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14 Unforgettable Best Man Speech Examples To Inspire You
Wedding Speeches
7 June 2023

14 Amazing Best Man Speech Examples

Many wedding venues will have microphones and speakers. If it is a large space then these will be necessary. But make sure you are comfortable with a microphone and if possible have a practice beforehand. There is nothing worse than delivering your killer punchline just as you turn your head away from the mic and nobody hears it! In the following best man speech examples you must talk clearly into the microphone.

If there is no microphone or you prefer not to use one, make sure you talk loud enough so those at the back of the room can hear.

1. Best Man Speech Examples: The Humorous Opener

“Ladies and gentlemen, if you’re wondering why I’m here, it’s because the groom needed at least one person to make him look good. And since his parents couldn’t make it, I’m here instead!”

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The best best man speech examples have a humorous and self-deprecating opener that instantly grabs the audience’s attention and sets a light-hearted tone for the rest of the speech.

2. The Childhood Anecdote

“I remember when [Groom’s Name] and I were kids, we used to play superheroes together. He always insisted on being the hero, and I was his trusty sidekick. Little did I know that years later, he would find his real-life superhero in [Bride’s Name].”

3. The Love Story Narration

“Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, a charming prince named [Groom’s Name] met his beautiful princess, [Bride’s Name]. Their love story began with stolen glances, blossomed through countless dates, and today, culminates in this magical wedding celebration.”

These best man speech examples take the audience on a journey, narrating the couple’s love story from the beginning and building up to the present day. It adds a touch of enchantment to the speech.

4. The Supportive Brother

“As [Groom’s Name]’s older brother, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing his growth and evolution. From scraped knees and muddy soccer fields to this momentous occasion, I couldn’t be prouder of the man he has become. [Bride’s Name], thank you for bringing out the best in my brother and making him the happiest man on earth.”

This example showcases the brotherly bond and expresses heartfelt gratitude to the bride for positively influencing the groom’s life.

5. The Unexpected Talent

“As it turns out, [Groom’s Name] isn’t just a master of wit and charm; he’s also a secret dance maestro. Who knew those moves on the dance floor were carefully choreographed by him? [Bride’s Name], get ready for a lifetime of dancing to his unique rhythm!”

This example adds an element of surprise by highlighting a hidden talent of the groom. It injects humour into the speech and celebrates the couple’s future together.

6. The Toast to Family

“Let’s raise our glasses and toast to the families that brought [Groom’s Name] and [Bride’s Name] together. May their love and support continue to strengthen this bond, and may the union of these two families bring nothing but joy and harmony.”

This example emphasises the importance of family, inviting everyone to join in a toast that celebrates the union of not only the couple but also their families.

7. The Lessons in Love

“In all the years I’ve known [Groom’s Name], he’s taught me many things. But the most important lesson he has taught me is that love is worth fighting for. [Bride’s Name], you’ve proven that true love exists, and together, you are an inspiration to all of us.”

This example acknowledges the valuable lessons the groom has taught the speaker and expresses admiration for the couple’s love, positioning them as a source of inspiration.

8. The Quirky Comparison

“If [Groom’s Name] was a movie, he would be a romantic comedy – full of laughter, unexpected twists, and a heart-warming ending. And today, he has found his leading lady in [Bride’s Name], turning his real-life rom-com into a happily ever after.”

This example uses a fun and relatable comparison to describe the groom’s personality and likens his journey with the bride to a romantic comedy film.

9. The Thank You to the Guests

“On behalf of the newlyweds, I want to express our gratitude to all of you for being here to celebrate this joyous occasion. Your presence today fills our hearts with happiness and makes this day even more special.”

This example takes a moment to acknowledge and thank the guests for their presence, emphasising the significance of their support and participation in the couple’s big day.

10. The Promise of Friendship

“As the best man, it is my duty to ensure that [Groom’s Name] never faces a challenge alone. I promise to be there through thick and thin, just as he has been there for me. Together, we will navigate the waters of marriage and continue to create lifelong memories.”

This example emphasises the best man’s commitment to friendship and offers a heartfelt promise of ongoing support and companionship.

11. The Romantic Quote

“In the words of the great poet, Robert Browning, ‘Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be.’ [Groom’s Name] and [Bride’s Name], may your journey together be filled with endless love, cherished moments, and a future that surpasses all expectations.”

This example incorporates a romantic quote to convey well wishes for the couple’s future, evoking a sense of timelessness and eternal love.

12. Best Man Speech Examples: The Wedding Advice

“As someone who has already embarked on this wonderful journey called marriage, I offer you this advice: always communicate openly, support each other’s dreams, and never forget to keep the spark alive. Cheers to a lifetime of happiness, love, and unforgettable adventures!”

This example adds a personal touch by offering marriage advice based on the speaker’s own experience, fostering a sense of camaraderie and shared wisdom.

13. The Appreciation for the Bride

“I want to take a moment to acknowledge the incredible woman who stole [Groom’s Name]’s heart. [Bride’s Name], your love for him is evident in every glance, every touch, and every smile. Thank you for bringing so much joy and love into his life.”

Best man speech examples that express appreciation and admiration for the bride always go down well, recognising her impact on the groom’s life and highlighting the depth of their love.

14. The Final Toast

“To [Groom’s Name] and [Bride’s Name], may your marriage be filled with endless laughter, unwavering support, and a love that grows stronger with each passing day. Cheers to a lifetime of shared adventures and unforgettable memories!”

This example concludes the speech with a final toast, encapsulating heartfelt well wishes for the couple’s future and leaving a lasting impression on the audience.

These 14 amazing best man speech examples provide a range of ideas and styles to inspire your own speech. Remember, the key is to add your personal touch, tailor the content to the couple, and deliver it with sincerity and confidence. With these examples as your guide, you’re sure to create a speech that will leave a lasting impression on the newlyweds and their guests. Good luck!

The Ultimate Best Man’s Speech Template

Author: Hollie Bond

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No idea where to start when it comes to writing your best man speech? Use our failsafe best man’s speech template for inspiration to write and deliver an Oscar-worthy performance.

You’ve been given the huge honour of being the best man at your best friend’s wedding – congratulations! Now you’ve celebrated together and have had fun coming up with all sorts of fun ideas for the stag do , it’s time to knuckle down to the harder work of coming up with a best man speech that’ll show your best mate how much he means to you and that’ll entertain all the wedding guests in equal measure.

Not many of us are natural speech writers or deliverers. In fact, this might be the very first speech you’ve ever been asked to do. If you’re staring at a blank document and have no idea where or how to start when it comes to writing a brilliant and funny best man speech, don’t panic. Plenty of other best men have been in your shoes before.

To help you create a funny, but well-structured and entertaining speech, we’ve put together an easy-to-use best man speech template. Use this to create a structure for your speech and then fill your speech full of personal anecdotes and your own unique jokes and sense of humour.

How To Write An Amazing Best Man Speech

Before you dive headfirst into writing your best man speech , there are a few rules you need to consider to ensure your speech is as entertaining as it can possibly be. The key to a good best man speech is that it sounds casual and effortless, but there’s still a good structure, and this can only be achieved if you follow these simple, but effective rules:

1) Timing: Keep your speech short! Make sure your speech is around seven to fifteen minutes long. Any shorter and it sounds like you’ve not put the effort in. Any longer and you’re at risk of boring the guests and sounding monotonous.

2) Make sure you don’t leave it till the last minute. A good speech takes preparation and practice. If you’ve always been the sort of person who procrastinates, then now is the time to make a change. You should start this speech at least a month in advance of the wedding to give yourself time to make edits and learn the speech by heart so you can deliver it effortlessly.

3) Don’t include any private jokes or stories the wedding guests won’t understand. Think about your audience at all times. This is not a private speech between you and the groom. Everyone needs to understand what you’re talking about or you risk alienating them.

4) Don’t talk about yourself too much. This is not your day, but the brides and grooms. If you’re going to go on about anyone, it should be the groom!

5) Spend the most time working on the introduction and the end. These are the bits most guests will remember.

6) Any jokes about the groom or members of the wedding party should be wholesome and family-friendly rather than rude, crude, and offensive. Remember anecdotes and short stories or observational jokes about the groom work much better in this speech than one-liners that you’ve randomly found online. Give the guests time to warm up to a joke rather than expecting them to roar with laughter at a single out-of-context sentence.

7) Think about having an overarching theme. The best man speeches have a thread running through them that links all the different elements. If you can, try and think of a loose theme for your speech (don’t force it though if it’s not working). Something you can reference at the start and then come back to at various points makes for an excellent and joined-up speech. Ideas could be a certain well-known trait of the best man. Or perhaps a story about the groom that you can drip feed throughout the speech, with a hilarious result revealed at the end.

Best Man Speech Template

Best man speech opening lines.

To get your audience on your side from the off, start your speech with a strong and amusing opening line if you can. We’ve rounded up some of the greatest best man speech opening jokes for you to take your pick from. A classic way to get guests on your side is to mention how you’re feeling about the speech or what you’ve been feeling in the run-up to delivering a speech, as they will immediately have empathy for you and be willing you to do well. Make it funny and self-deprecating though, rather than making them doubt your abilities to deliver a speech!

Welcoming the guests

Once you’ve said the first sentence you’ll feel a bit more comfortable and can get into your stride. The most important thing to ensure you do at the start of the speech is to welcome the guests. This is can be a simple sentence welcoming them and thanking them for coming to the wedding on behalf of the bride and groom. This can also be a good time to mention how honored you are to be the best man and also to pay some compliments to the bride and the bridesmaids.

Introduce yourself and how you met the groom

Next on the agenda should be introducing yourself in more detail and telling those members of the audience how you met the groom. Make sure the guests know your name and how you’re related or linked to the groom. If you’ve got a funny story about how you met, bring it out now. Talk about your initial thoughts about the groom and how you hit it off (or didn’t!).

Talk about the best man

Now you’re into your stride, this section should form the main section of your speech. After all, the best man speech is all about the groom and what a great guy he is. Talk about his character – the good bits and the not so good (remember wholesome jokes only) and spend time reflecting on how he has grown as a person since you’ve known him.

Focus on the comedy value here, and don’t be afraid to exaggerate traits or stories a little for the comedy value. As long as there’s a basis in truth the audience will know you’re hamming it up! Alongside any best man speech jokes, be sure to add in some touching and emotional stories about the groom to provide some variety. You can also mention any major accomplishments that the groom has made in his life in this section if it’s relevant. Remember a bride will have her father’s speech to talk about how amazing she is, so as a best man it’s your duty to paint the groom in just as good a light.

The bride and the groom

Now that your best mate is married, it’s time to talk about the other love in his life – his new bride and how he met her. Talk about how they met and how you, as his best friend, knew that he was smitten and in love. This is another chance to make fun of him for being soppy or behaving in an out-of-character way. This is also part of the speech where you can be a bit more serious and you can talk about how amazing the bride is and how happy she makes your best friend.

You can even thank the bride, if you feel it is appropriate, for making the groom so happy. If you’re in a place to do so (or perhaps it’s funnier if you’re not) now is also a time to offer some advice to the bride and groom for the years to come. Keep it light-hearted and funny. No one wants to be told how hard marriage is on their big day.

