your friend group), avoid those inside jokes that you “just had to be there” to get.

How long should a best man speech be?

For best man speeches that make an impact, shorter is usually better. As a general rule, aim for around 3 to 5 minutes (about 750 words). This is long enough to cover the essentials and tell a few great stories, without losing the audience’s attention. Anything longer, and you might risk people getting distracted or bored — especially if the speeches are taking place later in the evening.

When writing your best man speech, always focus on the quality over the length. With such a short window, you want to make every word count. So practice your delivery, time yourself, and aim for a speech that’s heartfelt, fun, and concise.

When in doubt, aim for a best man speech that’s short and sweet, rather than super long. Attention spans at this point in the wedding day are limited!

Does your best man speech have to be funny?

No, your speech doesn’t have to be funny, and jokes are by no means a requirement. It’s easy to feel pressured to turn your best man speech into a stand-up routine, but this definitely isn’t necessary. If it doesn’t feel natural, then it’s always better to stick with a heartfelt and authentic approach that reflects your unique relationship with the newlyweds.

On the other hand, if you are the class clown of the friend group, then humor is always appreciated! A crowd-pleasing joke or two during your best man speech will keep the good vibes going — just be sure to balance them with sincere and heartfelt sentiments. At the end of the day, you want to be yourself, speak from the heart, and let your personality shine.

Who does the best man thank in his speech?

Aside from the anecdotes and words of love, best man speeches should also include a few heartfelt thank you’s. It’s best practice to express your gratitude to the newlyweds, as well as the loved ones who made this day possible. This could be the couple’s parents, their (other) best friends, and anyone else who played a big part in their relationship.

And finally, get the crowd on your side by thanking all the guests for being a part of this special celebration. Without their love and support, the day wouldn’t be complete!

So, where do you start? You don’t have to be a skilled speech writer to write a best man speech that wins over the room. That’s where we come in! We’ve seen our fair share of killer best man speeches, and we’ve made a note of all the do’s and don’ts to follow during your time at the mic.

By the end of the best man speech, the crowd should feel like they know a little bit more about the couple’s love story — and be excited to spend the rest of the night celebrating them (you’re basically their hype man!).

Keep scrolling for our top tips for writing a best man speech that checks off ALL these boxes and more. We see a standing ovation in your future!

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1. Craft an Outline for Your Best Man Speech

One thing you shouldn’t do when giving your best man speech? Wing it. Before you step into the spotlight, spend some time crafting an outline for what you’re going to say.

I know, I know, this tip might be bringing you back to your days in English Lit class. But it’s a surefire way to ensure you cover all the essentials, without rambling on and on. Plus, it could be as simple as writing down each section of your best man speech, plus the main points you want cover in those sections — from the funny intro to your favorite anecdotes to the people you want to thank. Done!

P.S. We’ve included a template down below to make writing an outline for your best man speech a little easier!

2. Consider the Formality of the Wedding When Crafting Your Best Man Speech

Not sure which tone to take for your best man speech? Let the formality of the wedding be your guide. For example, a laid-back beach wedding is the perfect opportunity for a funny best man speech filled with witty jokes and wild stories, while a black tie optional affair may call for something a little classier.

The formality of the wedding may also depend on who’s in attendance. A small crowd filled with the couple’s best friends and closest family members will allow for a different type of best man speech than a large guest list that includes their co-workers, neighbors, and distant relatives.

Read the room, and don’t be afraid to ask the love birds beforehand about how formal to make your best man speech.

3. Brainstorm a List of Your Favorite Moments With The Groom and the Couple

How did you first meet the groom? Was there a moment or experience that bonded you together? Were you there when he first laid eyes on his other half? What are your favorite memories with the three of you together?

Do a brain dump of all these moments before writing your best man speech, then sift through them to pick out the best jokes, anecdotes, and sentimental moments to share with the crowd.

4. When Crafting Jokes, Choose Ones That Will Have Wide Appeal

As we mentioned before, the best examples of best man speeches bring the entire crowd in on the joke. You and the couple may have an incredible inside joke that will have you all on the floor, but if it leaves the rest of the room in crickets then this may not be the best time for it.

Instead, choose jokes that everyone will enjoy. If it will make the groom’s grandmother and the flower girl laugh, then you have yourself a winner. And if you do want to include a few inside jokes, balance them with some crowd-pleasing cracks — or give the crowd a little backstory about what makes this joke so funny to the couple.

5. Run Your Best Man Speech By Someone Else in the Wedding Party

So, how do you know if your jokes (or the rest of your best man speech, for that matter) will have widespread appeal? Recruit some test subjects first!

Ask someone that’s close to the couple to listen to your speech before you present it to a room filled with people. This could be a bridesmaid, a fellow groomsmen, or a close family member. These are the people that know the couple just as well as you do (and have some knowledge about the wedding), so they’ll have better insight about what works, and what doesn’t.

Not only will this help ensure that your jokes land, your speech flows, and your anecdotes hit home, but it will also give you a chance to practice speaking in front of other people. Which brings us to our next tip…

6. Practice Your Best Man Speech (And Aim to Put it To Memory!)

Before giving your best man speech, be sure to follow the three P’s: practice, practice, practice. Say the speech in front of the mirror, in front of a few friends, or in front of a video camera to gain confidence and get your inflections + hand gestures just right.

You can even do a mini dress rehearsal in your suit to get a feeling for the big moment. Practice your best man speech with a microphone (or a hairbrush!) and imagine you’re in the venue. When you visualize your speech going well, you’ll feel more prepared for the big moment!

We also recommend trying to memorize your best man speech. There’s nothing worse than someone reading from their phone or a stack of notecards — this can make the speech feel stiff and awkward (and doesn’t look great in photos). By memorizing it, you’ll be more present in the moment and the delivery will feel more natural.

GWS Pro Tip: If you struggle to memorize things or want to have a few notes to help with your nerves, then swap your notes app for a classy leather journal instead. This mini one is the perfect pocket size, and it’ll look great in photos!

