The format of a Best Man Speech

You know by now the importance I stress on opening lines in your Best Man speech  well this is a guide to the format of your complete speech.

The Intro

Following your opening lines which I am sure you by now have perfected, introduce yourself to the guests, indicating your relationship to the Groom, bearing in mind that not all the guests may know you. A word of warning, keep it short, as the big day is about the Bride & Groom after all. Thank both sets of parents and the guests for helping make this a wonderful day. Express how you particularly want to thank those who have travelled far distances to be there.

The Bride

Say a couple of complimentary words about the Bride, mention how the Groom has been the happiest he has ever been since she came into his life. Say how beautiful she is and finish by saying something like “and those who know the Bride know she is just as beautiful on the inside” (a sure-fire winner with the guests).

The Groom

This is as I’m sure you know the main part of your Best Man speech, so this is where you put your Best Man speech research into action. Here you will perhaps discuss how the newlyweds met, or maybe something the Groom said (a compliment) about the Bride after their first date, or maybe even something that happened on the Bachelor Party, something clean and not self-incriminating obviously.

Now tell a story from the Grooms past that you know will embarrass him, you may discuss his lack of sporting-prowess for example of his lack of fashion-sense or a funny story from his schooldays, it is pivotal however that any story you consider for insertion in your Best Man speech should be neither humiliating nor offensive and suitable for all ages.

Say something nice about the Groom. Yes, you read that right, say something nice about the Groom. He is your best pal after all and has bestowed the honor of Best Man on you, so say something complimentary about him. Something along the lines of “the Groom has been my best friend for 20 years and I am very proud to stand as his Best Man today” will do, although it is nice to expand on that depending on the length of your speech.

The Toast & Closing Lines

This is the cornerstone of your Best Man speech and is where you should receive your loudest ovation. Here you will say some brief closing lines (1 to 2 lines maximum) followed by your Best Man Toast and then it is all over and you can enjoy your day in earnest.

Using quotes in your Best Man Speech is essential as it allows you a chance to relax and read straight from your script but more importantly it will have the guests at the wedding in uproar if you choose your quotes wisely.

The great thing about quotes is you can add them in wherever suits you in your Best Man speech. For example, if you feel there is a lull in your speech following your opening lines, toasts and before your main body of your Best Man speech, throw a few quotes in there. Likewise if you need an attention-grabber before your all-important closing lines throw a few quotes in.

All it takes is something like ” Do you know what Groucho Marx said about weddings?” or “Zsa Zsa Gabor once said…” and you will have the full attention of the guests then you deliver the quote with purpose bordering on showmanship and bask in the applause thereafter.

Top Ten Quotes About Marriage

“Marriage is the chief cause of divorce” Groucho Marx

“All marriages are happy, it’s the living together afterwards that cause all the trouble” Raymond Hull

“A successful marriage involves falling in love many times, with the same person” Mignon Mcaughlin

“A man is not complete until he is married, then he is finished” Zsa Zsa Gabor

“I have yet to hear a man ask for advice on how to combine marriage and a career” Gloria Steinem

“Marriage is the triumph of imagination over intelligence” Oscar Wilde

“Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who wants to live in an institution?” Groucho Marx

“I always cry at weddings, especially my own” Humphrey Bogart

“Before marriage a man yearns for the woman he loves, after marriage the Y becomes silent” Author Unknown

“Love is a temporary insanity curable by marriage” Ambroce Bierce

Incorporate some of these quotes into your speech and you’ll soon realize that the only person who should be nervous by a Best Man speech is the Groom. Enjoy these quotes and look forward to you Best Man speech with confidence.

There are certain points during your Best Man speech that you need a reaction from the guests. These reactions may include laughter at a joke or applause at a warm statement. There are 3 points during your speech that must garner a reaction, your first joke, your closing line and your toast. You note I did not write “it would be nice to garner a reaction”, I wrote “you must garner a reaction”. 

Today we are dealing with wedding toasts, and like any aspects of your speech it is important to choose a line, that your audience may enjoy, not one you enjoy. Here are 10 examples of nice toasts varying in style but each should gain you a confidence-boosting reaction.  You should begin each by saying something along the lines of ” Ladies and Gentlemen can I ask you all to be upstanding as we toast the newlyweds”

Ten Examples of Successful Best Man Toasts 
May they live as long as they want, but never want as long as they live.

May your love be modern enough to last to survive the times and old-fashioned enough to last forever.

May they share love and laughter and Happily Ever After

May their hands be forever joined in friendship and their hearts forever in love.

May they live long, laugh often and love always.

May the path they lead blossom with love, health and happiness.

May “for better or worst” be far better than worst.

May their wedding days be few and their anniversaries many.

May they remember the 2 secrets to a happy marriage-a short memory and a good sense of humor.

May the roof above them never fall in and those beneath it ever fall out.