The wedding day

Once you’ve exhausted all your jokes and anecdotes about the groom, it’s time to pay a few compliments. You can start with the wedding day itself, talking about how fabulous it has been so far and the amount of effort that has gone into the day. You can thank the parents of both the bride and the groom if you like here, but don’t go into a long list of thank-yous, as that is the groom’s job in his speech.

The best man speech toast

You’ll be glad to hear this is the final element of the best man speech and you can really afford to relax and be jubilant at this point in the speech as all your nerves should be gone and you’ll be well and truly at ease with public speaking by now. Much like the conclusion to an essay, you can use this part to quickly summarise the key points from your speech, or you can even complete a classic best man’s speech joke that you’ve cleverly woven in through the majority of the speech. Feel free to pepper this section with a few well-chosen last jokes to leave your guests feeling happy and upbeat too.

Your speech should end with a heartfelt toast to the newlyweds. Start with a few hopes and well wishes for the couple and then invite the wedding guests to stand and join you in raising a toast to the happy couple.

What To Do Once You've Written Your Best Man Speech

Now you’ve followed this best man speech template and have the bones of your speech written down, you’ll probably feel a real weight off your shoulders. From here, you can take your time fleshing out the details of the speech and adding or amending jokes where you see fit.

Now you need to time yourself reading the speech and cut or add to it depending on the time it comes out at. It’s also a really smart idea to ask someone to listen to your speech and give you honest feedback. Don’t choose anyone too close to the bride or groom as they will want to hear it for the first time on the wedding day. Another groomsman or someone going on the stag do would work well.

Hollie Bond

Hollie is a lifestyle journalist with over ten years’ experience working in the wedding industry as Lifestyle Editor for You & Your Wedding magazine Also a Regional Editor for Muddy Stilettos, Hollie has written for Square Meal magazine, Family History Monthly, BBC History magazine and Homes & Antiques. In her spare time you can find Hollie in a dance studio practising ballet…

Learn more about Hollie Bond

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Ten tips for writing a brilliant best man speech

It’s one of the most important jobs a man can do in his lifetime, so the pressure to be the best “best man” is enormous. nowhere is this truer than for the best man’s speech. this daunting challenge virtually requires a novice to become a competent stand-up comedian. luckily two of those, past and present – jason manford and steve edge – are on hand to offer some pearls of wisdom., in this episode of best men they are joined by wedding speech expert heidi ellert-mcdermott, whose company speechy aims to make these set-pieces of the big day as entertaining as possible., here are ten tips to help a best man’s speech go with a swing:.

Listen to Best Men on BBC Sounds

Jason Manford and Steve Edge’s new podcast all about one of the most important jobs a bloke can face in his lifetime. Like all good best man speeches, it’s full of laughs and heart

1. The speech opening should put you on the right track

Like anything, a best man’s speech will benefit from putting in the work, in this case remembering and researching some of the fun moments in the lives of the groom – and also of the bride. It’s the very first few lines of your best man speech that will set the tone and – hopefully – put you in a state of flow where your thorough research will really pay off.

1300 words is enough to say everything you need to say

2. Keep it under 10 minutes

Your speech has more chance of a better reception (no pun intended) if it runs at 10 minutes or less. Assuming an average speaking rate of 130 word per minute, that’s a maximum of 1300 words.

“1300 words is enough to say everything you need to say,” says Heidi. “No one's ever listened to a speech and said, ‘I wish it was longer’.”

3. Avoid cliches and generic gags

Jason puts the role of the best man into context when he compares a stand-up starting out with five- or seven-minute slots for a few years, whereas a best man is expected to do a tight ten with little preparation. To keep this quick transition as seamless as possible, Heidi advises avoiding some of the more obvious, and in some cases cringeworthy or vulgar, jokes out of the speech.

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4. Know your audience – ditch the stag-do stories

Another difference between a stand-up and best man is that the audience for the latter could be anything from eight to 80, whereas a comedy audience is on average, around 20 to 50. This is another reason why the base jokes have to go, but also why the stag-do tales should remain a mystery. This is a favour to a large number of your audience because, as Steve points out, “They weren’t there!”

5. Include the bride

Steve also points out that the best man speech should include the bride, and Heidi wholeheartedly agrees. “Often it comes down to ‘she looks good’,” Heidi points out, “and I can't stand that, especially when they do actually know them. Obviously, you need a bit of that but include a bit of her personality as well!”

6. No PowerPoint presentations

“Surely they have had their day?” asks Heidi of PowerPoint presentations. “Maybe 20 years ago, we all enjoyed looking at their old haircuts?”

“I don’t know,” interjects Jason, “when you see someone with a mullet back in the day, that’s still funny.”

Heidi’s advice, however, is: “Save it for socials.”

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7. Pick a married best man

There’s two reasons for this. First, younger, single best men are more likely to want their speech to go viral, and so it could be lengthy and, well, more salacious. Second, married best men have been through it all before and they know what you don’t want in there. “You’re safer,” believes Heidi, “because their partners will get involved and they will be an extra proof checker.”

8. Your best man doesn’t need to be your best friend

This might sound counter-intuitive but a best man is the one who is going to do the best job with the speech. “It's not necessarily the one that's funny down the pub,” observes Heidi, “it's the one that's going to put the homework in.”

Equally, you still want funny. “You don't want to pick the one that's crying and you know, talking about their bromance,” laughs Heidi.

9. The positioning of speeches to food can influence the mood

There are no hard and fast rules on where the speeches go in relation to the wedding meal – it’s about personal choice. Heidi has a preference for the speeches to be split between courses. “So you have the traditional father of the bride role, welcoming people before everyone tucks into their meal,” she says, “then you maybe have the groom or the bride after the main, and then the best man after the pudding. Obviously, there are drawbacks from the best man's point of view. But I'd also say it means the audience are a bit more ‘oiled up’.”

Speeches are there to be enjoyed, and you should be looking forward to delivering them

Jason and Steve got their speeches in before any food. “Twenty minutes and everyone was done,” Jason recalls. “It just meant that you could relax and enjoy your dinner and drinks without sitting there worried the whole time.”

Whichever way you decide to do it, Heidi says, “Speeches are there to be enjoyed, and you should be looking forward to delivering them.”

10. Read your speech from paper – and look happy

Heidi is not keen on people reading from their phone or other piece of tech. “I prefer going old school – bits of paper.”

When you’re reading off your paper, Heidi reminds that you must avoid getting lost in your notes and keep eye contact, and smile, which is “the biggest thing we have to remind people when they’re practising their speeches.”

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The Best Man Speech Guide

You are here because you have received the honour of being the best man – congratulations!

There are many jobs and responsibilities that come with being a best man. Planning the crazy, unforgettable stag do , helping the groom prepare for the wedding and of course writing that all important best man speech. But writing a speech is more than putting pen to paper; you want to make it captivating, funny and perfect for the newlyweds. We understand how this can become quite a challenge, so we’ve put together a guide on all things best man speech related, with speech structures, joke ideas, the dos and don’ts of a best man speech and everything in between.

Get our Best Man Speech Template for FREE here...

What Makes a Great Best Man Speech?

Whether you are the groom’s longest friend or writing the best man speech as a brother, there are certain paths that everyone goes down when it comes to putting their speech together. As soon as you find out you have the important role of best man, you instantly think about your speech. And writing a best man speech can be hard! The most important thing to remember is adding some humour, heartfelt words and a bit of banter.

9 Rules When Writing a Best Man Speech

1. Make sure it’s no more than 1,000 words – that equates to around 7 minutes

2. Add some humour, but don’t go over the top

3. Only use one reminiscence or anecdote

4. Mix humour and friendly digs towards the groom

5. Complement the bride

6. Do NOT swear

7. Try to memorise your opening line

8. Speak loudly and slowly

9. Make the last thing you say memorable

6 Types of Best Man Speeches

A great way to make sure that your best man speech ends up being legendary is by ensuring you've nailed the structure and overall theme of your monologue. So, if you are still stuck for ideas to start from, here are a few different types of best man speeches that you can take inspiration from:

1. Light-Hearted

Grabs the audience’s attention
Be fondly remembered for years to come

2. Edgy/Witty

Full of the gags and one-liners
Usually centre on topics that would usually be serious or a bit taboo

3. The Roast

Make sure you and the groom are close enough
Don’t expect to be on the good side of the groom after the speech

4. Poking Fun

Good for sneaking some light laughs into your speech
A good, gentle but fun option
Acceptable to shove even more digs and jokes in
Usually an advantage for everything

6. Sentimental

Easy on the laughs and the fun
Praises the bride and groom

Best Man Speech Opening Lines

Even the shortest best man speech needs a cracking opening line. This is the opportunity to get everybody’s attention, and the best way to do that is with some humour! The opening line will give an indication as to what type of best man speech route you are going down. It’s important to introduce yourself whether you want to make the introduction humorous, sincere or edgy the choice is yours. It’s also important to explain how you and the groom know each other.

Opening Lines to Begin Your Best Man Speech

1. "Hi guys, my name is (best man) and as best man, it’s my job to tell you the truth about (groom)."

2. "Most of you may wonder why out of everyone, I was chosen to be the best man today. To be honest, I am the only one of (groom)’s friends who can read and write!"

3. "I’d like to make a toast (brings out a piece of toast)"

4. "I was taught by my parents that if I had nothing good to say about someone don’t say anything at all (pause)"

5. "Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to thank you all for coming today, especially everyone who knew I’d be doing a speech – it’s great that you decided to still come."

6. "My name is (best man). Today it is my job to praise the groom, but in fact, whilst writing this speech, I’ve found it impossible to praise him at all!"

The Best Man Speech - Opening Lines to Begin You Best Man Speech

How to Structure Writing a Best Man Speech in 10 Simple Points

Once you’ve got your opening line out of the way, you will be onto the rest of writing the best man speech. There are a variety of different thing you can include into your best man speech depending on the type of speech you’re going for. Most of the topics below are what everyone puts into their best man speech. Once you’ve got all these figured out you’re well on your way to writing a best man speech that will be memorable!

1. Introducing Yourself

Unless you’ve done this in the opening line, you will need to let the audience know who you are. You could do this introduction in a number of ways.

Alternative

2. Relation to the Groom

Make known who you are and your relationship with the groom; it’s the perfect opportunity for banter, roasting and explaining why you love ‘em.

3. Friendship Reminisces

The Essential part of your speech should be best handled using heartfelt remarks alongside a dribble of humour.

Things to consider mentioning:

How you met
How long you’ve known each other
Being great mates
Your first impressions
Reaction to when he proposed
Your favourite/funniest memory

4. The Praise

Pay tribute to the star of the show (the groom); the obvious stuff to mention is:

What a great friend he is, and why
How honoured you are to be the best man
How delighted you are for the groom
Pledge your support to the groom
Some meaningful words
How the groom inspires you?
Explain why the groom will be good husband material

5. The Roast

There are 4 key ingredients you need to serve up the perfect roast:

Personality trait

6. Add a Joke

Make sure the next section of the best man speech is humorous, perhaps talk about:

Honour of being the best man
Preparing the speech
Cost of the wedding
The stag do
Best man duties
Anxious moments

7. Compliment the Bride

The bride is equally the biggest part of the day as the groom so she deserves at least a mention in the speech.

