How to write an entertaining Best Man speech.

Wedding toasts can vary between sentimental such as the Father of the Bride’s speech to loving such as The Groom’s speech but there is an onus on the Best Man to provide a speech that can be enjoyed by all and bring humor to proceedings following the various speeches that come before the Best Man’s speech.

Great Best Man speeches focus more on witty one-liners, short jokes and brief stories rather than relying on one long funny story (no matter how funny it may be) as say 5 short funny Best Man jokes will bring 5 rounds of laughter and help you continue with confidence. In the unlikely event that 1 of the short jokes is not well received, you at least have 4 more to rescue your speech whereas if you have only 1 long joke that only causes a ripple of laughter then your speech is in serious trouble.

An entertaining Best Man speech need not rely on humor alone so praise often and when doing so be thoughtful with your comments, don’t just say (for example) “she is a beautiful bride and looks lovely” be more expressive and say something like “she is a gorgeous girl who looks beautiful every day but today she looks simply divine and those of us lucky to know her, know that she is a very special girl.”

There are many funny quotes about marriage and weddings that have been said by famous people, that always go down a treat during the Best Man speech, so be sure to include one or two when writing your Best Man speech.

Entertaining speeches are about what you do as well as what you say so with this in mind provide an unexpected gift to say the Pageboy or Flower Girls, you could say something like “There are some very special people in this room who were of great help to me today and I’d like to give them a gift” then ask the Pageboy and Flower Girls to come up and give them a present. This will be met by rapturous applause and appreciated by all in attendance.

A short story that will cause much embarrassment to the Groom is essential in a Best Man toast, bear in mind the emphasis on short however and ensure the story will not cause embarrassment to the Bride, you don’t want to upset her on her Big Day. You should mention what a lovely couple the Bride and Groom make and how happy they are together then praise the Groom outline what a great friend he has been and refer to your pride at being given the honor of being Best Man.

Your Best Man speech should end with an uplifting toast wishing the Bride and Groom all the best for their future together and then look forward to a warm reception afterwards.

Icebreakers play an important role when it comes to public speaking however they play a particularly important role when it comes to giving Best Man speeches, especially if you plan on giving a short Best Man speech.

A good icebreaker will help build a rapport with the audience and provide the Best Man with a boost of confidence as he starts his speech in earnest which is vital as a Best Man is typically not an experienced orator. Short Best Man speeches need to have an icebreaker that conveys to the wedding guests that the Best Man’s speech will be short, explain to guests in a humorous manner why you do not plan on speaking for too long.

Here are 2 such examples of good Best Man speech icebreakers to use;

1.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I do not plan on speaking for too long today because of my health…the Groom has threatened to strangle me if I speak for too long.

2.
A good Best Man speech should be like a lady’s dress short enough to catch your attention but long enough to cover the essentials.

These good-natured icebreakers will set the scene for a confident start to your speech. If you plan on giving a short speech make sure to speak for at least two minutes, otherwise your speech may be considered too short given the significance of the Best Man’s role on the Bride and Groom’s special day.

5 Things Not To Say In A Best Man Speech

Giving a great Best Man speech is something all Best Men aspire to achieve. A Best Man speech should charm, entertain, humor and be sincere in equal amounts so content is key in order to give a successful Best Man speech. In preparation for your toast today we take a tongue-in-cheek look at 5 lines that should not be mentioned when delivering your toast, unless ,of course, you want to have an angry Bride & Groom along with their families chasing after you all night long.

1. “Personally I was very fond of his ex-wife/ex-girlfriend.”

2. “And now I would like to show you some photos from the Bachelor /Stag Party.”

3. “Personal hygiene has never been top of the Groom’s priorities.”

4. “I am thrilled that he is getting married, it proves that his cross-dressing era was just a phase he was going through after all.”

5. “When he told me he was getting married again, I told him that I thought he would have learned from his first experience.”

 Jokes are great for Best Man speeches, as are funny props , tasteful humor inserts fun into a speech but don’t say anything that will offend rather than embarrass. You want to provide the wedding party with an unforgettable speech for all the right reasons so be humorous and be witty just make sure you don’t cause offence.