Being funny is an essential component of successful best man speeches so you should be certain to know who is fair game for funny jokes and all-round humor in your best man speech.  A previous article looked at a funny best man speech, today we look at the people that you can joke about in your speech, although be careful to ensure the humor is good-natured rather than cutting.

1. The Groom

The groom is without question the person who should on the receiving end of the majority of your funny jokes, embarrassing stories and funny one-liners.  In order to avoid offending anyone respectful humor should be used but do not let your best man speech pass by without at least one or two anecdotes that will entertain the wedding guests and leave the groom blushing.

2. The Groomsmen

Making fun of the groomsmen in a lighthearted manner is always well-received by guests at a wedding.  It also allows you to add a fresh twist to your speech as most people will expect the groom to be on the receiving end of the jokes, so a quick best man joke or two at the groomsmen’s expense should be in your speech for sure.

3. Yourself

If you are best man then display some modesty when giving your best man speech to endear yourself to the wedding guests.  A funny story that leaves the guests laughing at your expense will be sure to provide you with great laughter during your speech.

4. Your Other Friends

Given that your are the groom’s best man then chances are that you share the same friends.  If this is the case then ensure your speech has a line or two where your friends are included in the humor.  Be wary not to tell jokes that only you and your friends will appreciate, make the humor understandable for all.

5. The Groom (again)

He may be on our list twice but that is because of the overwhelmingly important role that he takes in your speech.  Be funny by considering the use of  funny best man props and ensure that his first hours as a newly married man begin with a combination of laughter and love.

                                                                                                                                            When being humorous make sure you know the topics to avoid in a best man speech. You should also compliment the groom, thank the groomsmen for all their help and be sure not to embarrass the bride with any of your comments.

Funny Best Man speeches are usually what the wedding guests expect from Best Men and therefore are the most popular type of Best Man speech that are attempted at weddings. I purposely used the word “attempted” because if the you get this type of speech wrong then it won’t be the Groom who will be embarrassed it will be you. 

The best funny Best Man speeches will leave the wedding  guests delighted, the Happy Couple ecstatic and you overjoyed with the stunning ovation that you will receive at the end of your toast.

The type of humor that goes into a funny Best Man speech should not be a total character assassination of the Groom instead a mixture of subtle humor and tasteful jokes should be used as they will have a better impact on everyone in attendance.

Other ways to ensure your speech garners a constant flow of laughter is to offer your own unique words of advice on marriage to the Bride and Groom.  Funny quotes about marriage should also be encouraged as should humorous stories about the Groom that you haven’t shared before but, as ever, make sure they are suitable to a diverse range of ages as weddings are not just for adults.

More humor can be found by including a story about the Groom’s chaotic approach to the wedding planning and overall preparation of the wedding, the guests will enjoy a story relating to this.

Being creative will work to your advantage as wedding props often receive thunderous receptions when used in a funny Best Man speech. You should also consider using one-liners that serve to show a contrast between the Bride and Groom, examples might be; “the Bride likes cooking and we know the Groom loves eating” or “the Bride likes dancing, the Groom likes drinking.”

When you are delivering Best Man toasts set the tone by smiling as you speak, if you look like you are enjoying yourself then the guests will believe that you are and hang on your every word. Taboo subjects for your speech include past romances, stag/bachelor parties and jokes about honeymoon activities.

Make sure that, despite the fact that you are giving a funny Best Man speech, you should also include some lines praising the Bride, Bridesmaids, the families of the newlyweds and anyone else who made a telling contribution to the wedding.

Ending your speech with an uplifting Best Man toast will help ensure that your speech gets the reception it deserves and that you have memories that will last you a lifetime.

My posts on short funny Best Man speeches and more recently my post on example toasts for a short Best Man speech hint at why I believe they are the best type of speech for a Best Man to deliver. They work well for so many reasons, here we look at some of the factors why they have such a good effect on the wedding guests and how to create some perfect short Best Man speeches.

From the wedding guests perspective.

1. Sometimes less is more.

The wedding guests want to hear short Best Man speeches that are both funny and loving, this can easily be achieved in a speech from 3 minutes upwards don’t risk making the mistake of giving a long speech that lacks impact due to too much content.

2. The guests want to be entertained not listening to long speeches.

Hard as it is for some Best Men to believe but there is more to the wedding day for those in attendance other than listening to speeches. They want to be chatting, dancing, drinking and mingling with each other so bear this in mind when crafting your speech.

3. Short Best Man speeches last longer in the memory.

A short Best Man speech with an engaging icebreaker, some complimentary words, a couple of funny Best Man jokes, some warm childhood memories and an uplifting toast will be remembered for all the right reasons once the wedding day has passed.

From the Best Man’s perspective.

1. Even accomplished public speakers crumble under the pressure of giving a long Best Man speech.

Nothing can truly prepare you for the moment when you have to stand to give your speech, do yourself the ultimate favor by not making things more difficult for yourself by avoiding a long speech.

2. With less lines to remember, the Best Man can focus on the delivery of his/her Best Man speech.

The delivery of a wedding speech is all-important so by creating a short Best Man speech you have less lines to remember allowing you time to focus on the delivery which will ensure you give a confident Best Man speech.

3. A funny short Best man speech will have the guests laughing and standing as one to applaud at the end.

Humor is a vital component of a Best Man speech and should be used at various stages of your speech, short Best Man jokes work best, along with perhaps one funny story about the groom and a hilarious Best Man prop before ending with a heartfelt toast to the Bride and Groom.

It is important to be in a relaxed frame of mind before you give your Best Man toast, so ensure that you do no make things harder for yourself with a long speech, instead deliver a memorable short Best Man speech and bask in the glory thereafter.