There are a few things that can be said to compliment the bride:

Admiration for the bride
Bride’s qualities
Groom’s happiness
Like to know her better
Recognising bride’s efforts
Bride’s bettered the groom
Wish her luck

8. Compliment the Couple

Once you have praised and complimented them separately, it’s important that you compliment them as a couple.

9. Closing Lines

Things to include in a sentimental closing line:

Your belief in their marriage
Your own hopes in the marriage
Sum up the day
Your place in their lives now
Your congratulations
Your best wishes
Wise words for the future
Amusing presents
Jokes about the honeymoon
Wedding costs

10. ‘Thank You’ & Toasts

Talk about the following topics:

The honour of being chosen to be the best man
For being involved in the wedding personally
To all the contributors to the wedding
To the guests for attending and all the gifts they’ve brought along
Toast to the couple’s future

Best Man Speech for Brothers

Apparently, 1 in 4 best men are also a brother of the groom. So it makes sense why a best man speech for brothers are so popular. There is a lot of pressure on the best man with writing a speech but since you are the brother, you’ve got a serious advantage. If you are the brother, there are a lot more grounds you can talk about and cover without treading on anyone’s toes. Talk about how you are best friends, your childhood memories etc.

You can even get the parents involved more when you’re writing a best man speech as a brother! After all that is the biggest thing you and your brother have in common so mentioning them in the speech might be a nice addition. Some healthy sibling rivalry is also a great way to add some humour into the best man speech. Poke fun at him and some of the healthy competition you had growing up.

As the brother, you can also add something a lot more heartfelt than any other best man could. As well as complimenting the bride and everything else around the couple, you are also welcoming the bride into the family as your new in law.

The Best Man Speech - Best Man Speech for Brothers

6 Rules for Writing a Best Man Speech for Brothers

1. Use the fact that your brothers to your advantage as it will make your speech unique

2. Don’t add too many inside jokes as it could leave people confused

3. Don’t swear

4. Keep it clean, remember your parents and grandparents will be listening

5. Speak slowly and pause for laughter

6. Don’t be afraid to use cue cards if you think you might forget some parts of the speech

Funny Best Man Speeches

As soon as you have been given the position of best man, it goes without saying that writing a funny best man speech runs through your brain. Of course during the best man speech, you want to add some emotion, compliments and heartfelt words. But the funny parts are the most important obviously. But of course when going for funny best man speeches you want to make sure you don’t overdo it.

4 Rules for Funny Best Man Speeches

1. Remember where you are, you don’t want your jokes going down a controversial route or to offend anyone

2. Steer away from jokes that only a select few people will get, you want to engage your whole audience

3. Make sure you don’t have to over explain any jokes as that’s when the joke isn’t funny, keep everything short and sweet.

4. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, your audience aren’t expecting a comedy show off Jack Whitehall!

Short Best Man Speeches

Whether you are the groom’s longest friend or your writing the best man speech as a brother there are certain paths that everyone goes down when it comes to putting their speech together. As soon as you find out you have the important role of best man you instantly think about your speech. And writing a best man speech can be hard! The most important things to remember is to add some humour, heartfelt words and a bit of banter.

1. Introduce yourself to the audience

2. Tell some jokes relating to the groom

3. Congratulate the happy couple

Best Man Speech Examples

By this point, you should have a good idea of how you want to structure your best man speech. However, the next part is probably the hardest - getting some original words of your own written down! Here’s a few best man speech examples you can take inspiration from to get you started:

1. The “Thankful” Speech

“It’s a pleasure to be here as [groom’s] best man tonight. I’d like to start off by thanking you for the opportunity to stand by you and [bride] today and share this special moment with you. [Groom] has always been someone I look up to and respect, and it makes me happy to see that he’s found someone to share the rest of his life with. Cheers to a lifetime of memories and happiness”

2. The “Good Idea” Speech

“I’ve known [Groom] for many years, and we’ve shared a lot of laughs and good memories together. However, it’s said that with old friends, you can afford to be stupid with them! Yet despite how many funny stories we have, I have to praise [Groom] for all the smart decisions he’s made in his life – His friends, career, and you, [Bride], quite possibly the best decision he’s ever made!”

3. The “She’s the One” Speech

“When I was first introduced to [Bride], I knew instantly that she was perfect for [Groom]. Even if he wasn’t aware of the fact that they’d end up here today, it was clear to his friends that he was captivated by her. Even when [Bride] wasn’t there, [Groom] would still manage to talk about her every five minutes! And now, today, we see how far they’ve both come and how perfect they really are for each other.”

Best Man Toast Ideas

Regardless of the occasion, no great speech is complete without a great toast! Have a look at a few best man toast examples here to help you out with rounding off that awesome monologue you’ve just written!

1. “I’d like you all to join me in wishing the new Mr and Mr/Mrs [surname] all the wealth, health and happiness in the world. To the happy couple!”

2. “To [NAME] and [NAME] – here is to a lifetime of love and happiness”

3. “Raise your glass and join me in a toast to [Bride] and [Groom] – may you always be friends as well as lovers”

4. “To my best friend and his beautiful bride: the new Mr and Mrs/Mr [surname]”

5. “Here is a toast to a perfect couple – to a long life together filled with happiness, adventure and lots of wonderful memories”

Best Man Speech FAQs

Of course, you might still have some burning questions we haven’t covered yet. But don’t worry, we’ve listed a few best man speech FAQs for you here so you don’t get caught out!

When Does the Best Man Speech Happen?

The best man speech usually takes place during the wedding reception after the maid of honour has said a few words to the newlyweds. However, some couples may choose to schedule this for during the reception meal. Make sure to stay up to date with the order of the day and check in with the groom regularly if anything changes.

How Many Speeches is the Best Man expected to give?

Just one! Once you know when the timeslot for your speech is, be sure to put plenty of time into memorising it as best as you can. Best man speeches that have had lots of time and effort put into them will be reflected during the delivery.

What is the Purpose of a Best Man Speech?

The idea behind giving a best man speech is to give the audience an insight into the newlyweds and their relationship through your unique perspective and standpoint as his friend or relative. But remember, the speech should mainly be about the relationship between the couple, rather than you and the groom.

4 Best Man Speech Websites

1. the best man speech | website.

Claiming to have the largest collection of best man speech material on the web, this website definitely doesn’t disappoint! The Best Man Speech takes you through the basic elements that every speech needs, shows you the latest trends and gives you tips on how you can personalise your speech to impress the groom and make the bride cringe. The site even offers a navigation system that starts with the opening line, so it’s practically writing the whole thing for you.

2. I am the Best Man | Website

A popular one, I Am the Best Man is really a one stop shop of all the things you need for your speech and more. Here, you’ll find a best man speech checklist so you can make sure you’ve got everything covered, great one liners you can personalise and even a quick guide to conquering your nerves. If you’re feeling extra lazy, the professionals over at I am the Best Man will even write your speech for you?!

3. Simply the Best Man | Website

Simply the Best Man is really what it says on the tin – it’s a website that will truly turn you into the best…best man out there. This site breaks down your best man speech into 7 phases so you can focus on each and end up with an epic speech that the groom will be talking about for weeks. To top it off, the site offers free downloadable guides so you can print them out, edit them or whatever you fancy.

4. All Speeches Great & Small | Website

If you can’t trust a specialist in every type of speech under the sun, who can you trust we say! All Speeches Great & Small are the connoisseurs of creating the perfect speech for any occasion. They have a whole section for best man speeches, with a bunch of different tips that home in on the sections of a speech. They also discuss the length of your speech, how to tackle awkwardness and who you need to address when you’re making it.

Download the Best Man Speech Guide

If you are liking our Best Man Speech template and wish to print it off, feel free to download it by pressing the link below!

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Sometimes it’s helpful to see a few best man speech examples before putting pen to paper to understand the sort of thing you should be aiming for, get ideas and provide some context. Below we have gathered together best man speeches from those who walked before you to help you on path to creating your own bit magic which are all downloadable. If you’re looking for a bit of wit, then you might also want to dip in to our best man speech jokes and one liners which provide some good set pieces.

One other thing that we’d like to ask is if you’d be kind enough to help your fellow best man after this occasion and email us your speech after the event. You can see how it rates versus the other on the list and of course, most importantly you’ll be helping your fellow man which always engenders a bit of a warm fuzzy feeling inside! So come on – help a brother out!

Brother Speech #4

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How to Write the Perfect Best Man Speech

So you’ve been chosen to be your best mate’s best man. Congratulations! It’s time to go crazy planning the stag do, right? Well, yeah. But you have another, far more important thing to worry about as well: the best man speech.

Contrary to (unfortunate) popular opinion, a good best man speech comprises far more than a few cheap jokes you found online and an embarrassing story involving the groom and a stripper in Las Vegas. Actually, it shouldn’t comprise any of the aforementioned elements.

Although a really, truly funny best man speech can be a great addition to any wedding, it’s far more important that you tick the necessary boxes with your speech. Make a few jokes and rib the groom a bit, by all means. But you also need to ensure that you say some more heartfelt things about him, say plenty of flattering – but not lecherous – things about the bride, and remark on how wonderful the day has been.

Expert advice on how to write and deliver a best man speech you’ll be proud of

This is the last of your best man duties, and quite possibly the most significant one (besides not losing the rings, of course). Think of it this way: it’s going to be part of the wedding video that your best friend and his wife show their children one day. So, don’t screw this up.

Feeling the pressure now? Good! But, you’ve come to the right place. Luckily for you, we’ve consulted experts on making your best man speech absolutely perfect and have compiled their best tips.

Best Man Speech Structure

Introduce yourself.

This should go without saying, but we’re still going to say it. It can be easy when you’re nervous to speed right past telling everyone who you are. Not everyone will know that you’re the best man (unless you made an ass of yourself earlier in the day.)

Take this opportunity to begin your speech calmly and to introduce yourself formally as the best man. You can also quickly introduce the bride and groom and make a comment about how you know the groom.

Robert, from My Wedding Speeches , tells us, “I try to make the introduction personal by usually introducing the bride and groom and within the first five or six lines I then crack some sort of joke about them. The jokes must be personal, though.” Using a generic one-liner as a speech opener is a fantastic way to start off on the wrong foot.

You probably know the groom better than a lot of people in the room. Therefore, it is up to you to talk a bit about his personal history. Make some jokes at his expense, by all means, but your speech should not be about destroying the groom.

Adrian of All Speeches Great and Small points out, “This is by far the most common way best men come unstuck. They think that they’re not doing their job properly unless the groom has been thoroughly embarrassed and emotionally tortured.” Instead, make sure you’re laughing with him, not at him.

You can also elaborate a bit more here on how you met and became such close friends. Or, if you’re family, you can joke about how you ended up being forced into each other’s lives.

The most important thing here is to not waste too much energy trying to be funny, especially if it doesn’t come naturally. “I know best man speeches are meant to be funny, but try to be sincere as well as comical,” says Robert (My Wedding Speeches).