7. Remember to Breathe and Take it Slow

When you’re nervous, you may want to rush the delivery to get the speech over with as fast as possible. But this will only make you feel more anxious, and it’ll make it harder for the audience to get the full impact of your best man speech.

Before you start talking, take a few deep breaths to calm your nerves. It also helps to focus on taking pauses throughout your best man speech — especially after a good joke. This signals to the audience that it’s time to laugh, and it gives them a moment to let your comic genius sink in.

Grab your pen and paper — it’s time to start writing your iconic best man speech! To help you create your plan of attack, we’ve designed a template that covers each section of your best man speech, plus specific examples to get you started.

Whether you want your best man speech to be funny, sentimental, or a mix of the two, this template will guide you in the writing and delivery process. From an opener that will get people laughing to a final toast that will inspire tears of joy, we’re covering all the bases.

So without further ado, here’s our template to help you write the best best man speech of all time!

1. Craft an Opener for Your Best Man Speech That Really Hooks Them

It’s always best to start your best man speech by introducing yourself — but that doesn’t mean your opener has to be boring! Spice it up with a funny one-liner, a heartfelt quote (this could be from a movie you and the groom love!), or a fun fact about you and the couple.

Don’t forget to keep the focus on the groom (or the couple as a whole), even as you’re introducing yourself. The crowd is here for them , so give the people what they want!

GWS Pro Tip: During this introduction, avoid talking about how nervous you are (even if you’re currently shaking in your dress shoes). Act confident, and you’ll look confident!

Best man speech example that will get everyone laughing: “There comes a time in everyone’s life when they meet their soulmate. The person who will love them and put up with them for the rest of their life. That moment came for [groom] 15 years ago when he met me.”

Best man speech template for a clever one-liner: “Good evening, everyone! I’m [name], [groom]’s best man, and I’m pretty sure I’m only up here because I know where all the embarrassing photos of him are hidden.”

Best man speech example that instantly hooks you: “As [groom’s] brother, I’m here tonight to tell you three things you never knew about [groom]. Sorry in advance mom and dad.”

2. Keep the Mood Light-Hearted With a Crowd-Pleasing Joke

If you didn’t include a joke in your opener, now’s your chance to get the crowd on your side. Remember: your best man speech doesn’t have to be a stand-up act. If you’re not a natural comedian, don’t force it — but a little laughter will go a long way to break the ice and keep spirits high.

When in doubt, balance your joke with some heartfelt sentiments. This will come across as more authentic, especially if you’re not the jokester of the group. Here are some examples you can steal for your best man speech!

Best man speech example for super tall grooms: “I’ve always looked up to [groom]. He follows his heart, he does the right thing, and he works hard at everything he does. But mostly, he’s 6 feet tall, so I have no choice.”

Best man speech example for couples who met online: “Before I continue, I wanted to give a quick shout-out to tonight’s sponsor: Tinder. Without you, we wouldn’t all be here this evening. So cheers to Tinder, and [groom’s partner] swiping right on [groom’s] fishing picture!”

Best man speech example for grooms with a beard: “[Partner’s name], you look beautiful today. [Groom’s name], you didn’t even shave!”

3. Tell One or Two Personal Anecdotes in Your Best Man Speech

Next up: storytime. This is where you should give a little more backstory about how you know the groom, and share some anecdotes that will make the crowd fall even more in love with the couple.

We get it, you probably have hundreds of stories that you could tell about the groom. How will you ever narrow it down?! When choosing which stories to write about in your best man speech, it helps to stick to a theme. This will ensure you stay on track and give your speech a well-rounded feel.

Some fool-proof themes are:

• What first bonded you together (college antics, brotherhood, coffee, you name it)
• All the ways the two of you are opposites (this is a fun way to compliment and poke fun at the groom)
• Funny facts the guests don’t know about the groom or the couple
• Why the love birds are perfect for each other
• Inspiring metaphors for marriage (ie: adventure, dreaming big, finding your other half)

Ultimately, you should tell 1 to 3 stories during your best man speech that sum up the kind of person the groom is, and why his partner is his perfect match. Here are a few examples to help you start brainstorming.

Funny best man speech example : “The groom and I have been friends for a long time, and we’ve had some pretty wild adventures together. And while I can’t share all of them here today (for legal reasons), I thought I’d tell you about one that really sticks out in my memory….”

Best man speech example about the couple’s meet-cute: “When [the couple] first met, I knew they were made for each other. It was obvious that first night when we were at a karaoke bar and they both sang Disney songs. Actually, I think the only person who didn’t know was [groom]. We suffered through months of googly eyes and hearing [partner’s name] in every sentence, just waiting for him to catch on. So when he told me that he was going to ask her out — and then, a year later, that he was going to propose — all I could say was: Finally.”

Best man speech template for brothers or childhood friends: “We’ve been through a lot together, but some of my favorite memories are of us camping every summer in Canada. Even though [groom] was always scared of a moose crashing through our tent while we slept, we still had some amazing adventures. From fishing in the lake to roasting marshmallows by the campfire, those summers were unforgettable. And now, as [groom] starts a new adventure with [his partner], I know he’s ready for anything — even a moose!”

4. Balance Your Best Man Speech With Heartfelt Sentiments

Once you’ve told one or two anecdotes, it’s time to dig deep, get heartfelt, and talk about how special the groom is to your life — and how great it is to watch him find his life partner. Don’t be afraid to get a little corny!

While all templates will be different, here are a few key points to cover during this part of the best man speech:

• Highlight what you love about the groom and admire about his love story
• Compliment the groom’s other half
• Express your gratitude to the couple for including you in their celebration
• Thank anyone else who made this day so special, including the couple’s parents (especially if they’re hosting the wedding) and the other members of the wedding party. You can also shout out the guests in attendance!

Sentimental best man speech example : “[Groom] has always been my partner in crime, my camping buddy, and my best friend. He’s always been the fearless one, and now he’s found a partner who’s just as courageous. I have no doubt that they’ll continue to blaze new trails together and create unforgettable memories along the way.”

