Being the groom’s right-hand man means you’re in charge of a few things, including giving an iconic best man’s speech at the reception. But if you haven’t got the foggiest on where to start and you’re wondering how to write a best man speech from scratch, we’re here to save the day (and the wedding…).
From best man speech openings to jokes, props, and more, we’ve pulled together a guide to help you absolutely nail it.
Still got picking out a wedding card on your to-do list? Well, with the big day rapidly approaching, it’s time to get a move on. Luckily for you, you can’t go wrong with one of our lovely wedding cards:
And with that out of the way, let’s dive into our ideas for a best man speech everyone will remember.
Tips for preparing a best man speech
Before we get into how to structure your best man speech and what to include, let’s start with some best man speech tips. If you want to deliver a speech without any hiccups, here’s how to go about doing so:
1. Practice your speech
Practice makes perfect, so you’ll definitely need to do a few trial runs before the big day. Grab your speech, stand in front of a mirror, and run through it a few times to make sure everything is good to go.
Or, if you’re feeling brave, why not grab one of your fellow groomsmen and ask if you can practice in front of them?
2. Don’t make everything into a joke
Whilst you can most certainly crack a few good jokes during your best man speech, don’t go over the top. We’re not saying the room erupting in laughter is a bad thing, but make sure to include some super sincere words too.
The most iconic best man speeches have both light and shade, making people laugh and cry in equal measure. We’re thinking a speech packed with funny childhood memories, drunken evenings, but also plenty of heartfelt sentiments.
3. Don’t get drunk too early
Speaking of drunken evenings, maybe hold off on that fifth drink until after the best man speech? While the alcohol’s bound to be flowing, the last thing you want is to be slurring your words and ruining all the hard work you’ve put in.
4. Keep it classy
No matter how close you are to the groom, there are certain topics you should always avoid. For example, delving too deep into past relationships, sex life, drugs or gambling, or negativity about the concept of marriage. Remember the point of your speech is about celebrating the couple and their love for one another.
5. Be yourself
Lastly and perhaps most importantly, don’t forget to be 100% yourself. If there’s one thing you take away from us, let it be that you embrace your unique personality and speak from the heart when giving your speech.
How to start a best man speech
So, now you’ve got some top tips up your sleeve, it’s time to write the opening of your best man speech. There are a variety of ways to open and grab everyone’s attention:
- Introduce yourself: It goes without saying that you’ll need to introduce yourself, and it’s also a good idea to reveal your relation to the groom at this point.
- Acknowledge the guests and the newlyweds: Next up, make sure you thank all the guests for listening, then compliment the new happy couple.
- Set a light hearted tone: All the best best man speeches open with a light-hearted tone, so there’s always the option of beginning with a brief, humorous anecdote. This is one way to get everyone laughing from the outset!
Best man speech structure
Of course, there’s no single best man speech structure that you have to follow. Especially because you wouldn’t want it to be exactly like all the others and you should try to add some personal flair.
Even if you’re planning on improvising on the day (which isn’t really what we’d recommend for the sake of the bride and groom), it’s always a good idea to have a rough plan in mind. There are loads of ways you can switch up the flow of your speech, but a good place to start is with a tried-and-true traditional best man speech structure which tends to go as follows:
- Tell some funny stories and anecdotes about the groom – This is your time to embarrass the groom a little bit. Remember all his family and friends are in attendance though, so don’t talk about something too wild.
- Talk about the bride – Time to focus on the bride and give her some compliments (because maybe you know just how much patience she has to be able to put up with him). Keep it personal but not too serious, diving into when you first met his partner and your first impression as well as when you knew he was completely besotted.
- Compliment others who helped with the big day – If you like, you could use some time in your best man speech to focus on everyone who’s helped make the day so special, such as the other groomsmen, bridesmaids, and parents of the couple. If there’s anyone important who unfortunately couldn’t make it then you could read out messages from them too.
- Toast to the newlyweds – End your speech by saying how lovely a couple they are, and then raise a glass to the newlyweds and congratulate them on their new life together.
How long should a best man speech be?
Next, what about the best man speech length? Well, there’s no given rule about how long a best man speech should be. If it’s over 10 minutes though, you can probably appreciate that guests are going to get a bit bored… Plus, do you really even have that much to say?
On the flip side, just a few minutes long, and nobody will remember you even did a speech, and you can’t fit in many funny best man speech jokes and anecdotes during that time. That’s why we’d unofficially say that 5-7 minutes is the optimal length for a crowd-pleasing best man speech that gives you enough time to include all the good bits.
Best man speech jokes
You might choose to open with a classic joke, so given that it’s the start of your best man speech, you need to nail it! Here are some of our ideas for best man speech jokes:
- “(Insert groom’s name) did a best man speech at my own wedding. So, I’m going to put in the same amount of effort as he did for me. For anyone who was at both weddings, I think you know where this is going.”
- “As you’re about to realise, public speaking is not a skill of mine, but I’m going to give it my best shot.”
- “Let’s get on with this because I know you’re all only listening out of formality and are really eyeing up the bar over there.”
- “Boy oh boy, am I going to have some fun with this. Shoutout to (insert groom’s name) for giving me the prime opportunity to share all his secrets in front of a crowd.”
- “My childhood dream was to be a stand-up comedian, so be sure to let me know if I missed out on a career opportunity after this.”
How to spice up your best man speech
If you’re looking for ways to jazz things up and avoid a run-of-the-mill speech, how about incorporating one of the following?
- Props: Who’s to say you can’t include a few props in your best man speech? From trophies to pictures and anything in between, just include anything with a memory or funny story attached to it.
- Surprise guest involvement: Eager to include some backup to elevate your speech? Just invite a loved one or old friend to momentarily share the stage with you.
- Video montage: Sometimes it can be a nice idea to create a little video montage to go alongside your speech. Whether this is full of sweet childhood memories or more recent happy times, it’s a great way to keep everyone engaged.
Best man speech toast ideas
So, you perfected your introduction, but you’re now wondering how to end a best man speech… Well, here are some best man speech toast ideas!
- “To love that lasts infinity and beyond, let’s raise a glass to the bride and groom.”
- “Well, that’s about it from me. Now I hope you’ll raise a glass with me to the happy couple!”
- “I’ll end my speech by raising a glass to the newlyweds, hope the hangover tomorrow isn’t too horrific.”
- “Here’s to the bride and groom, wishing you both eternal happiness together and forevermore. Now let’s party.”
- “Before I finish, just a little bit of advice for the couple. Don’t forget that even when she’s wrong, she’s still right.”
Hopefully, you feel confident and ready to dazzle all the wedding guests thanks to us helping you with how to write a best man speech.
Aside from speaking on the day, be sure to put your wedding wishes into writing inside one of our beautiful wedding cards. From funny and cheeky to heartfelt or classic, find the perfect option for the happy couple. Our blog on what to write in a wedding card can be handy too if you’re lost for words after planning such a wonderful speech.
And if you’ve got any other special occasions coming up then you best bet that we’ve got a guide or article of some sort to help you out over on the thortful blog. Just take a look for yourself!