How he’s changed

At this point, you can start to bring your speech forward into covering present day.

“A great best man speech is simply a really good story,” says Adrian (All Speeches Great and Small).

You can discuss the groom’s career here or perhaps how life hasn’t gone how you’d always planned it. There is the option to be a bit sentimental here about how much he’s grown, especially if he’s been through one or two major life events, or you can continue to be light-hearted.

Again, though, the emphasis should be on honesty. Don’t make up events just so they fit into a joke you want to tell, because it won’t be funny. Often, the most comical anecdotes are the most painfully true ones.

His dating history

Now, before we go any further, we must warn you to exercise caution when it comes to this topic. Know your audience and how they, particularly the groom’s parents or the bride, will react.

If the groom has any particularly problematic exes, leave them out. Similarly, if there were any girls his parents didn’t know about, now is not the time to tell them! And absolutely do not reminisce about any of his exes whom you found attractive.

In fact, mentioning exes altogether should be considered the ultimate taboo topic for your speech, according to literally every speechwriter interviewed for this article. Robert says that “mentioning exes is especially important to stay away from if the groom has been divorced.”

Instead of naming anyone specific, tell some funny stories about when he was woefully unsuccessful at pulling in a nightclub. Or, about how girls would dump him the second they saw how untidily he kept his flat. End this with humour like, “So how he’s actually gotten someone to marry him, I will never know.”

The blushing bride

Your comments about the bride should be nothing but thoroughly complimentary and flattering, without being creepy. It’s great if you find her attractive, but this is not the right time to let her know. (There’s never a right time to let her know, actually, so just get that out of your head now.)

“Always tell her how lovely she is and talk about what sort of person she is rather than making it superficial,” says Robert. Stay away from remarking on her looks and it will go a long way to making her feel valued.

Talk about how she’s changed the groom – for the better, obviously. Don’t start whining about how you and the groom never get drunk together anymore because she doesn’t like it, no matter how true that might be. Reiterate the fact that she looks beautiful and that the groom is a lucky man and you’ve pretty much done your job in this area.

If you have a decent relationship with the bride, you should speak to her about the speech. Oliver of I Am The Best Man suggests that, “Not only will she have good material, she will also be able to fill you in on the important biographical information about their relationship that you might not know.”

At this point, you can bring in some funny stories about your relationship with the groom over the years; even about your relationship with the bride if you two have become close. This needn’t be sappy, however. If you have some genuinely funny stories to tell about what a mess the groom used to be, or an experience the three of you shared together, you can include them here.

Don’t go on forever, though, and make sure the underlying message is about their positive impact on each other’s lives.

When it comes to deciding which stories to share, take advice from Patricia of BestManSpeechWriter.com : “It is the funny anecdotes and personal stories that make a speech unique to the best man and the friendship he shares with the groom. The trick is figuring out which stories are appropriate to share and, most importantly, which should be left in the past.”

In other words, stay well away from anything that could be considered risqué or #NSFW. Don’t forget who will be in your audience. Plenty of friends of the newlyweds who are your age will be there, yes. But there will also be parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and little cousins present.

“Jokes about sex might be good between friends, but they don’t belong in a speech,” says Oliver. This is still a common pitfall of best man speeches, though, so be careful you don’t make this mistake.

Tradition dictates that, towards the end of his speech, the best man imparts some marital advice on the happy couple. However, take this with a pinch of salt.

If you’re already happily married then by all means say a few words about what you think makes marriage great. But if not, don’t suddenly pretend to be some sort of marriage guru as it will come off as disingenuous.

Similarly, don’t lean on a generic, sexist joke, inappropriate comment, or stock line like, “Just say ‘yes dear’ to everything”. “I would avoid giving ‘hilarious’ advice, if at all possible,” echoes Adrian (All Speeches Great and Small). So, either take the opportunity here to poke fun at yourself for not being married yet or just skip this bit altogether.

Hopefully the most straightforward part of your best man speech, the toast only needs to be a couple of lines. Toast the newlyweds, wish them love, health, and happiness, and down the rest of your bubbly.

Best Man Speech Tips & Tricks

Timing is everything.

This ought to go without saying, but long wedding speeches have never contributed to a good wedding. No matter how funny or heartfelt you’re planning for your speech to be, your audience’s attention is extremely finite. They’ve more than likely already hit the bar, and probably want to get back to drinking as soon as possible.

Exactly how long is too much is up for debate, and the pros we spoke to have slightly differing opinions. While Oliver advises around 10 minutes, Adrian and Robert advise 5-7 minutes, and Patricia says you can make do with as little as 3 minutes. Take from these opinions what you will, but definitely keep it to fewer than 10.

Writing an over-long best man speech is a common mistake, according to Oliver. “People get over excited when it comes to content. They underestimate or forget that they’re the last person of at least three and they try to crowbar in too much. If you go on for too long, you’re just going to lose people.”

Avoid joke websites

It doesn’t matter how funny you find the jokes when you’re reading them to yourself on the toilet, packing your best man speech with jokes you found online is a TERRIBLE idea.

Generic jokes never sound natural and will come off as obviously scripted. They also never illicit anything more than groans, especially from the newlyweds.

The groom picked you to be his best man because he loves and trusts you; don’t make him regret it.

Laughter is the best medicine

That being said, it’s perfectly natural to be a bit jittery prior to giving your best man speech. However, as all the experts we spoke to agreed, knowing you’ll be giving a funny speech can be the best reassurance.

“Telling jokes goes hand-in-hand with gaining confidence. You want to know you’ll be able to deliver a speech that’s funny and worthwhile,” says Oliver.

Of course, you may not be naturally funny, and that’s okay too!

Add at least a couple of quips to your speech in order to break the ice if nothing else. “We believe that every speech should contain humour,” says Patricia. “But the amount of humour we insert into the speeches we write is very much tailored to our client.” Lesson learned: be funny, but only as funny as you feel genuinely comfortable with.

Practice and edit

Knowing your best man speech through and through is hugely important. It’ll make your delivery smooth and last-minute stage fright is less likely to get the better of you. Write index cards to have on hand to remind you of your main points, but don’t rely on them completely.

Memorise your first line, at least one middle line, and your last line. This way, if you blank out or lose your place, you’ll have some idea of what comes next!

You shouldn’t be afraid to edit, either. Practice a few times in front of friends and, if a certain line (or 5) consistently falls flat, delete it. “A lot of people write a speech in isolation and won’t get any feedback on it and are then surprised that their jokes fall flat on the day. Getting feedback is really important and will help you to figure out what’s funny and what’s not funny,” advises Oliver (I Am The Best Man).

Remember to breathe

Breathing is one of the human body’s automatic functions and, in most situations, is impossible to forget to do. However, for whatever reason, when they’re faced with the task of public speaking, one can actually forget to breathe.

If you’re a nervous public speaker, it’s important to constantly remind yourself to take breathers during your speech. These will give you natural pauses and time to collect yourself, especially if you’ve stumbled over any words. And don’t worry, no one will notice! Those few seconds it takes to take a deep breath and a sip of water will feel completely normal to the other guests.

So, to all the best men out there, we hope this has given you the guidance and reassurance you need to write and deliver a best man speech you can be proud of. We have more speech advice for the groom and the father of the bride !

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Best part of the day when your a wedding photographer is the best man speech. They are so nervous throughout the day and then after they have done their speech its like a big relief and their personailty really comes out

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The ultimate best man speech guide

10 minutes you’ll remember forever.

The Best Man Speech is one of the highlights of any wedding, but getting it right is essential, because whilst it’s just 10 minutes or so on the day, the memories of this speech will last a lifetime . Most Best Men are weighed down by the expectation to be funny, and have no idea where to start, what it should really contain, how to end it, or how to talk about the bride and groom in a meaningful and non-clichéd way. This page is the definitive guide on how to write your best man speech, from the structure, to the jokes, how to handle two men, props, format and quotes…it’s here. All you need is some time, a creative burst and the rest will take care of itself.

Quick Links

Opening lines.

Being Best Man
Relationship to Groom

Triumphs and Disasters

Closing lines.

Joint Best Man

Best Man for Brother

Girlfriends

How to write a great best man speech

Here is a short video with my thoughts and ideas on writing a great best man speech. I’ve expanded on those ideas below to give as much advice, hints and tips on writing a really great speech. Enjoy!

Many best men race to get that first funny line in there, and usually at the expense of quality. Keep it warm, funny and never edgy.

1. Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, for those who of you I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet, my name is Chris and I am officially Paul’s second best man…second best ladies and gentlemen…nobody likes to be second best do they? Well, Paul, looking at his career, he should know better than most…anyway where were we?

2. Good evening ladies and gentlemen before I begin I’d just like to introduce myself: my name is Chris and it is my very great honour and privilege to be the first of Mark’s two Best Man…we had to split it…46 years is quite a long time to cover all in one go! Over the course of the next few minutes I’ll be taking you through Mark’s sporting heroics, dealing with incredible loss and being caned by people dressed as nuns…which in fact had nothing to do with the stag do

3. Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen, over the next few minutes we’ll be talking about the man for whom Scottish Independence now means asking his English wife if he can go to the pub at the weekend. I can’t help but thinking that an English woman telling a Scottish man he can’t go to the pub, would be a new low in this country’s rich cultural history.

4. Over the next few minutes I’ll be taking you on the rollercoaster ride that has been Sean’s life to date, and there are some amazing stories; like the time he was playing A ball with David Cameron in Mexico and his dog ate the Prime Minister’s guinea pig and he had to sell my passport to repair his own nose…actually I’ve known Sean 30 years…I might have muddled a few things up there…

AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT NOT TO DO….

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, before I begin I would just like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to those of you I haven’t yet met. My name is Dave, and this Bob, and together it is our very great pleasure and privilege to be Colin’s best men for today’s celebrations.

At this point I thought I would be nervous at doing Leigh’s speech but I am now looking forward to ripping him a new arse hole in front of all his family and friends and better yet he has to sit there quietly.

This is the most puzzling part because unless you’re a seasoned speech writer, why should you have idea about structure? There are a few ways to tackle this, but the best idea is to keep things simple and form a logical progression from one piece to the next, don’t let the timeline jump around, don’t confuse the audience, and don’t cover topics or people multiple times.

Talk about being the best man

Now you’ve got to get from the introduction into the main part of the speech and this is the bridge, and in many ways the trickiest part of the whole speech, particularly if you’re trying to link everything together. Again, simple is good – don’t make the guests think too hard!

1.Over the next few minutes I will be guiding you though what amounts to one great big cry for help: Paul’s life. The inglorious acting career, the ridiculous hair, owning a ridiculous car, the persistent alcoholic over indulgence and drunken profane outbursts – he was quite simply South West London’s answer to David Hasselhof…just not as successful.

Neil is a special friend and special friends deserve one thing: three stag dos. The weekends of Istanbul, London and Leeds will live long in the memory of not just those who went, but also those who read about us in the national papers. The mass chants of ‘feed the snake! Feed the snake!’ and the enduring company of our new best friend Bianca the stripper are, I have to say, completely unrelated. I would also like to say that for the record Brian accepts and welcomes people from every country around the globe. Almost. AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT NOT TO DO….

