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.

In preparing for their wedding day, the Bride and Groom spend endless hours mulling over song choices for their 1st dance, their dinner and the important entrance song. Today we analyze some popular wedding entrance songs and see how you can insert a few funny lines about them into your speech.

It is important that you do this for their entrance song only, as by the time you speak they will have entered the room whereas their first dance will take place after the speeches and you would not want to ruin their surprise song by announcing it in advance.

Here are 5 popular entrance songs and what you can say about them.

1. Beautiful Day by U2

What a lovely entrance and great choice of song in Beautiful Day by U2, I just hope that on the honeymoon night Sarah isn’t saying “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.”

2. All You Need Is Love by The Beatles

Sarah and John’s entrance today to All You Need Is Love was quite apt given their love for each other, let’s hope that by the time their honeymoon is over Sarah isn’t shouting “help”

3. Can’t Help Falling In Love With You by Elvis Presley

There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as John and Sarah entered to the sound of the classic Elvis love song. I know John a long time and great guy that he is, he is known to watch the pennies so I hope he hasn’t booked a room at the “heartbreak hotel” for the honeymoon.

4. Signed, Sealed And Delivered by Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder’s classic was the perfect entrance song for an ideal couple. They may have only got married this afternoon but John has “just called to say I love you” to Sarah many times before today.

5. I Do I Do I Do by Abba

How appropriate that John’s entrance song was by legendary 70’s pop stars ABBA, to this day they remain the inspiration for his dress-sense. Sometimes when he arrives in the bar there is a collective groan of “Mamma Mia” as patrons gasp at his latest outfit.

There is a fine line between offending and poking fun at the Bride and Groom so make sure your quotes about the songs along with your Best Man jokes and wedding one-liners do not offend. Both short Best Man speeches and longer ones provide opportunities to discuss the entrance songs in a playful manner so avail of this opportunity and insert them in your Best Man speech.