October 2008

Wedding speeches, in particular Best Man speeches, can test the nerves of the most accomplished public speakers for a variety of reasons. With some it is due to a lack of preparation, with others it might be a lack of confidence in the content of their Best Man speech and with others it may be a classic case of stage-fright when their turn arrives to speak. So today we look at the key secrets to a successful Best Man speech and how you can deliver on the Big Day.

We have all heard Best Man speeches where a vain Best Man tries to be a professional comedian, straining every sinew in search of a faint hum of laughter, or been to weddings where the Best Man is the complete opposite, hardly budging from his chair reading out a droll pre-scripted speech. You may have attended weddings where the Best Man tries too hard in every sense, he inserts too many jokes, too many one-liners and talks far too quickly, eager to include every minute detail of his friendship with the Groom in his speech. These speeches can have moderate success but more often than not they fall flat on their faces, so with that let us unveil the secrets to a successful Best Man speech;

Stick to the Format of a Best Man Speech

Sticking to the correct format is vital, as otherwise, an essential part of the speech may be overlooked. Should you omit one crucial part of your Best Man speech, then that is what it will be remembered for, no matter how good the rest of your speech may be. For example, should you give a world-class speech but forget to compliment the Bride, you will have a very long night ahead of you that’s for certain.

Be Yourself

It is vital that you don’t try to force someone else’s personality into your speech. If you are not someone who enjoys telling jokes and recanting witty anecdotes then standing up in front of a large audience is not the place to try to tell them, instead stay true to your personality and give a sincere speech, include compliments where jokes may have been and feel your confidence surge as you get loud applause for complimenting the Bride, and the parents of the Bride and Groom not to mention discussing your friendship with the Groom.

On the other hand if you are a Best Man who is comfortable telling jokes and providing a funny speech, then by all means do so, just remember sometimes less is better, so 3 funny jokes will be received a lot better than 6 mediocre ones.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Practicing may sound blindingly obvious, but within 30 seconds of a Best Man getting up to speak, the whole room will know whether he has practiced or not. Take time to practice your speech, get comfortable with the content and get used to practicing your speech out loud. The effort you put in, in preparing for your speech will reap dividends on the wedding day, take time to practice, after all, practice makes perfect.

If you are looking for more ideas for content for your speech try these two posts;

Telegrams, Faxes and Emails, Secret Weapons in giving a Great Best Man Speech

Using Props to Enhance Your Best Man Speech

A Best Man has a pivotal role to play at the wedding, apart from the Bride and Groom all eyes will be on you, so enjoy your moment as Best Man and give them a Best Man speech to remember.

Using song lyrics from famous songs is a popular method of adding content to your Best Man speech, particularly if the Groom is a fan of music. Typically there are 3 instances in your speech where this works well;

When you are complimenting the Bride;
example-Even Eric Clapton’s classic wedding song “Wonderful Tonight” fails to accurately describe the Bride tonight as she doesn’t just look wonderful, she is perfection personified.

When you are poking fun at the Groom;
example-John looks great in his tuxedo today but back in the 1980’s his fashion-sense was not so great, it can be best described in the title of one of the biggest songs of the era “Dude Looks Like A Lady” by Aerosmith

When you are commenting on the wedding day itself;
example-in closing my speech I would like to echo the words of Lou Reed “it’s been a perfect day, I’m glad I spent it with you.”

In between the jokes and the compliments insert a one-liner or two relating to songs and the applause you hear afterwards will be music to your ears.

Today we take a break from the serious stuff, allowing all you budding Best Men to put your feet up and revel in the humor of the Top 3 Most Memorable Best Man Speeches in Movie History. I would not encourage anyone to use any of the quotes from these movies in your own speech however, as they are littered with profanities, but if you get a chance do try and catch these movies as these scenes are sure to put a smile on you face.

 
Steve Buscemi in The Wedding Singer

Buscemi’s cameo role as Best Man in The Wedding Singer was a scene-stealer in every sense. This uncredited role sees Buscemi in all his glory as Best Man at his brother’s wedding, with a very large chip on his shoulder about his father. His speech sneers with jealousy, drips with spite but his short speech, less than 2 minutes, remains one of cinema’s most memorable Best Man speeches.

Sample line “You’ll be divorced in a year.”

Hugh Grant in Four Weddings And A Funeral

Back in 1994 when Hugh Grant was best known for his acting, he gave one of movies most endearing Best Man speeches in Four Weddings And A Funeral. Given his character’s bumbling personality it was somewhat ironic that the future Mr.Bean, Rowan Atkinson, was one of the guests at the wedding.

Sample line “This is the second time I have been Best Man, I hope I did okay that time. The couple in question are at least still talking to me, unfortunately they are not actually talking to each other, their divorce came through a couple of months ago.”

Luke Wilson in Old School

In this frat-pack comedy Luke Wilson gives a very short Best Man speech until Vince Vaughn wrestles the microphone off him before he can do any more damage. Juvenile? possibly, funny? certainly, memorable? most definitely.

Sample line “True love is hard to find, sometimes you think you have true love and then you catch the early flight home from San Diego and a couple of nude people jump out of your bathroom blindfolded.”

I may not have included your favorite Best Man speech from the big screen, so if that is the case feel free to let me know.

On Tuesday we are back to the serious stuff as we look at “Famous song-lyrics suitable for a Best Man Speech.”

As Best Man you have a duty in your speech to make sure everyone is smiling, laughing and having a good time. Our Top 20 Best Man Jokes will help you in that regard but to further ensure your Best Man speech is a successful one, here are 5 one-liners about marriage that can be used in unison with your wedding jokes.

Marriage is when a man and woman come together as one, the trouble begins when they try to decide which one.

All marriages are happy it is the living together afterwards that causes the friction.

Marriage is the mourning after the knot before.

Wedding rings are the world’s tiniest handcuffs.

Marriage is the triumph of imagination over intelligence.

Keep your Best Man jokes short, quip a few one-liners, but don’t forget to ensure your speech has more compliments than it has jokes. The right mixture of sincerity and humor bodes extremely well for anyone giving a Best Man speech.