Now a wise man once told me the best man speech should last as long as it takes for the groom to make love…So thank you everyone for coming

Firstly, I would just like to say how beautiful the bridesmaids look who have only been out shone by the bride herself, who looks amazing today.

If everyone could be upstanding, and raise a glass, know as some of you may know Kerry wanted to have the wedding a lot earlier than this, so that a certain something could be involved in the wedding, and unfortunately after a long and hard fight that couldn’t happen. I am of course talking about mikes rapidly thinning hairline, you will be sadly missed.

How you know the groom

This comes directly after the bridge and establishes a connection with the audience – they can immediately understand why you’re there, what you mean to the groom and it’s always an opportunity to have some fun with it, especially if you’re a brother!

My first mistake was going to stay in the shared house in London where he lived. My second was to comment on the hair. As a glass bowl of pot pourri went sailing past my head and smashed behind me giving off a wonderful burst of sandalwood fragrance, I was given enough time to realize that this was a troubled, sensitive character who didn’t take criticism that well. Perfect friend material.
I first properly met Nick way back in 1994 when we started secondary school together. Little did we know it at the time but it was the start of a beautiful relationship, which, for me, EVENTUALLY proved worth pursuing years later when I was able to borrow all his notes and pass my A Levels. Of course, Nick didn’t need them because he might look quite cool now but he was in fact a complete square at school. The day when he could read without putting his finger on the word and then count without using his hands, were both real breakthrough moments in his life, only to be capped a few weeks later when he passed his driving test.
I first met Brent when we attended the University of Texas and pledged a fraternity together. It was here amongst the upside down beer bongs, ritual humiliation and complete lack of sleep that I knew I had met a friend for life. This may sound overly emotional and slightly premature but when you discover your new buddy is packing his dad’s credit card with no limits, who wouldn’t want him as a friend for life? Just for the record Mr. Schakett, I know at times you may have been concerned about the amount of money Brent spent on alcohol and food on that card. You shouldn’t have: the Shot Man Schakett never wasted any of your money on food.

The trick to writing a really entertaining speech is to make the whole thing a story, rather than dragging the audience through endless stories. Recounting anecdotes is really hard to do because they require a lot of detail and all the time you’re getting to the punchline without making them laugh can prove really counterproductive. Of course, this can all pay off if you have a killer punchline, but all too frequently they aren’t that ‘killer’ and require you to have been there.

Instead take out the good bits from the stories and condense them, even embellish slightly into one neat burst of comedy…

1. Now as he embarked on adult life Nick was to learn the hard way just what it is to be a man, and the number one rule is: if you are going to offer to buy the drinks in happy hour, it’s best not to drop the entire lot down yourself as you get back to the table thus meaning you have to go and buy it all again just after happy hour’s finished. Also you should only ever do a runner from a restaurant via the roof if you HAVEN’T actually paid the bill. Leaving Prezzo’s this way one evening after settling up and leaving a good tip, still doesn’t make any sense to anyone.

2. Anyway when Mark wasn’t failing to hit the top spot in the classroom he was also finding it difficult to do that on the sports field as well. However, with a modest talent and even less interest, he did the only sensible thing to do: saved up all his skill and enthusiasm for one split second of genius. Quite how he managed to catch the impossible cricket ball as it left our sports master’s bat, is still completely unknown. But with, uncharacteristic razor sharp reactions and gazelle like agility, he did just that, and won his side the match. Literally seconds after this Mark retired from all forms of competitive sport – at the very top of his game.

3. There weren’t many highlights to being on minimum wage in the frozen section of nobody’s favourite supermarket, in fact if I remember rightly, there was only one. Nick had been asked to use his initiative to dispose of a 2 litre tub of chocolate ice cream – no big deal you might think. Well, Nick decides to take it into the staff toilets and empty it into the loo. Ladies and gentlemen, a big tub of melting chocolate ice cream can make a big impression when poured into a toilet and can only ever give the next person in there the wrong idea. And it did. From then on half the people thought he had dodgy guts the rest thought he ate on the toilet. Both of which, are in fact, true.

These are ripe areas for comedy material, and whilst you can hint at his accomplishments that should really come later in the speech, when it all gets a bit more meaningful. Of course, the disasters aren’t real disasters just areas of his life and social situations he’s got catastrophically wrong…for comedy effect.

It wasn’t all academic and sporting mediocrity though, there have been lots of other things he wasn’t good at too. Forget school discos and trying to speak to girls, Mark had computers eating out of his hand. And it’s easy to see why: with computers you can eventually work out what’s bothering them, they usually only ever break down for legitimate reasons and if you get fed up with them, you can just switch them off. You see, nothing made his heart beat harder or his mind race faster than a computer with a problem. It is a love affair that has endured to this day.

The impact the bride has had on the groom

This should be a fun look at the way the groom as upped his game, changed his wardrobe and started showing an interest in things outside of pubs, football and waking up late.

1. But when he’s not trying to track the dark forces behind his least favourite football club in the world, he also likes to go on holiday. Now going on holiday for Frank is nothing new but the way he goes about it now is very different from the Frank of old. Thanks to his beautiful new wife Emily, Frank now does something called globe trotting which actually involves going to lots of different far flung countries and immersing yourself in their culture, rather than a two hour flight and immersing yourself at the bar.

2. It’s always tricky that first stage of the relationship as you go about discovering whether it’s going to work or not. However, for Sean and Lucinda it was a lot trickier, as soon after he met her and became smitten, he had the romantic task of making her redundant. Sean was taking the old addage “if you love them set them free” to ridiculous conclusions, which resulted in Lucinda losing her job.

3. Cassie, can I just say that you look absolutely beautiful today, I think we can all agree Brent is one lucky guy. I always had a sneaking feeling that Brent was batting way above his average, now I know he is! I have seen over the years just how happy you both are together and I am so thrilled for Brent that he’s met such an amazing woman to share his life with. Also if you could find it in your big, warm heart to allow The Shot Man and that credit card to come out to play, then you would make some grown up, financially independent men, very happy too.

The wedding day really is only about one person, and even though the Best Man Speech should mainly be about the groom, the bride does of course have her part in it as well.

The thing to remember here is, that unless you live in Australia, the best man always goes last, and so the groom will already have extensively talked about how they met. You’re really looking to avoid repetition, so allude generally to how they met, and I’d avoid details…and if they met online and aren’t advertising the fact, then you shouldn’t either.

1. Seriously when Mark met you Emily, everyone could see just how happy that made him. He’s always been a great bloke waiting for the right girl and everyone who knows you both will tell you just what a great couple you are together. Mark I couldn’t be happier for you today, we’ve known each other such a long time and I hope that friendship lasts for many more years to come.

2. Ali, I know you make Neil incredibly happy – you must do, he’s stopped dressing like a middle aged freak. But seriously, you both make a great couple and I know that he’ll already have the next few years planned out on spreadsheets but if you can fit me in I’ll look forward to spending a lot happier times together.

3. The fact that Dave also looked like Kevin Keegan’s love child, also didn’t help his dating days. That was until that fateful night, on the last train from London when he met the lovely Katie and smooth talked her after another mate of ours offered her a complimentary chicken nugget, and the rest is history. In a world, which looks down upon fast food, I think we all need to think again.

4. I can see how incredibly happy you have made my old friend over these last eight years and just how much you have helped to change his life for the better. He’s always been a great guy buy now he has wider horizons and a greater sense of adventure. And I know just how much of a support you’ve been to him through the tough times. I think you are a great couple and I look forward to many more happy times together in the future.

There should really be only one toast in a best man speech and that’s at the very end. Tradition states that best men should reply on behalf of the bridesmaids at the beginning of the speech in response to the bridesmaids toast by the groom – but it’s just confusing and not necessary. A simple but effective toast at the end and you’re done.

All that remains for me is to wish you all a long and happy life together, with all the luck in the world.

Ladies and gentlemen, the bride and groom.

This is where you tie all the strands together, and say what a great friend/brother the groom is, how much he’s been there for you through difficult times, laughed with you through the good times, and always had your back….and if he hasn’t…just lie!

1. John, you have been a good friend to me ever since we first met, and not just in the form of free shots and hosting parties. We’ve had great times going to the games, hanging out and making that journey from college to adult life. I know there will be less time for me in your life as I’ve now been replaced by a small dog called Ben, but you’re catholic, and now you’re married – I can’t see that dog getting a look in for months anyway. However, I will always look forward to the time we spend together especially when for old time’s sake the Shot Man is once again unleashed. Thanks for being trustworthy, loyal and understanding friends and I hope to spend many more times together for many more years to come…maybe also with that doctor wife you promised me Julie.

2. With your laidback, calm and sensitive approach to life Frank, you’re somebody that many people count themselves lucky to have in their lives. Not just because of your willingness and ability to help them out as a friend but because you’re fun and light hearted ways mean you’re always a great guy to be around.

3. I am so happy that you’ve found each other to share your lives with and all that remains for me to say is that I hope you have a great day today and enjoy a long and happy life together.

4. Sam, we’ve known each other for such a long time and been through such a lot together that it’s hard to know where to begin. All I can say is that I couldn’t have wished for a better bloke to share those years with and I hope that there’s going to be plenty more of them to come. Thanks for being a great friend, and thanks for letting me copy your homework.

Other things to consider

From a vast amount of experience you should avoid using props at all costs. It might seem like a great idea to have films, photos, a man in a gimp suit taking the heat off you in a pressurised situation, but it only ever serves to make the day a lot trickier and the speech less effective. As soon as you start holding up pictures or invite people to look at pictures you’ve left on the table they will immediately stop looking at you and start zoning out or talking amongst themselves.

If you give anyone the opportunity to divert their gaze you then have to work really hard to get it back again, and props will only ever make your speech longer and more tedious to endure. They also usually rely heavily on cables, Bluetooth connections, wifi etc etc…or at the very least everyone being able to see what you’re holding up…and they never can. Suddenly you’re getting heckles about not being able to see/hear/understand and it makes the speech the longest 10 minutes of your life.

A great idea if you’ve got funny photographs is to pin them up by the seating plan so that everyone will get to see them and then you can reference those in your speech.

Forget the awful quotes that you normally hear such as ‘it’s not somebody you can live with, it’s somebody you can’t live without, there are some great quotes out there if you look hard enough. Just one for each speech as you don’t want it to become some sort of English Literature GCSE essay.

The greatest gift of life is friendship, and I have received it. - Hubert Humphrey

There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship. - Thomas Aquinas.

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one. - AA Milne.

Think where man’s glory most begins and ends, and say my glory was I had such friends. - WB Yeats.

Quotes can be a really powerful way to end a speech, and it’s worth going that extra mile to find something that very few have used before, so check out sites such as BrainyQuote and GoodReads for an endless supply of great quotes.

You are always going to get a heckler or two so it’s worth thinking in advance how to deal with them so they don’t upset your flow, and even better, give you an opportunity to get some extra laughs. The most simple method is just to pause, wait until they’re done and carry on, but if you can get a bit of mileage out of it, so much the better.