Best man speech template for thanking the couple and the guests: “I’d like to thank everyone who came today to celebrate the happy couple. It’s a true testament to [the couple] that you’ve all taken the time to come and witness their marriage. I’d also like the thank the two of you for allowing me to be part of such a special day. That’s a lot of blind faith in my public speaking skills. Especially when there’s an open bar involved.”

Best man speech template for complimenting the love birds: “[The couple] takes hashtag couple goals to a whole new level. They wake up early to go to the gym together, come home and cook healthy meals, and make financially sound decisions for every part of their life. Now that you’re married, you guys can probably stop showing off. But in all seriousness, it’s something special to find your perfect other half. And that’s worth celebrating.”

5. Congratulate the Newlyweds and Wish Them Luck for Their Future

As you wind down your best man speech, be sure to congratulate the couple on their marriage and wish them luck for all their adventures ahead. Instead of giving a quick “congrats,” we love the idea of calling back to a story or joke from earlier in the best man speech. This will tie everything together in a perfect bow!

Heartfelt best man speech congratulations example : “Congrats to the newlyweds. You’ve found someone who loves you for who you are, and that’s a beautiful thing. I know that your marriage will be filled with love, laughter, and plenty of bad dad jokes.”

Best man speech congratulations example for adventurous couples: “Congratulations on finding the person who is game for every adventure that comes your way. I wish you both a lifetime of unconditional love and unforgettable experiences.”

Best man speech congratulations example for an unforgettable quote : “In the words of Forrest Gump, ‘I may not be a smart man, but I know what love is.’ And I’m looking at it today. Congratulations to the happy couple.”

6. Close Your Best Man Speech With a Toast

This is your grand finale, so end your best man speech with some fireworks! As you write your final toast, think about what you want your main takeaway to be. Are you hoping for light-hearted laughs, tears of joy, or a resounding “Awwww “? Take some time to write a closing statement that’s short, sweet, and full of love.

GWS Pro Tip: The best toasts invite the crowd to congratulate the couple with you. Use words like “we” and “us” instead of “I” to bring everyone together for this final moment.

Best man speech example for a sweet send-off : “So let’s all raise a glass to the newlyweds. May your love continue to grow stronger with each passing day, and may you never run out of things to laugh about. Cheers!”

Best man speech example for a final laugh: “So let’s all raise a glass to the most important people here. The bar staff. [Pause for laughter] For [the couple], cheers to a lifetime of love and laughter!

Best man speech example for all the happy tears: “So let’s raise a glass to [the couple’s] love. John Lennon said, ‘A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.’ Cheers to all your dreams coming true.”

Attending a Few Weddings This Season? Check Out Our Best Guides.

Wedding season is upon us, and we’re here to help you get ready for all those celebrations of love in your future!

To start, show the couple some love with our list of the best wedding gifts that will wow any newlyweds — plus this round-up of epic engagement gifts for love birds who just popped the question.

And if you’re in the process of picking out the perfect ‘fit, make sure you’re sticking to the dress code with our ultimate guide to semi formal attire . We’ve also created black tie optional wedding guide for those fancier affairs!

Did this guide inspire you to create the greatest best man speech of all time? Make sure to get it on video and tag us on Instagram @greenweddingshoes with the final product!

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Writing a Best Man Speech: Outline and Guide (+3 Examples)

• by Marisa Jenkins
• January 24, 2024

Being chosen as a bridal party member —especially as a best man or maid of honor —is a big deal. You have been given the opportunity to support someone in such a momentous part of their life. Your role comes with plenty of responsibilities, including making a speech at the reception.

Having an outline for your speech as a best man can be really helpful when you start writing the draft. Here is a classic and timeless example of an outline:

• Self-introduction
• Short icebreaker ( optional )
• Stories about the groom
• Talk about the partner
• Talk about their relationship
• Well-wishes and advice

Below is a more detailed explanation of each part of a best man speech outline, followed by a step-by-step guide—with tips—for writing the speech itself. Some examples are also provided to help you in the process. 

Best Man Speech Outline: Easy Template to Use

Greet everyone present (1–3 sentences).

Before anything else, make sure to greet the guests, bridal party, and vendors at the venue. Acknowledge their presence and the effort they put into being there on the newlyweds’ special day.

You can keep this part brief but upbeat to get your guests engaged and listening to your speech as a best man.

Example : Hey everyone! Thank you for making the time and effort to attend Ben and Stephanie’s wedding.

Introduce Yourself (1–2 Sentences)

At the reception, odds are most people—but not all—will know who you are. For everyone’s benefit, briefly introduce yourself and your relationship with the newlyweds.

Example : For those of you who don’t know me—first of all, how dare you? Kidding aside, my name is Ryan Drews, Mike’s best friend and life coach. We’ve known each other since high school.

(Optional) Short Icebreaker (1–3 Sentences)

If you feel like you still need to capture your guests’ attention, consider adding a short joke or anecdote before you get into the body of your best man speech. You can get a good laugh and set the tone for the rest of the speech. 

Example : Honestly, I was a bit nervous about giving this speech. People said it should only be as long as Gavin’s attention span. So… I guess that’s all for my speech, goodnight!”

Personal Stories and Memories With the Groom (1–3 Paragraphs)

Share a personal story that showcases your relationship and closeness with the groom. It does not necessarily have to be relatable, but make sure the memory will highlight the groom’s personality and positive traits.

You can also talk about the groom’s growth and development over the years. How much has he changed? How has he changed? Shed light on the positive changes you have observed since he and his partner got together .

Example : [Compare the groom’s personality during high school and today. He might be more mature, patient, and mentally strong than before. If you have one, share a story that illustrates these changes.]

Talk About the Partner (1–2 Paragraphs)

Do not forget about the star of the night—the other newlywed. Talk about your first impressions, the day you were first introduced, and any striking memories you have with them.

Example : [Where did you meet each other for the first time? Did you have dinner somewhere? What did you think of her initially, and how did this impression change?]

Talk About the Newlyweds (1–2 Paragraphs)

Compliment the couple and talk about their relationship. Highlight their strengths, share how you think they complement each other, and tell them how they make you—and everyone around them—feel.

