Tips for Best Man Speeches

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008 at 7:03 am

1. Content is key

It is essential to do some research in advance and have content in your speech that will either make people smile and feel that you have made an effort as best man rather than just speaking off the top of your head.

Tip: even if you are not comfortable speaking in front of large crowds make sure you have 3 funny or sincere lines, these should be your opening line, closing line and the wedding toast.

2. Don’t speak too fast

The most common mistake a nervous best man will make is to blurt out his lines so quickly that the audience cannot understand what he is saying. This is particularly frustrating if you have taken the time to source great content for your speech, only to have it lost on your audience because you are blurting out your lines.

Tip: have a large glass of water at your table and after every few lines, take a slow gulp from your glass, this will help your composure and as you get further into your speech allow you build the confidence to end on a high.

3. Involve the parents of the bride and groom

One of the loudest rounds of applause you will get during your best man speech is if you take the time to praise the parents of the bride and groom. Everyone is in fantastic form at the wedding and guests are usually particularly delighted for both sets of proud parents, so mention them and compliment them both.

Tip: say, “I’d like to break from tradition and offer a toast to the parents of the bride and groom, they have put tremendous work into making today the special occasion that it is and deserve a special round of applause.”

4. Show appreciation

Best men are expected to be funny, witty, even sarcastic but they are not renowned for showing humility and genuine appreciation for the honor of being made best man by a friend or loved one. Wedding guests love nothing more than a show of emotion, so in between your jokes and one-liners take the time to mention how much the groom’s friendship means to you.

Tip: say “The groom is a great friend who gives without thought of receipt, he is the prototype of what any best friend should be and I am very proud to be his best man today.”

5.End on a high

Like me, I’m sure you have been guest at a wedding where a lazy best man ends with “I’d like to toast the bride and groom” and then instead of delivering a toast just says “to the bride and groom”, the toast is vital not least because it will be your final remark of the evening more than likely so make sure you end on a high.

Tip: when introducing your toast say, “there are a many wedding toasts available on the internet but I selected this one as I believe it reflects the friendship and love the bride and groom have for each other.”

Aside from these suggestions the most important piece of advice I can give you is to be yourself, you were chosen to be best man because of who you are, so don’t try and change that on the wedding day.