A good way of having some fun is simply to ask if they’re looking for assistance in going to the bathroom, this works particularly well if they happen to be on the slightly older side. If it’s a younger person you can assume some vocal surprise that their carers have let them out for the day, or suggest that whatever medication the system has got them on, they need to cut the dose. Anything along this sort of gentle fun vein, always works a treat…as long as they don’t really have a carer and aren’t on medication.

In my experience best man jokes are probably the least effective addition to any best man speech that wants to be classed as superior. By best man jokes, I am alluding to about 100 or so gags that were written over the years specifically to get a laugh from wedding guests. You can do so much better than these, because they’re old, tired an dpeople have heard them all before and the last thing you want to do is land one of these at the start of your speech to a luke warm ripple of polite laughter.

To identify exactly what I’m talking about I’ve listed some of the most prolific offenders.

It’s an emotional wedding, even the cake is in tiers.

It’s not the first time today I’ve got up form a warm seat with a piece of paper in my hand.

If there’s anybody here this afternoon who’s feeling nervous, apprehensive and queasy at the thought of what lies ahead, it’s probably because you have just got married to the groom.

Complete rubbish. You need to work out what it is that’s funny about the groom in an original and engaging way, people will love your creativity and laugh much more!

Burning deep within his sole was a dream, what he wanted more than anything, more than being a cowboy, professional tennis player or A ball star…was to be an office manager in the NHS. What can I say? He’s not dreaming any more ladies and gentlemen.

This is one of the most important factors and it actually depends on quite a few things, so we’ll start off with the very general scenario of 3 speakers at a wedding – Father of the bride, Groom and Best Man. If this is the case and it’s in the UK, then the best man speech should be a stand up to sit down time of no longer than 10 minutes. If this is in America, that will be about 5 minutes maximum. Americans like their speeches shorter and more efficient, and that’s no bad thing.

However, these timings will then change the more speakers that are added to the line up, because what the groom should be doing is making sure the section of speeches doesn’t run into hours of your life you’ll never get back. If there are 4 speakers, aim to be in and out in around 8 minutes, 5 speakers you’re looking at about 6 minutes, and so it goes on.

You have to bear in mind also that as you’ll be the last speaker, apart from Australia where you’re up second, and so the guests are at the limit of their concentration endurance, so if they’ve been sitting through 90 minutes of speeches, and it happens, make it REALLY funny, and REALLY short.

If you are two best men making a joint speech then you should be stood for about 12-13 minutes, and that remains the case the more best men are added to the line up. If you’re a co-best man and you’re making separate speeches, then your speech should be about 7 minutes. The timings in Australia are identical to the UK except that the best man goes after the father of the bride.

Joint best man

Being a joint best man is pretty common these days, and you really need to tackle what you’re going to go about things as early as possible, because trying to coordinate two guys to write and deliver a speech whilst they juggle their own lives can prove next to impossible.

The first thing you have to decide is if you’re going to make a joint speech or separate ones. The best method is to make a joint speech as it means you won’t double up on gags or content, and nobody has that last dreaded speech spot. A great joint best man speech should consist of about 4 chunks of content each and you bounce from one best man to other all the way through the speech.

However, for many reasons making a joint speech might prove impossible. Maybe there’s no time to coordinate it, maybe you don’t like the guy, or maybe there’s a fundamental clash of ideas. In that case make sure your speech is efficient, tight and punchy and comes in at around 7 minutes, and whatever you do, make sure you get on first.

Quite a lot of grooms make their brother the best man, and that does throw up a few problems – the main one being that although you’ve grown up in the same family/house etc. you don’t really know that much about him! When I’m writing speeches, this doesn’t really affect the creative process because I’m looking for a very funny comedic overview of who the groom is, not a granular introspection. If you’re facing this very common problem, then just take everything you know about his character, passion, dislikes, job and even hair colour and get the funnies out of that. It can be done but it really needs thinking about.

Of course, there is some fun to be had with the introduction and you need to allude to that fact how upset you were when your number priority spot was completely usurped by a noisy, ugly ginger baby called Dave. If you’re younger than talk about the time you realised the bigger toddler in the house who kept bashing you over the head every time your mum left the room, was in fact your older brother Steve.

Former Girlfriends

As tempting as it may seem to have a quick chronological run through of the groom’s former loves, this will only ever end in disaster. This comes back to my point that the wedding day is really only about the bride – if you do anything to upset her, then it’s pretty terminal. Mentioning former conquests in any way shape or form is something I completely avoid, you might think it’s all light hearted fun but no bride likes to think of their brand new husband being the love interest of someone else!

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How to give the best man’s speech of your life

By Justin Myers, The Guyliner

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The Royal Wedding is mere weeks away with Prince Harry confirming Prince William as his best man, returning the favour from his own nuptials in 2011. Accustomed as he is to giving speeches and working a room, it’s unlikely Wills needs much guidance, so here’s a foolproof guide to all the best men who need a helping hand.

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Who are you?

OK, so Prince William may not have to do this because he is pretty famous, but many best men forget to open with who they are and why they’re doing the speech. Most guests will not have a clue who you are – you could be a waiter about to announce a mix-up with the gluten-free option for all they know.

Don’t do it drunk

One shot for Dutch courage will do if you’re struggling. Slurring your way through it will make everyone remember you, yes, but for the worst reasons.

Ditch the autocue

Reading from a sheet of paper risks losing the personality in your voice and betraying your nerves thanks to shaky hands. Get something in your hand – cue cards maybe, not a tequila – and glance at it rather than recite. You’ll look more natural and nobody will mind if you break their gaze every now and again for a quick check.

Read the room

If a couple of jokes miss the spot, don’t panic, and don’t mention just how badly you’re dying up there. Repeatedly signposting that your gags are landing as smoothly as a hot air balloon touching down in a hurricane only reminds everyone how terminally unfunny you are. Watch their reactions and try a bit of improvisation to work in things that got a good reception. You don’t have to be funny all the time, either – it’s not an open-mic night.

Workshop your speech

Don’t labour over this all by yourself. This is an honour, not a chore. Get information or favourite stories about the groom from other friends. This helps you present more than one side to him. You’ll also get an idea of some of the truly awful stuff people think appropriate for a best man’s speech. Consign bants to the bin. That said, don’t censor yourself too hard – there's nothing worse than a bland speech packed with plaudits and zero spice. If in doubt, immediately disregard the most salacious and the most sensible and go for something in between.

Remember this isn’t about you and your life – one of the worst speeches I ever witnessed was the bride’s father guiding us through an overlong autobiography in which his daughter was a mere appendix. However, it’s not just about the groom, either: if he’s a humourless drone and you’re desperate for anecdotes, take inspiration from current affairs or celebrity culture. Just remember the grannies might not know who Gemma Collins is, though; keep those references A-list.

Avoid mentioning at all, especially if they’re still friends and actually at the wedding. Plus it’s not the Seventies, so swerve sexism and using language like bunny boilers, psychoes and slappers to describe women who passed on the chance to be in the white dress today: you’ll lose the crowd immediately. As far as the guests should be concerned, both bride and groom were hatched from an egg seconds before the ceremony and have never so much as touched another human intimately.

Embarrassment is fine, utter humiliation maybe not

Overall, your tone should be good-natured and positive – you’re painting a picture of the groom, not trying to ruin his life. The stories you tell are ones he should half expect to come up anyway. Avoid scatological humour; it’s a wedding, not the stag do. Reminders of criminal activity are verboten unless it's from childhood, petty and victimless. Anything that happened on the stag weekend is not for here. Nobody cares how big his penis is except his wife and she very likely already knows. Also, this is probably not the time to talk about when you both went through the wrong door in a club in Berlin and only found your way out three weeks later.

Compliments are compulsory

It’s mildly sexist and absolutely ridiculous, but you’ll be expected to reiterate several times just how beautiful the bride and bridesmaids look. Please don’t use the word “stunning” unless they’re carrying taser guns in their bouquets, and express appreciation of their beauty as you would a striking painting, rather than a glamour model. Nobody cares if you “would”.

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Easy on the toasts

One of the most annoying parts of any wedding speech is being asked to raise your glasses every two minutes in honour of all manner of stupid things. Brides and bridesmaids, yes, fine, and dead relatives if you must, but Doug the chauffeur, the clergy, the speed-dating hostess who introduced them, the DJ playing at the club where they first kissed and Joanna Lumley can probably be left aside.

It’s very popular, for some sad reason, for best men to suggest they’re in love with the groom or vice versa. This only works if you’re both gay, and even then it doesn’t actually work because the other groom will spend the rest of his big day wondering if you’ve actually done it and/or worrying you will tell everyone that in fact he’s the one who’s done it with you. Anyway, jokes about bumming or homosexual longing – however dressed up in “bromance” or “man crush” or other depressingly heterosexual ways go trying to express affection – are an absolute no-no.

Ten minutes is fine, honestly. You’re holding up the dancing and the waiting staff are always reluctant to work the room while speeches are going on – it’s usually their only opportunity for a quick cigarette or a vicious roasting of everyone’s outfits round the back of the marquee – so patience will be limited and glasses may well be empty. Never go on longer than the father of the bride . If you’re worried your speech is too long, skip all the in-jokes or pretend to faint after exactly eight minutes.

The perfect best man’s speech is a balance of one-liners, the revelation of a couple of secrets and, best of all, a tear in the eye at the end. If you are emotionally stunted, then rounding off with “he’s like a brother to me”, thanking him for everything he’s done and a hearty double handshake (clutch your left hand over both your right hands) plus man-hug should get everyone dewy-eyed by the time you raise your glass for the final time.

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Published on Jan 18, 2018

When it comes to weddings, there are certain things you look forward to that bit more eagerly than others. The cutting of the cake, the first dance, and of course – the best man speech. Not only is this a chance for the chosen friend or family member of the groom to send their blessing to the new couple, but also to get a few jokes in at their expense. This can often be a rather dangerous game as the best man is likely to have more than a few stories tucked up their sleeves to tell!

While these best man speeches may seem effortless, they do take quite a while to prepare and it’s best to get organised in advance so it runs as smoothly as possible on the day. You should think of who will be attending the wedding and what sort of jokes and stories they would appreciate, keeping the groom in mind at all times. Aim to keep the speech between five to ten minutes long and factor in a few extra minutes for laughing or cheering (hopefully)! Having the responsibility of the speech can seem stressful, but just remember to be yourself – after all, your personality and your friendship is why you were chosen! Here are some of our top best man speech ideas to get you started…

1) The opening line

There are a multitude of ways you can open up for your best man’s speech, but whichever you choose, remember you want to get off on the right foot with the wedding crowd! After all, they’ve just sat through speeches from the bride, the father of the bride and sometimes the bride herself so will have been sitting down a while and not looking forward to a long, warbling speech! You could opt for starting with a joke:

Example one : “A wise old man once said to me that a best man’s speech should last only as long as it takes the groom to make love… so thank you ladies and gentlemen, and good afternoon…”

Or something a little more standard – starting with the thank yous to friends and family who made the wedding.

Example two : “On behalf of the bride and groom, I would like to thank everyone here for making their way to this lovely wedding, whether you have travelled from across the country or just across the road, the day wouldn’t be what it is without you here to celebrate it too.”