Example : You two are an example of how a healthy dose of annoying each other can actually go a long way in making a relationship better. But all jokes aside, you guys inspire everyone around you to be kinder to one another and themselves.

Conclusion: Well-Wishes and Advice (1–2 Paragraphs)

The last part of a best man speech’s outline can contain well-wishes, advice, or both. Share any wisdom you have regarding marriage, and tell them that you are praying for the best for their future.

Example : Always remember that marriage is a two-player game: both of you must put in the same amount of effort to keep the game going. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Linnehan! May the future be bright and boundless for you. 

Writing a Best Man Speech: Steps and Tips to Follow

Step 1: Gather Material by Reflecting

Take a trip down memory lane and think about your relationship with the groom over the years. Write down any funny stories, milestones, and incidents that come up.

At the same time, think back on what you know about the groom’s relationship with his partner. How did they meet? How did you meet his partner for the first time? What makes their bond and journey special?

As you reflect, think about their qualities as individuals and as a couple. These traits will be a great addition to your best man speech.

Tip: Start Early

Do not leave your speech as a best man to the last minute. Ideally, start brainstorming and thinking of what to say as early as a few weeks before the wedding day. This will give you plenty of time to write, revise, and revise some more.

Step 2: Structure Your Speech

The outline above will help you structure your speech. However, feel free to add any personal touches or make changes to the order.

Tip: Decide What Tone You Want to Use

Spend a moment to decide how you want to deliver your speech. Do you want to be funny and witty? Do you want to sound casual? Do you want to flex your poetic muscles? Do you want to incorporate multiple styles and tones?

Step 3: Start the First Draft

Eventually, you have to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). Write everything that comes to mind, letting your past reflections guide you as you compose your best man speech.

Do not worry about making it perfect on the first try—no one ever gets it perfect on the first try. Let yourself word vomit until you have written everything you have in mind.

Tip: Do Not Go Too Heavy With Inside Jokes

Although you understandably want to show how well you know the groom and make your guests laugh, avoid sharing inside jokes. Everyone will not get it without explaining the necessary context; you simply may not have the time to do so.

Step 4: Edit and Refine Your Draft

Start with any obvious grammatical errors. Fix faulty subject-verb agreements, incorrect uses of prepositions, and whatnot. You can use apps like Grammarly or built-in grammar checkers to help you with this part.

As you go along, read the speech aloud or in your head to see if there are any awkward spots. You may have to rephrase certain parts or rearrange sentences to make your speech flow better.

Be patient with yourself, as it might take multiple revisions before you get a speech you are satisfied with.

Tip: Keep It Concise

Aim for a best man’s speech that does not exceed 4–6 minutes. Any more than that and you risk losing your guests’ attention.

Step 5: Practice Giving the Speech

After a few revisions, start practicing the speech out loud. One benefit of this is that you will spot more ways to revise your speech to make it better. 

At the same time, a practical tip is to mark points in your speech where you will pause for a moment and take a breath. This will make the delivery more relaxed and natural-sounding.

If possible, ask for a close friend or another bridal party member to listen to your speech. They can give you constructive criticism and feedback to further improve the content and your delivery.

Tip: Read the Room

As you practice your delivery to a test audience, pay attention to how they react to what you wrote. They might think that a certain anecdote is too embarrassing for the groom or that your speech has more humor than sincerity.

You might unintentionally humiliate yourself or the groom if you include stories that are too personal. Likewise, you might come across as insincere or performative if you try too hard with your speech.

Adjust your speech and delivery accordingly. As mentioned above, the revision process never stops—even as you give the speech at the reception, odds are you will make a few changes off the cuff.

Step 6: Make the Final Preparations

Print a few copies of your speech on high-quality stationery, as it is good to have extras in case something happens. If nothing else, it can be a wonderful keepsake for the newlyweds.

Make sure to have some positive coping mechanisms for stress as well. Look into breathing practices to help you manage your anxiety and stage fright.

Tip: Engage the Audience

Do not just read off your copy, since this will make you sound robotic. Pay special attention to making eye contact with guests, pausing for reactions, and ad-libbing when the opportunity presents itself. 

Speech from the Best Man: Heartwarming Examples

1. Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention for just a few moments? Before I continue with my speech, I want to thank everyone for being here tonight. We know it isn’t cheap to attend a destination wedding, so we do want to make it clear that we will not be offering any rebate or cashback.

Anyway, for those of you who don’t know me, I’m Brian Mills. Nolan’s my cousin, and he has given me the honor—and stress—of being his best man. We actually only became close in high school when we both tried out for the basketball team.

Needless to say, both of us didn’t get in. We did continue practicing in our free time. These games allowed me to get to know Nolan better.

A lot has changed since then, huh? In high school, Nolan was wild, impulsive, and a bit irresponsible—we both were. Now, though, Nolan is reliable, clever, and puts everyone’s needs before his.

I remember when Nolan first introduced me to Lisa. His eyes were lit up in a way that I’d never seen before… not even when the Lakers won that championship in 2020! The more I got to know Lisa, the more I understood how perfect they are for each other; they’re both kind, adventurous, and passionate.

Lisa, I want to officially welcome you to the madness that is our family. We promise not to share too many embarrassing stories… at least until after your first anniversary.

Kidding aside, I have never seen Nolan as happy as he is with Lisa. You both bring out the best in each other, and it’s clear to all of us here that you share a love that is deep, genuine, and enduring.

So, let’s raise our glasses in a toast to Nolan and Lisa. May your love be modern enough to survive the times and old-fashioned enough to last forever. Cheers!

Thank you, everyone. Enjoy the rest of your evening!

2. Good evening, everyone! How’s your night going so far? I hope the food and drinks are all to your liking; we worked very hard tasting every dish our lovely caterer had to offer.

I’m Alex, and I have the great privilege of being David’s best man. Before I start, let’s give another round of applause to the beautiful couple. David, my man, you look sharp tonight! But I think I speak for everyone when I say: Emily, you’ve definitely stolen the show.

