Who To Mention During Your Best Man Speech

Firstly, let’s get one thing straight, this list is not a strict absolute list of people to thank, but merely a guide, however you would be expected to include most, if not all, the people listed whilst giving your Best Man speech. Sometimes the most memorable part of a Best Man speech is not about who he mentioned during the course of the speech more so who he omitted to mention.

Trust me guys you do not want to leave somebody out, intentionally or unintentionally, and have them stewing with disdain for the rest of the evening. So with that in mind let’s investigate the candidates to thank;

The Bride- chaps if you somehow omit the Bride from your Best Man speech then you deserve the fury afterwards.

The Groom- no matter what style of speech you decide on, be it funny, sarcastic or lighthearted do make time to thank the Groom for choosing you to be his Best Man.

Parents of the Bride and Groom- guys believe me when I tell you that you do not want to forget about mentioning the parents, make particular reference to the moms.

The Bridesmaids- compliment them on how fantastic they look, and then say something lighthearted like “apologies in advance for the behavior of the Groomsmen on the dance-floor”.

Maid of Honor- make special mention to the Maid of Honor, calling her by her first name.

Fellow Groomsmen-it is always a nice touch to thank your fellow Groomsmen by saying something like “we are all the Best Man today”.

For the tone of your delivery of the speech, leave a pause after each person’s name that you are thanking with the expectation that there will be applause for each, then continue on with your speech basking in the feel-good factor in the room.

We’ve looked at the effect of one simple error, in your role as Best Man, could have on the wedding day itself. Today we are dealing with the Best Man speech and for once rather than giving advice on what to do as a Best Man, instead we are going to focus on what not to do.

Top 10 Best Man Don’ts

1. Don’t drink too much in advance of your speech. It is the most common Best Man mistake, have a drink or two sure but don’t overdo it.

2. Don’t forget anyone’s names. There is nothing more embarrassing than wanting to thank somebody and then forgetting their names.

3. Don’t swear, it’s not big and it’s certainly not clever.

4. Don’t mention previous girlfriends. What might seem funny to you and your friends will almost certainly offend the Bride and her family.

5. Don’t read directly from a script. Have it with you by all means, but remember you are the Best Man not a news-reader.

6. Don’t steal their spotlight, the Big Day is about the Bride and Groom after all.

7. Don’t leave preparing your speech until the last moment.

8. Don’t use overly long stories, the audience’s attention span will be short.

9. Don’t embarrass the Bridesmaids.

10.Don’t forget to enjoy yourself.

So the Big Day has arrived and your moment to shine is imminent, guests wait expectantly to hear the embarrassing stories and jokes at the Grooms expense. All in good time however, as my latest tip will take the focus off the Groom for a few moments and on to the Bride. Whilst it is customary of course to say a nice line about the Bride, it is not so common for a segment of your speech to be devoted solely towards her. This segment need only be two or three lines but if delivered correctly it will receive loud applause and possibly a standing ovation, and that is before you have even starting speaking in earnest about the Groom.

Five Example Lines That Compliment The Bride

For best effect, take the microphone in your hands, turn to face the Bride, and say for example;

“Sarah, I have gotten to know you since you met Mark and I am so proud of my Best Friend that he has married such a caring, gorgeous, warm, loving girl like yourself. Ladies like you don’t come along too often in life and I mean the word “lady” in every sense, you are the perfect couple.”

“Sarah, you have so many qualities that it would be impossible to fit them all in to this speech but to name a few, you are kind, generous, beautiful, warm, funny and today you are as radiant as the sun itself.”

“Sarah, while John is a great guy I don’t think we could call him a saint, you on the other hand are angelic in every way.You are a beautiful, special lady and John is a very lucky man.”

“Sarah not only are you the light of John’s life but I speak for all his friends when I say that your caring, generous, warm qualities show in abundance on a daily basis and I am sure the other ladies in the room will not mind me saying that you are the most radiant person in this room, but then again you would be the most radiant person in any room.”

“Sarah, you look sensational today and are such a beautiful, caring, loving person. Your delightful personality, glorious smile, generous nature and caring warmth are just some of the many reasons why John should consider himself the luckiest man in the world.”

When saying your line of choosing in this part of your speech, remember that the effect is just as important as the words, so say your words slowly and deliberately from memory, whilst looking at the Bride. If you master this, then your speech will linger long in the mind for all the right reasons.