Or perhaps with an introduction. This can be an introduction about yourself – not everyone at the wedding will know who you are! And also, an introduction to your friendship with the groom.

Example three : “Welcome ladies and gentlemen, my name is Pete and I am the best man for the groom here today. We have been friends since I can remember, and I never imagined one day I would be standing here delivering a speech for his wedding.”

You may also like: The Ultimate Guide to being the best Best-Man

2) Talk about your past with the groom

As often with these things, the worst part is getting started, so rather than seeing the best man’s speech as a hurdle, write some thoughts freely about how you know the groom and your relationship with them. Think of key things such as how you know them, how you met them, what the groom was like before he met the bride and how the couple met. Draw on these past experiences and try to incorporate some of them to your speech with a good bit of humour!

Example One : “Like all good friends, Paul and I have had our downs as well as our ups. I remember back to times when a petty argument would arise from nowhere. Then Paul would call me smelly, and I’d call him fart head. And then it would spiral out of all proportion and we’d each end up running home in tears. But sure enough, the next day, Paul would drop me an email from work and we’d make up. As good mates do, however old.”

Example Two : “Of course, our friendship goes back much further than that, to primary school in fact. There was something about Paul’s cheeky face that always cheered his classmates, so our first teacher gave him a special place in class where we could all see him. He was everyone’s favourite … until the PTA approved the budget for a real gerbil and he was let out of the cage and sent back to his desk.”

Example three: “Paul, in our time at college I’ve seen you do some pretty nerve-racking things. Like that time you sat that exam having done no revision whatsoever. Or the time you re-sat that exam having done no revision whatsoever. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you as nervous as you were today. But then, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so happy either. Congratulations buddy!”

3) Tell it as a story

When writing your best man’s speech, make sure you don’t just have a list of points read from a slip of paper. It needs to be interesting and engaging so try and turn it into a story. Choose anecdotes that can fit in and support your points to help tie everything together and make it flow. Don’t just say, “the groom is a great and loyal friend” – back this up with how he has been a loyal friend. Perhaps draw on one of your experiences in the past or something he has done for the bride. If you don’t know stories about his past, ask family members and friends to put pieces together. This adds context and really makes your best man’s speech one to remember.

Example One: “Now, Justin has always taken great pride in his appearance. Some people have even said he is vain, I never believed this… until the morning we got to the airport to fly off for his stag weekend, he seemed to have a glow about him. All the boys were asking him if he had been using tanning lotion. Justin denied it profusely, but after another pint and a lot of abuse he tried to fob us off with the excuse that he was in such a rush when he got up that in his haste he had mistakenly put Beccy’s moisturiser on which had tanning lotion in it. Suffice to say he was set upon until he finally admitted that he bought the stuff himself.”

Example two: “As I did only meet Paul a few years ago, I’ve had to rely on his own account of earlier years. Apparently, the young Paul Wilson was an exceptionally gifted child. He sat his A-Levels while his contemporaries were doing the 11-plus, then concentrated on his first novel, which he published at the age of 15. I still want to see that Booker Prize trophy by the way, Paul.”

Example three: “I have known Justin all my life. He has always loved sport especially football, from an early age it was obvious he was a natural defender, he loved to get stuck in.

It’s a shame he hasn’t carried that over to his working life – Richie has started calling him God at work because he never sees him and if he ever does any work it’s a miracle.”

Activity Ideas: Our Favourite Stag Party Activities

4) Add in some punchy jokes

Let’s face it, no best man’s speech is complete without more than a few punchy one-liners. When it comes to making jokes, you need to draw the line between being over the top funny and being downright boring. Keep the ‘dad jokes’ to a minimum and instead think of short and snappy anecdotes everyone will relate to and appreciate.

Example One: “Organizing the seating at a wedding reception can be a tricky business, prone to getting political. As best man, I offered to step in and help Paul and Linda. My idea was to use the wedding present list, and put those who bought the biggest items nearest the front, and work to the back, the smaller the gift. Whoever bought the toast rack won’t be able to hear this, as they’re out in the car park.”

Example two : “When it comes to describing the groom, the most reliable source of information would clearly come from the friends and family with whom he would share this special day. So, Graham, I wrote down a few words with which some of them used to describe you. I barely found a person who had a bad word to say. Although, I did find some.

When I heard belligerent, lazy, stubborn and obstinate I thought ‘hang on that’s a bit rough’ (maybe not entirely untrue but certainly a bit unnecessary for a best man’s speech) …………. but if his parents don’t know him then who does…”

Example three : “But before I sit down, let me round off by wishing the happy couple well. Don’t forget, you two, that the real relationship starts here – love may be blind but marriage is a proper eye-opener. The important thing, as you embark on married life, is not to get hung up on the small things, and to maintain a sense of humour. Linda’s already proved she has one by going through with today.”

5) Compliment the new couple

While jokes are all well and good, you absolutely have to say at least one genuinely nice thing about the couple in your best man’s speech (particularly the groom to redeem yourself!) Be careful not to go soppy – it’s not a eulogy! You can talk about what a great friend the groom is to you, the best qualities of his and why you have been friends for so long. For her, you can talk about your approval of his choice in bride, talk about how beautiful she looks (but don’t go too over the top!) and say how well they go together. You can also slip in a few pieces of advice for the new couple here, perhaps draw on your own experiences and compliment them on how they are a model couple and a great match.

Example one : “I think everyone will agree that the bride looks absolutely stunning today. And I’m not just saying that to avoid getting a clip round the ear from her new husband…”

Example two : “On a serious note, Rob’s been a brilliant friend over the years and it truly is an honour to be his best man. We’ve had some excellent times together and I know we will continue to do so. When Rob told me he had asked Hannah to marry him I was delighted, I wish them all the happiness in the world. I have no doubt in saying that he will be a fantastic husband and a brilliant son in law!”

6) Talk about the bride and what an impact she had made on his life

After you have complimented the couple, talk a bit more about the bride – this is also great if you are friends with the bride as well as the groom as you can slip in some past experiences here (try and avoid humiliation with this one!) You can talk about how she has made his life better and how he’s a better person since he met/ got together with her

Example One : “And Janet (bride). She’s become a good friend too. Janet, thank you for rescuing me when I got a flat tyre and for going to the chilli place with Rich and me a million times even though you’re a vegetarian. You’re the best. And for introducing me to all the bridesmaids. Oh wait, you still need to do that.”

Example Two: “Linda is an extraordinary woman. Resilient and fun-loving. If anyone had told me Paul would find a woman who loves gourmet cooking, travelling to exotic places and debating the merits of the Arsenal back four as much as him, I wouldn’t have believed them. Yet here she is. You two are going to have quite a life together.”

Example Three: “I would like to congratulate Paul on his impeccable taste in choosing such a beautiful wife. And Linda, well done on saying ‘I do’ to my mate Paul, because, let’s face it – that must have been hard.”

Related: Best Man’s Speech Template

7) Create a memorable toast to finish off your best man’s speech

Once you have added in all the necessary elements of your speech you’ve hopefully earnt some laughs, some tears and some applause, and as they say, you can have too much of a good thing so it’s best to sign off before you lose the crowd!

Try to end the speech on a high – you could read out messages from guests unable to attend (avoid any tasteless last-minute jokes about ex girlfriends/ strippers from the stag do here!) Round everything off with a toast; rather than trying to be funny, try to say something inspiring – perhaps recite a famous quote – that will have everyone on their feet in a standing ovation. Of course, sometimes you can’t resist popping a quick quip in there too…

Example one : “They say you don’t marry the person you can live with, you marry the person you can’t live without. That sums up [name] and [name] perfectly. So let’s raise our glasses to the happy couple.”

Example two : “Before we raise a glass to the newlyweds, I’d like to share a Pauline Thomason quote with you: ‘Love is blind – marriage is the eye-opener.’ To the happy couple!”

Example three : “[BRIDE] and [GROOM], before I finish, I’d like you to turn to face each other. You’re now looking into the eyes of the person who is statistically most likely to murder you. To the bride and groom!”

At the end of the day, you have been chosen as the best man because you are you . Try to incorporate your personality, your friendship and your experiences into it and you can’t go wrong. After all, that is why you were chosen!

Stick to the points above if you need ideas for your best man’s speech and you’re guaranteed a speech that will flow as smoothly as the champagne! Just try to relax and enjoy yourself and think of what you’re doing for the groom – he’ll remember this forever so just be prepared and you’ll be fine!

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Rock Your Best Man Speech Using Our Expert-Approved Advice

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Chapelle writes articles for The Knot Worldwide. She covers all things wedding-related and has a personal interest in covering celebrity engagements and fashion.
Before joining The Knot Worldwide, Chapelle was an editorial intern for Subvrt Magazine.
Chapelle has a degree in English writing from Loyola University New Orleans.

Pat yourself on the back—you're the best man. It's a good feeling when one of your loved ones asks you to be their right hand for the wedding. Beyond the fun best man duties , like planning an epic bach party , you'll have to give a rousing best man speech. We believe it's arguably the most meaningful duty, but don't let that get you nervous. Whether you're a public speaking pro or have only delivered speeches while on the eighth-grade debate team, boost your chances of making your best man speech a hit by using our helpful tips, ideas and examples for inspiration.

In this article:

Printable Template | How to Write | Examples | Tips | FAQs

Printable Best Man Speech Template

Delivering a best man wedding speech doesn't have to feel like a chore. Use the template below as a checklist while you're writing your best man speech.

How to Write a Best Man Speech Outline

We're guessing the thought of crafting a flawless best man speech from scratch feels pretty overwhelming right about now. Start by drafting a bare-bones outline (trust us, drawing up a rough outline is way more palatable than writing a fully fleshed-out speech). You don't need to include every element in your wedding speech . Instead, customize it to fit the couple, the event and your relationship with the groom.

1. Have a killer opening line.

Successful best man speeches always start with a good opener. Introduce yourself and explain your connection to the happy couple. Have fun with this part by sharing a quick joke or quoting a poem so your speech doesn't start off stale. For example, "Hello everyone! For those of you who don't know me, thank you so much for coming to my wedding. [pause for laughter] Sorry about that...I'm a little nervous."

2. Thank the other speakers.

Once you address the audience, give props to the previous speaker to help lead into your speech. If you know your speech has a sillier sentiment, now's your chance to warn your audience in the change of direction. Here's an example: "Let's give it up to the amazing speech given by the wonderful maid of honor . If you enjoyed how thoughtful and sweet her speech was, you better get the tissues ready for this one!"

Next, express your gratitude to the couple's parents. Thank the couples' parents for not only raising incredible adults and, if they helped pay for the wedding, for hosting such a great party. Here's an example: "I'd like to begin by expressing my deepest gratitude to the couples' parents for raising such amazing people, who I'm fortunate to call my best friends. I would also like to thank their parents for hosting such an awesome celebration for all of us to enjoy this evening."

3. Say a few words about your friend's new spouse.

Another writing a best man speech tip is always to give a special shoutout to the new spouse so they feel welcomed and included. Yes, we know you most likely have a closer relationship with the groom, but don't let that stop you from showering them with kind words––it's their big day too. Talk about the qualities you like about them and why you love them in the groom's life. Try this, "I'm so happy [Spouse's Name] fell in love with [Groom's Name]. Firsthand I've seen the grace, intelligence and confidence [Spouse's Name] has, which explains why [Groom's Name] knew he wanted to marry [Spouse's Name] after their first date."