I’ve known David for almost 20 years now. We first met in middle school, and our friendship has been a rollercoaster ride ever since. From camping trips that turned into survival missions to late-night study sessions that rarely involved studying, I can say we’ve had our fair share of memorable moments.

But today, I want to focus on the biggest adventure David has had: his adventure with Emily. I still remember the day David told me about Emily. He said, “There’s this incredible woman.” And he was right. Emily, your kindness, intelligence, and sense of humor make you a perfect match for David. And David, well, I guess he isn’t too bad.

Together, you two are like a fine wine—you just keep getting better with time. David, you’ve found your soulmate in Emily. Your partnership is a testament to what every love should have—support, laughter, and a lot of patience (especially when David tries to cook or crack a joke).

Emily, welcome to our small, silly, but very loving friend group. You bring out the best in David, and for that, we are all grateful.

David, I have one piece of advice for you as you enter this new chapter: a happy wife is a happy life. Always remember that.

As we stand here in this beautiful venue, surrounded by friends and family, I am reminded of a quote I once heard: “Love isn’t about finding the perfect person. It’s about realizing that an imperfect person can make your life perfect.”/

So, let’s raise our glasses to David and Emily. May your life together be filled with endless love, laughter, and luck. Cheers!

Thank you, everyone. Let’s make this a night to remember!

3. Hi, everyone! I just want to take a few minutes of your time to say some words about our lovely newlyweds. My name is Charles, and Manny chose me as his best man.

The love story I’ve witnessed over the past six years is nothing short of magical. First of all, their growth as individuals is very laudable; I’ve seen Manny go from a slightly reckless and clueless college student to a calm and collected man. I can confidently say that Jenny’s presence has been transformative to Manny.

Jenny, it is clear that you and Manny are soulmates. Thank you for taking care of him, keeping him in check, and humbling him whenever he needs it.

May your love be a sturdy lighthouse amidst a rough and rowdy sea, shining a light that will guide you through the darkness and unpredictability of life.

Congratulations to you two! Cheers to the future!

Final Thoughts

Being someone’s best man is a huge honor; it means you occupy such a special part of their life they wanted you to have this major role in their wedding.

When preparing a best man speech outline, the most important thing to keep in mind is authenticity—stay true to yourself. If you want to write an amazing, unforgettable speech, just focus on pouring your heart onto paper. Everything else will follow.

Marisa Jenkins

Marisa Jenkins is a wedding planner and event coordinator. Her main goal for WeddingFrontier.com is to simplify the wedding planning process by sharing her years of expertise in the industry.

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How to Write a Best Man Speech: Examples, Templates, & Opening Lines

Whether it’s for a friend or family member, we have tips for how to write a best man speech. We’ve rounded up everything that goes into an inspiring, entertaining crowd-pleaser: jokes, quotes, themes, opening lines. From icebreakers to start and toasts to finish, here are ideas for your best man speech.

What should a best man speech include?

At the end of the day, you’re just telling your friends you’re happy for them (and the fact that the wedding is all about them should take away some pressure). So when you’re deciding what to include in your best man speech, remember: Humor is memorable, but honesty is meaningful. So aim for a combination and try to hit these key points.

• Personality: You were invited to be yourself, so don’t worry about performing. Are you a treasure trove of charming stories? Are you the calm lighthouse in a storm? Be inclusive and sensitive but be you. Let it flow.
• Examples: Be specific rather than general. Unpack the qualities you admire about the couple and when they’ve occurred (how have they demonstrated kindness or loyalty?). That will make your speech more personable vs. a list that could apply to any couple.
• Gratitude: Say thanks for being chosen as the best man and the chance to stand by their side. Toss in a few thank yous to everyone for attending, those who raised the couple, and those hosting the ceremony. It grabs your listeners, and a little schmoozing never hurts.

How long should a best man speech be?

Like the saying goes, “Be brief, be brilliant, be gone.” A best man speech should always be under 5 minutes, usually three. To keep the attention of your audience, fit it all into 750 words.

Length increases boredom, not sentiment. Trimming your speech down to its essentials means you prioritize quality, which will make your words more impactful and easier to remember. Staying short and sweet can also help with any fears of public speaking because it’ll all be over soon.

How to Write a Best Man Speech

Find a theme.

• What’s your point? What do all your heartfelt details have in common? Commitment? Fun facts? Opposites attract? This will help narrow down your anecdotes. Your theme can also influence how you structure your best man speech, like a unifying metaphor or a rhyming hook to keep it engaging.
• A few themes off the menu: Inside jokes, sabotaging roasts. Basically, anything that’s too obscure or anything that would embarrass or expose the couple. From an audience perspective, these are painful and awkward. You’re honoring the couple for making it down the aisle (a huge success) vs. reminding them of their failures or what could have gotten in the way (emotions can be high). Everyone looks good and feels good when you stick to why the couple’s bond is unbreakable.

Create an Outline

• Congratulations: The easiest intro and the whole reason you’re speaking.
• Connection to the Couple: Did you watch your childhood friend become a better person because of the relationship? Did you play a part in their romance? Did your paths cross in unexpected ways?
• One or Two Stories: Everyday moments, grand gestures. Polish these up to be intentional. How do they tie to the occasion and your theme (eg. examples of how they always showed unwavering support toward one another.).
• Acknowledge the Spouse: Dropping in compliments for the partner can emphasize why they’re a match. It helps concentrate on their union as a whole rather than a half, even if you only know one of them well.
• Cheers: You did it! Now applaud their courage to weather life’s storms together. Raise a glass and invite everyone to do the same.

How to Start a Best Man Speech

A greeting and a hearty congratulations kick things off. Here are a few prompts to start your best man speech.

• Intro: “It’s truly an honor to stand before you as [Partner’s Name]’s best man. My name is [Name], and I’ve had the privilege of being [Name]’s partner in crime since [college, childhood, etc.].”
• Embrace the Occasion: “On behalf of [Partner’s Name] and [Partner’s Name], I want to extend a warm welcome to all of you as we come together to celebrate this beautiful union.”
• Share a Quote: “As [Partner’s Name] and [Partner’s Name] embark on this exciting journey, I’m reminded of a quote by [Author] that says, ‘[Quote].’ And today, we’re here to witness the embodiment of that sentiment.”

