The key to a great best man’s speech


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Hi there!

If you are reading this then you are trying to write the perfect best man’s speech for your friend’s wedding. So here are a few points and tips to help you. If you follow these, you cannot fail to impress.

Firstly, there are five main parts that you must include in your speech.

These are:

1) Intro. Make this short and to the point, who you are and what you are going to be doing. For example, “Hi everyone, my name is Jim, the best man, and I have been asked to give a speech”. Simple.

2) You and the groom. How do you know the groom? Where did you meet? And what makes you such good friends? This should take around four to five minutes to say, as you don’t want to rush it, but you don’t want it to drag either.

3) A story. Obvious, I know, but all the best, best man’s speeches I have heard involved a funny or slightly embarrassing story about the groom. Big tip here –  don’t go too over the top. Keep the humiliation to a minimum. After all, you do still want an invitation to any further family events, don’t you?

4) The bride. This is a must. If you mention her in your speech, it is a ticket for free Sunday dinners for life. Be nice and compliment her AND her bridesmaids.

5) The toast. Bring things to an end gently on a more serious note, comment on the couple and say how happy they look. Then make a toast.

These five points are paramount to the success of your speech. Follow them in the right order, and you are already on to a winner.

Finally, I have some words of warning. Please, please, please do not do any of the following. If you do you will make the biggest mess of your speech, and possibly ruin the whole day!

Firstly, don’t get too drunk before you give the speech. People won’t listen to a swaying drunk!

Secondly, do not tell a story that could end the marriage before it has been toasted! This would not be good.

Finally, don’t make any part of the speech up, use your own memories, experiences and feelings to give the speech. It works a lot better that way.

So, I hope this short insight on how to write a best man’s speech has helped you.

If you do have any further questions, post them on the website and one of us will try our best to get back to you.

Best of luck for the big day!

 

Published On: 30th Jul 2007

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Wedding Speeches ,

11 Comments
  1. thankyou for the advice!
    My best friend Gav’s wedding went totally great!
    shame about the cake though! 🙁

    all the best
    your pal,

    J-P-Dude

    John Palmer 17 Nov at 2:13 pm
  2. helping my boyfriend out here, found this site and its truly brilliant!!!! ta

    sarah 5 Feb at 10:56 am
  3. can you give some simple speech or a simple story telling?right now?

    michael 23 Jul at 3:23 am
  4. thank u guys for this…until i found ur site i was battering with my mind as respect to wat i shd say on the day…u have indeed blessed me.

    many thanks

    les 24 Jul at 2:41 pm
  5. I definitely agree with your statement about not going over the top when talking about the groom. You have excellent tips here for a best man speech. Thanks for sharing.

    Adam 7 Sep at 3:12 pm
  6. What a great help, wedding in a fortnight and my nerves have been settled with some excellent advice

    Dean 29 Nov at 5:56 pm
  7. Well to summarize the structure of a Good Best Man Speech should be like this:

    Open the speech
    Give thanks to others
    Unsettle the Groom
    Give thanks on behalf of the Bridesmaids
    Congratulate the wedding couple
    Admire the Bride
    Put in some humorous anecdotes
    Ridicule the Groom
    Get serious
    Offer some advice
    Read some messages
    Close the speech
    Propose a toast

    That’s it. Bingo !

    groom speeches 7 May at 10:08 pm
  8. brilliant tips.really useful.

    craig 11 Aug at 1:46 am
  9. Hy im doing best man at my brothers wedding and I need help. Our younger brother passed away 3 years ago I want to say something about him but no to much as it’s ment to be a happy day.

    susan 5 Nov at 7:32 pm
  10. brothers wedding very nerves i wont it short and sweet can u help

    tony martin 10 Mar at 7:12 pm
  11. This is going to help meas I’m also preparing for a speech

    Sithembele Vitsha 10 Sep at 8:42 pm