The type of Best Man speeches that receive the loudest applause are the ones that combine humor with emotion, so getting that balance right is important. Best Man jokes are very important as are compliments for the Bride but there are other ways to have the wedding guest’s melt with emotion or erupt with sheer joy and laughter, today we look at five methods.

1. Present the Pageboy /Flower Girl with a gift.

There is no surer method of having a wedding audience eating out of the palm of your hand than by presenting the Pageboy and/or Flower Girl with a gift. Compliment them both, tell them what a great job they did and then ask them to come up to you as you have something for them, then produce the gifts to rapturous applause.

2. Display a large poster-size photo of the Groom as a baby.

Rather than showing the photo from your laptop you should have a large print-out instead as it will be better received. Most places where you get your photo’s developed do this for a small charge but the reception you will receive once you unveil it to the wedding guests will make the cost more than worthwhile.

3. Pay tribute to your own wife or girlfriend.

On a sentimental occasion like a wedding, guests are teary-eyed with romance so any outward display of emotion on your behalf is sure to be greeted with loud approval. Keep this to a short line or two as it is important not to take the gloss from the Bride, but do praise your significant other, tell them how much you love them and joke that they shouldn’t feel jealous when you dance with the Maid of Honor.

4. Discuss what the Groom’s friendship means to you.

The feel-good factor already present in the room will swell if you tell a nostalgic story that ends with you telling the Groom how much his friendship means to you.

5. Present the fathers of the Newlyweds with a novelty gift.

Announce to the guests that the Groomsmen each made a donation to give the fathers of the Newlyweds a gift, and then unveil 2 pairs of socks to the delight of the guests. Once the laughter has calmed down present them with a genuine gift such as a bottle of champagne.

Incorporate some of these ideas into your Best Man speech and look forward with confidence to giving the Best Man speech of a lifetime.

So the Big Day draws ever nearer and in the back of your mind you are thinking “I must start writing my speech soon”, if this sounds familiar then you should pay particular attention to today’s post.

Ten Idiot-Proof Steps To Giving Great Best Man Speeches

1. Have your speech written on cue cards with key-words highlighted to help prompt you when you need to glance at them.

2. Give a copy of your speech to a family member or trusted friend, just in case you lose yours, or in case one of your friends thinks it might be funny to hide your speech.

3. Short Best Man speeches work best so don’t speak for too long, 2 to 3 minutes will suffice.

4. Know the format of a Best Man speech, and don’t diversify from it.

5. Ensure your Best Man jokes do not contain any crude language.

6. When introducing other speakers don’t try to be funny, do so in a respectful manner.

7. Provide the unexpected, props are a great way to enhance a Best Man speech.

8. Make sure you have a few witty responses to wedding speech hecklers at your disposal.

9. Light-hearted humor works far better than all-out roasts.

10. Praise often, compliment the Bride, the Bridesmaids and the parents of the Newlyweds, you will receive a warm reception for this.

If you adhere to these 10 tips then you will be on the right path to giving a confident Best Man speech that will be greeted with loud applause and a standing ovation.

Best Man speeches rely on laughter as a yardstick of success and one of the best ways to ensure laughter occurs is to include a few humorous lines about the wedding vows. Your goal when doing this, aside from keeping the guests entertained, is to have the Groom squirming with embarrasment though it is vital not to offend the Bride.

Here are 3 examples of how you can use funny wedding vows in your speech.

1. I’m not saying John is a sci-fi geek but rather than “til death do us part” he told me he wanted to use “to infinity and beyond”.
2. Now that John is a married man he can forget “to love and to hold” it is far more likely to be “to love and to scold”.
3. Instead of “with this ring I thee wed” I thought I heard John mutter “with these handcuffs I thee wed”.

Finish this with a heartfelt sentimental statement about the love that the Bride and Groom share.

It is vital that you balance humor with some sincerity so bear this in mind for all aspects of your Best Man speech. Though your speech should include funny Best Man jokes and witty wedding one-liners make sure compliments and praise also have a prominent place in the words you speak.