Opening Line Ideas

After a “good evening” or a “hello,” here are a few transitions to get to the good stuff. Brainstorm with a written or verbal stream of consciousness to help identify your feelings. You can pare them down later.

• “I first witnessed their connection when…” / “I saw sparks flying during…”
• “If we were to start with the first chapter…” / “Let’s rewind the tapes to…” / “Let’s take a trip down memory lane to a time when…”
• “As I stand here, I can’t help but think of a memory that always makes me tear up/smile…”
• “Of all the unforgettable moments I’ve shared with [Name], there’s one that stands out—”
• “If there’s one memory that never fails to bring a smile to my face/tears to my eyes, it’s the time…”
• “When they first introduced me to [Partner’s Name], I saw that look. The one that says…”
• “When they first met [Partner’s Name], they couldn’t stop talking about…”
• “None of us could have anticipated…”
• “There’s a moment when you see two people together, and you can’t help but realize…”
• “I knew [Name]’s heart had found its home the moment I saw…”
• “Everything changed in their relationship when…”
• “I could tell they were ready to face the world as partners in life when…”
• “I can’t help but reflect on the beautiful journey that [Their Names] have taken together…”
• “Their love story has taught me that [qualities] are the foundation of a long-lasting partnership.”
• “Their relationship has taught me that love isn’t just a destination; it’s a journey filled with…”

How to End a Best Man Speech

Whether you give your best man speech at the wedding reception or rehearsal dinner, you can always end it with a toast. To finish on a positive, uplifting note, here are a few concluding thoughts for well wishes and looking ahead.

• “May your journey together be filled with endless love, laughter, and a lifetime of cherished memories.”
• “May your love story continue to inspire us all. Here’s to new beginnings.”
• “Let’s look forward to the adventures that await [Names]. We hope this will be the most beautiful chapter of your story together.”
• “May your journey be filled with a love that only grows stronger with time.”

Speech Tips: Do’s and Don’ts

There are standards for speaking at a ceremony. Here are the rules to live by when you want your best man speech to be unforgettable for the right reasons

• Do use notecards to feel prepared, calm the jitters, and remember all that you want to say (as long as you remain present and make eye contact). Don’t read from your phone , in case it locks in the moment, loses charge leading up to the speech, or the lighting affects photos.
• Do reference your ties to the couple. Nod to when and how you met but ultimately keep the focus on their relationship. Don’t make your best man speech about you. You were invited to share your perspective, so it’s a classy move to keep things relevant and selfless.
• Do share your unique insights. Your experience adds to the audience’s understanding of the couple as partners and as individuals. However, don’t be inappropriate. You might know the skeletons in their closet but skip anything they wouldn’t want shared or would warrant an apology — like their past relationships. It’s mostly to ensure your anecdotes would play well across any age, culture, or relationship context (grandparents, work friends, flower girl).
• Do speak from the heart. It’s sweet, sincere, and makes speech writing that much easier. But don’t force emotions. Whether it’s jokes or mushy stuff, if neither are in your wheelhouse, you don’t have to be anyone other than the person they invited.
• Do rehearse out loud at least two months in advance so you can practice tone, timing, and pacing. They can all aid your confidence. You might even run your speech by a friend or film yourself for feedback. And since it’s a big day for the couple, don’t wing it. With words at the ready, there will be less risk of feeling flustered or saying something cringe.
• Do take it seriously. It can still be lighthearted, but it’s a huge honor to be asked to speak at a wedding. Proof of some time and effort in your speech returns the thoughtful gesture (the same goes for limiting yourself to one drink beforehand). Don’t be nervous. Even if you’re afraid of public speaking or not usually one for getting sappy, try to see your best man speech as an exciting opportunity.

Example Prompt Ideas

Here are a few best man speech ideas to keep the atmosphere light and joyful while celebrating the couple’s uniqueness.

Nothing wrong with straightforward and authentic.

• Timeline: The couple’s love story from how they met to their engagement. Emphasize the nostalgic moments that made their relationship special. You can highlight their growth as a pair or as individuals — how they’ve changed since they’ve met, and/or what has stayed the same.
• Shared Interests: How their passions have brought them closer together and how they’ll continue to enjoy them in married life.

Depending on the formality of the guest list and the wedding venue (beach vs. church), you can loosen your black tie when it comes to humor. But you’ll want to be respectful and give the couple a heads up.

• Predictions: Playfully imagine scenarios for what the couple’s future might hold.
• Old Photos: A fun way to remind them how far they’ve come.

Whether it’s from a role model in your lives (coach, relative, etc.), or an adage from another language, it’s common to borrow a bit of filler for your best man speech.

• Wisdom: Advice for a successful marriage based on experiences or observations. You can customize fortune cookies for laughs.
• Famous Words: Pull from any movies or authors with guiding tidbits, e.g., “Love is not just looking at each other, it’s looking in the same direction.” “Love is not just something you feel, it’s something you do.” “Love is not about finding someone you can live with, but finding someone you can’t imagine living without.”

Best Man Speech Templates

Memories of your time together through thick and thin, and how your friendship has remained constant.

“[Friend’s Name] and I have shared countless adventures over the years, and our friendship has survived every challenge, even [memory]. They’re the kind of friend who’s always there when you need them, whether it’s [example]. That’s why I know they’ll be an amazing partner to [Partner’s Name].”

For Younger Brother:

As an older sibling, look to your brother’s future. Talk about the exciting things that lie ahead: travels, career accomplishments, life milestones, etc. Share your pride.

“I can’t believe this day has finally arrived. It feels like just yesterday we were [childhood memory]. But as the years went by, I watched as my little brother met [Partner’s Name] and transformed into the incredible person they are today.”

For Older Brother:

Speak to how their support has shaped you, or what you learned by watching them face life’s challenges first.

“[Brother’s Name] has always been more than a brother to me. I’ve always looked up to [Brother’s Name] for [their characteristics], and now they’ve found a partner who [balances or complements these traits]. That’s why they’re perfect for each other.”

For Cousin:

Express your happiness for their partner joining your family traditions or how they’ve become an integral part of them.

“Growing up as cousins, [Cousin’s Name] and I had a bond beyond family ties. So when [Partner’s Name] came into the picture, I knew my cousin found their missing puzzle piece. I’m so excited for [Partner’s Name] to join our family vacations and holiday gatherings.”

Talk about the importance of togetherness; how the couple’s union represents two families merging to become one. Or offer tongue-in-cheek parental advice.

“My father has always been dedicated to family. He was always willing to go the extra mile for his loved ones. The love he shares with [Partner’s Name] is a testament to the trust and respect that you’ve instilled in our family.”

Final Thoughts

A best man speech is a rare chance to dig deep, get vulnerable, and tell those close to you how significant they are in your life. These prompts and templates can all get you started, but with the nuances of your relationship and theirs, you can make the tradition all your own. Best of luck!

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How to Write the Best Man Speech

Need help writing your best man speech? The Zola experts are here for you. Read on for our top tips and advice

By Deanna deBara

Last updated February 5, 2024

A wedding is not only an opportunity for two soon-to-be spouses to walk down the aisle , say their “ I do’s, ” and mark the beginning of their life as a married couple; it’s also an opportunity for the people who love them most to celebrate them and their relationship on their wedding day.

And, if you’re the best man , you’ll have a major part of celebrating the happy couple by giving the best man speech at the wedding reception.

The best man speech is your chance to share your best wishes for the newlyweds with all of the wedding guests in attendance.

But, what exactly should you say on the actual wedding day?

Let’s take a look at how to write a perfect best man speech:

Start Writing Early

Writing a best man speech takes a good amount of thinking, planning, and effort—and you want to make sure that you give yourself plenty of time for that thinking, planning, and effort.

Writing your best man speech the week of (or the day of!) the wedding isn’t an effective strategy. Not only are you going to feel stressed out, but if you write your speech at the last minute, chances are that you’re not going to get everything you want to say down on paper—and, as a result, your best man speech won’t be as heartfelt/touching/funny/composed/(insert desired adjective here) as you’d like it to be.

If you’re going to be the best man, start writing your speech early—as in months before the wedding ceremony. The earlier you start writing, the more time you have to revise, change, and practice—and the more likely it is that your speech will go off without a hitch on the big day.

Consider the Tone of Your Speech

There are a lot of different ways in which you could write a best man speech. You could go straight for the heart and write something emotional and touching; you can infuse a funny story and inside jokes to get a laugh from the couple; or you can keep things simple, straightforward, and to the point.

So, before you start writing, you should spend some time considering which of those vibes you’re going for at the wedding ceremony.

Setting the tone before you start writing your best man speech can help streamline the writing process; for example, if you know you want your speech to feel more emotional and heartfelt, you might consider incorporating memories that illustrate how much the groom and/or couple mean to you. If you want to go with a more humorous tone, you can start by writing out all of your most hilarious stories—and seeing which of them are the most likely to get the couple (and their wedding guests) laughing on the big day. The idea is to make it personal and to say some kind words at your friend’s wedding.

Can you have different tones at different points throughout your speech—such as an overall humorous speech with a few touching moments for good measure? Of course. But, if you want your speech to feel cohesive, you should set a primary tone—and make sure that you carry that tone throughout as you write your speech.

Start Strong

As the old saying goes, “you only get one chance to make a first impression”—and, for your best man speech, that means you need to capture people’s attention from the very beginning.

Starting your speech strong will ensure that you immediately hook the guests, wedding party, and newly married couple—and that they’ll be engaged and attentive for the rest of your speech.

“Starting strong” can mean a variety of things; depending on your speech’s tone, you might start with a particularly touching story about the couple or a funny story to break the ice. But, whatever you decide to start with, make sure that it grabs the audience’s attention from the get-go, which will make it easier to keep their attention for the rest of your speech.

Incorporate Your Favorite Memories

The groom (or bride) asked you to be the best man for a reason; chances are that you have a long history with plenty of happy, hilarious, and fun memories. And your best man speech is the perfect time to share those memories.

Incorporate at least one or two of your favorite memories with the groom, bride, and/or couple into your speech. Not only does sharing memories in your best man speech work from a storytelling perspective (everyone loves a good story), but it will also remind the couple of how special and important they are to you, which is exactly what a best man speech is supposed to do.

Keep Things Appropriate

Sharing memories in your best man speech is great—as long as those memories are appropriate.

Remember, this is one of the most important days of the newly married couple’s life—and all the most important people in their life (including family, friends, and colleagues) are going to be there, listening to your speech. The last thing you want to do is embarrass them or offend someone they care about.

So, if you have any memories that have even the slightest potential of upsetting or offending anyone (which, as a rule, includes anything involving excessive drinking, drugs, sex, or past relationships), leave it out of your best man speech.

Write, Practice, and Revise

A key part of writing the best speech is, you know, actually writing it down.

Even if you’re a person who does well speaking on the fly, you want to write your speech from beginning to end. That way, you have more control over what you say, how you say it, and when you say it.

Then, once you have it written down, you’ll want to practice it—and practice it out loud. Reading your speech out loud will help you get a better idea of how it flows, and help you identify any areas that need to be tweaked, adjusted, or revised.

And, just like you want to start writing your speech early, you want to give yourself plenty of time to practice and revise before the big day. Again, the more time you give yourself to work on your best man speech, the more comfortable you’ll be giving the speech at the wedding (and the better it will be as a result).

Writing (and giving) a speech can feel a bit scary for a lot of people. But, now that you know exactly how to write the perfect best man speech, all that’s left to do is get out there and get writing.

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How to Deliver a Great Best Man Speech, with Examples

November 6, 2020 - Dom Barnard

The best man speech is a huge part of the wedding so make sure yours is memorable. There are many areas to think about while preparing your speech; who is in the audience, how big is the audience, how long should the speech be, should I be telling jokes and so on.

Below we’ve listed essential best man speech tips on dealing with these questions and guidelines you can use to write your own speech.

Essential best man speaking tips

Tip #1: do your homework and plenty of practice.

Being prepared is the key to any successful speech. Write down bullet points of you key message, jokes, quotes etc. Spend time revising the content of your speech using different  tips from our blog , adding in  literary techniques , noting tactical pauses and best ways to end a speech.

Once the speech is written, spend hours practising it, the more you practise the less nervous you will be and the more natural you will sound. Don’t learn your speech off by heart, learn some key points and improvise around them. This will make you sound less wooden and monotonic.

For additional information, read this article on  best man tips  for before and after the speech.

Tip #2: Open by expressing gratitude

Thank the ones that made the day possible, the happy couple’s parents (single them out by name) and offer a toast to them for raising two fine people. Don’t forget to thank the audience as well. It’s a good idea to say something about how beautiful the bride looks and what a remarkable woman she is – this is guaranteed to go down well with everyone.

Tip #3: Introduce yourself to everyone

Many people at the wedding won’t know who you are. Briefly say who you are and why you’re such good friends with the groom.

Tip #4: Speak confidently and clearly

You know the groom better than most, so take the chance to introduce the real him to everyone. Talk slowly and clearly, taking time to pause and take deep breaths. Have a glass of water you can sip on during the speech, to help  calm the nerves  and break up the speech.

Tip #5: Get a joke in early

Getting a joke in early will help relax the mood. Spend time preparing the right joke – funny but not offensive, something that will appeal across all age groups, and make sure you learn it by heart.

Self-deprecation can go a long way, so it might be something told at your own expense. The audience will expect the speech to be somewhat funny so starting strongly will help engaging the audience.

Tip #6: Tell a story

Every great man speech includes a story, which could be how you met the bridegroom or a funny incident which you both went through. You can also tell a story about when you realised your friend had found his other half, or about when your friend would complain about being single for so long. Tread carefully when telling these and don’t cross the line with them!

Tip #7: Stay away from controversial topics

Anything embarrassing or offensive should be avoided by all means. Although this is common sense, once you get up there with a mic in front of you and a crowd waiting to see what you have to say, the situation might be so tense that cracking a crude joke or sharing an embarrassing story may seem perfect to lighten the mood. You’ll be left with a frozen audience that doesn’t want to laugh at the expense of the bridegroom.

Tip #8: Best to avoid past relationships

Try to avoid talking about the groom’s past relationships or reveal what you thought of the bride when you first laid eyes on her. Winking at the bride with comments such as “looking forward to the honeymoon” is absolutely out of the question when writing your best man speech!

Tip #9: Keep it short

Ideally, a best man’s speech should be no more than 1,000 words. The guests have already listened to the bride’s father and maid of honour speeches and are minutes away from eating the cake, so shoot for five minutes tops.

Tip #10: Summarise your friend’s good character

After the bulk of your speech, make sure you list the essential qualities of the groom which you have discovered over the years. You want the audience to think you’re a nice guy and convince the bride she picked the right man to marry!

Tip #11: End with a quote

Wrap everything you have said up nicely by  ending with a quote , such as: “Giving a best man speech is a choice. And, these two people have clearly chosen!”

Tip #12: Propose a toast

It’s time to raise your glass and toast for a lifetime of happiness and love for the couple… or something to this effect.

Use these best man speech tips to deliver a powerful speech people will remember for a very long time.

Best Man Speech – things to avoid

• Inside jokes  – you and a handful of people might find them funny, no one else will
• Getting drunk  – even though it may be tempting to calm the nerves beforehand
• Panic and get too nervous  – the key to avoiding this is to practice the speech until you really know it
• Waffling  – keep to 5 minutes of good quality content
• Reading straight from an A4 sheet  – take bullet points written on cue cards instead
• Speaking too quietly or loudly  – record your voice and play it back to yourself to hear what you sound like
• Discussing complex topics  – the audience will be left clueless if you talk about his latest PhD work

How to write a Best Man Speech – detailed guide

The opening.

Like any  form of public speaking , you need to have your audience on side right from the beginning. Be confident. After all, you know the groom better than most in the room and your best man speech is the perfect chance to introduce him to everybody else!

• Introduce yourself and say why you are best friends with the groom.
• Outline your speech (briefly).
• Feel free to improvise rather than sticking to the script you have prepared at home. Maybe something struck you as moving or funny during the ceremony. Mention it!
• Praise the bride early on (personality, looks, etc.) to buy good will right from the start and set everyone she knows at ease.
• Consider self-deprecation as it is something that will appeal across all age groups and it a great way to get a joke in early.

The main section of the speech

The important thing to remember is that the speech is not about you but the groom. Therefore, it’s okay if your best man speech paints a picture of your relationship with the groom but you need to concentrate on what a great guy he is, so everything you say has to revolve around that.

Be pleasant and nice and give your best man speech a flow. Every section and paragraph should run smoothly, jokes should be brief, and each story (you could also include other friends’ favourite memories, too) should reveal some more of the groom’s character and life.

The conclusion to the speech

So, by now you will have used all the funny stories and are ready to wow your audience with something emotional that will make their eyes water. You can say something about love and philosophise a little. It is also a good time to emphasise the love story of the bridegroom.

End your best man speech by saying how one completes the other and how happy you know one will make the other as they walk the paths of married life together. Your end to the best man speech should be as noteworthy as your opening comments so don’t fade away.

Best Man Speech examples

Here are some of our favourite best man speech examples:

• Greatest and funniest best man speech at a wedding
• Best brother wedding speech kills crowd
• Best man speech by Daniel Buccheri
• Best man speech – receives standing ovation

Final points to remember

There is no need to try too hard to be formal or present yourself as someone you are not. It’s important to just be yourself. This includes not necessarily following your prepared speech exactly. After all, these best man speech tips were written to provide you with a guide.

Your natural mannerisms and voice is what will make the difference so make it sincere, personal and if you talk from the heart, your best man speech will surely be golden!

For additional examples and best man speech tips, check out this website –  Best Man Example Wedding Speeches.

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