4. Share personal stories.

What's going to make your best man speech stand out are personal stories. We suggest adding one or two anecdotes, like your favorite memories with the groom (and their partner, if you want). Avoid choosing a story that rambles on and has no sentimental or funny ending—keep it lighthearted and short. Here's a silly example, "I remember when we first met in first grade. [Groom's Name] had just glued his hand to his face but still used his free one to shake my hand and ask if I wanted to be his friend."

5. Talk about the couple's relationship.

This is the time to speak about why the groom and their new spouse are a great couple. Share how they first met and how their relationship has grown so other guests can get a better insight into the newlyweds. If you helped the love birds meet, say something like this in your best man speech: "I know I said earlier I'm the best man, but I lied. I'm actually Cupid because I'm the one who introduced these two eight years ago."

6. Propose a toast.

Finally, close out your best man speech with a heartfelt toast. Ask everyone to raise a glass and provide well wishes to the newly married couple. Steal this wedding toast : "Everyone, please join me in raising a glass to such a wonderful couple. I wish you a lifetime of peace, love and happiness. Love you guys!"

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Best man speech examples.

Now that you know how to write the outline, let us provide you with some inspiration. Here are four best man speech ideas for every type of delivery.

Short Best Man Speech Example

Short best man speeches can make the grade just as much as long ones. Try this short but sweet example.

As the poet, Dante once said, 'A great flame follows a little spark.' When [Groom's Name] met [Spouse's Name], there was a little spark. I know because I talked to him the next day.

From the way he talked about [Spouse's Name], this stranger he chatted up at a Halloween party, I could tell this spark was something special.

You two are fantastic together. May the flame burn long, and may sparks continue to fly. Cheers to the newlyweds!

Funny Best Man Speech Example

Funny best man speeches are our favorite. You get to show off your comedic skills while giving loving well-wishes to the happy couple.

Hello! For those who don't know me, I'm [Your Name], the best man. I've known [Groom's Name] since middle school, which means that it was before we learned mullets weren't a good look for either of us.

[Groom's Name] and [Spouse's Name] told me there are some topics I should avoid in this speech so…[Look through cue cards, then shake head and dramatically drop them all to the floor but one.]

[Reading from the remaining cue card] [Groom's Name] is really the best friend I've ever had. He's done so many wonderful things it would be difficult to name them all. Hey, [a Groomsman's Name], I can't read your handwriting here!

But seriously, it's all true. This guy is a great friend, the best I've got, and I'm very proud to stand by his side today.

[Spouse's Name], I was hoping to be the best-looking person in the room today but obviously, I failed miserably. You look beautiful and radiant. I'm beyond happy for the two of you.

May you always find joy in the little things, like your Xbox and 'Star Wars.' Oh wait, that's my personal goal. You should actually find joy in each other, and do everything you can to have a lifetime of happiness together. Let's toast the newlyweds!

Best Man Speech for Brother Example

Need best man speech examples for your brother? Use our speech below as a guide to delivering a sweet message to your older or younger brother.

On my fourth birthday, my parents got me a brother…I wanted a puppy.

But seriously, as a kid [Groom's Name] wanted to do everything I did. He used to follow me around. He used to sneak into my room and play with my Matchbox cars. Our parents could get him to eat his broccoli by making me eat my broccoli.

It wasn't until after I went to college that he started going down his own path. He started doing volunteer work. He found a job he loves, a pretty killer apartment and, of course, he found [Spouse's Name].

[Spouse's Name], you're the nicest person I've ever met, and my brother is so blessed to have someone like you in his life. Thank you for being there for him.

I'm so happy you two found each other especially because I'm gaining a sister today. Oh, and I want to set the record straight. I'm glad I didn't get a puppy that day. I love you, little bro.

Congratulations to both of you. I wish you lots of laughter, love and joy as a married couple. Cheers to the newlyweds!

Best Man Speech for Best Friend Example

For those who need a best man speech sample for their best friend, we got you covered. Here's how to tell your BFF you're happy for them on their special day.

Bride giving speech during wedding reception.

Good evening, everyone! I'm [Your Name], and I'm extremely honored to call myself [Groom's Name]'s best man. Also, please excuse the puffiness under my eyes, I've been happy crying since before the ceremony.

I first met [Groom's Name] while working at a pizza joint called Domenica's while in college. I hated being a server with all my heart, but whenever [Groom's Name] and I were scheduled together, it made it so much more bearable.

We laughed until we cried, ate hundreds of garlic knots and I can't tell you the amount of times we accidentally got pizza dough stuck to the ceiling during our pizza toss competitions. But even after we both quit and moved on to bigger and better things, we still kept in touch and I'm eternally grateful.

One of those bigger and better things was [Spouse's Name]. [Groom's Name] really discovered the perfect piece to his puzzle. [Spouse's Name] laughs at his bad jokes, listens to his long monologues about Batman vs. Superman and most importantly, loves him no matter what. [Spouse's Name] is a phenomenal and caring person who deserves the world, and I know [Groom's Name] will do everything he can to give it to them.

Thank you both for allowing me to be a part of your beautiful wedding, and I can't wait to see what else is in store for you in the future. Love you guys, and cheers to the handsome couple!

Best Man Speech Tips

Good news! We got how to give a best man speech tips from Dominic Bliss, wedding writer and author of Being the Best Man for Dummies. Study up on these helpful pointers below to minimize pre-speech jitters and ensure a smooth delivery.

Plan ahead.

The first tip in our guide on how to write a best man speech is to get started in advance. (As in, do not procrastinate.) "Start writing a best man speech at least two months before the wedding," Bliss says. "As the wedding nears, there are lots of events—suit fittings and a coed shower, perhaps—that could distract you from getting your writing done." Brainstorm and write down any stories, jokes or best man speech quotes you want to include. The more time you have to prepare your best man speech, the better. This way, you'll be able to be fully present at upcoming wedding festivities.

Be genuine.

Whether the wedding guests are strangers or family, it can feel nerve-racking to deliver your best man speech with all eyes on you. To ease the awkwardness, provide anecdotes and stories about your relationship with the couple. Everyone loves a bit of nostalgia, and the guests get to know you better.

With that said, stay true to how you normally act while making your speech. There's no need for you to change who you are for some made-up public speaking persona. If you feel more comfortable cracking jokes throughout your speech, do it. If you are better at being sentimental and don't mind leaving everyone misty-eyed, take that approach. Remember, the couple chose you to speak at their wedding because they felt you could add something special to their big day. As long as you deliver a heartfelt speech, the newlyweds and guests will love it.

Know what topics to avoid.

There are a few topics to omit from the best man speech. No matter how funny you (and even the groom) might think they are, someone is bound to be offended or put off if you mention:

Negativity about marriage in general.
Past relationships.
Previous marriages/divorces.
Drinking, drugs, gambling.
"Adult" humor or any other mention of sex.

After all, your best man speech should celebrate the newlywed couple and their love rather than causing future friction. Keep it PG.

Consider adding jokes.

If you want to deliver a funny best man speech, consider poking some fun at the groom. "Every groom will have some funny characteristic or quirk you can ridicule," Bliss notes. "As long as it's something everyone can appreciate, it's sure to get a laugh. Avoid obscure references or inside jokes. You want older guests and those who don't know him well to see the funny side too." Be strategic about your jokes too. You can make jokes about the groom but leave their new spouse alone.

Write it down.

Even those with a great memory will feel more confident with a written speech or at least a few bullet points to keep them on track. Nerves can mess with your memory, so don't think you're a failure if you have to bring notes with you. (Even CEOs do this at corporate events.) Bliss suggests using small note cards instead of a sheet of paper since they "won't flap around."

And yes we know many groomsmen will want to read off their cell phones out of convenience, but wedding planners recommend against it. The lighting from your phone screen can ruin the wedding photographer's photos and can be distracting to guests. Practice writing down your speech instead—it's quite soothing.

Practice with an audience.

This tip is a must when it comes to writing a best man speech. Even if you think you have this whole thing in the bag, practice delivering your wedding speech aloud at least three times. When you're by yourself, take a video and watch the playback to get a feel for how your speech is going. (Do you say "um" between every sentence? Are your gestures a little robotic?) If your friends can't offer critiques in person, "send [the video] to a close friend who won't be going to the wedding and who can give you honest feedback," Bliss recommends.

Finally: don't mumble. A great best man speech becomes boring if it's monotonous or guests are straining to hear you. Speak confidently and slowly.

Best Man Frequently Asked Questions

If this is your first time giving a best man speech, you might have a lot of questions. Here are answers to the top wedding speech inquiries.

How Long Should a Best Man Speech Be?

In general, the best man speech length should be at least three minutes, but no more than five minutes. This is enough time to say something meaningful before guests get too antsy. Of course, you should adjust your speech length to the event. If you're speaking at a last-minute wedding, it might require a brief speech, while a formal affair could call for a longer toast. But you might also be wondering, "how many words should a best man speech be?" We suggest between 700 to 1000 words.

How to Start a Best Man Speech

Begin your speech by addressing the audience and thanking them for attending the wedding. Here's an example, "Hello, everyone. On behalf of the newlyweds, I want to thank everyone for attending this amazing celebration." You can even butter up the crowd by saying how lovely everyone looks this evening. Then, introduce yourself and how you know the groom or couple. This is a great opportunity to add a funny story or memory you have with them that can lead you into the rest of your speech.

How to End a Best Man Speech

Raise your glass and offer a toast wishing the couple a lifetime of happiness, excellent health and success. Your toast can include one final joke or be a marriage quote from your and the groom's favorite movie. Either way, take this chance to sincerely express the newlyweds well. Remember, concluding the speech is the easiest part.

Does the Best Man Have to Give a Speech?

It's not required, but it's expected that the best man gives a speech—especially if the other honor attendants are giving one. If speaking in public makes your stomach turn, consider showing your appreciation for the couple in a different way. We've seen best men do upbeat choreography, sing the couple's favorite song or even present a wedding video they made.

When Does the Best Man Give His Speech?

Following the traditional wedding speech order , the best man speaks after the maid of honor and is the last speech during the reception. There's no need to use this itinerary since the speech order depends on your reception timeline and wedding party size. The to-be-weds might even ask you to deliver your speech during the rehearsal dinner, which most likely will be in front of a smaller audience (score!). Before the wedding and during, double-check with the couple to ensure you know when to give your best man speech so no one has to hunt you down when it's your turn.

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Quick & Short Best Man Speech Template

24th Nov, 2021

Jump to the good bits

Speech details.

Speech duration: 5 – 7 minutes

Speech style: Short, sweet and funny

Note: This short Best Man speech template uses the name ‘Tom’ for the Groom, Sarah for the Bride, ‘Ben’ for the Best Man and other example names. Insert the names for your group as needed.

Your short Best Man speech template

1. opening and introduce yourself .

Good afternoon everyone, I’m sure you’ll all admit this has turned out to be a brilliant wedding celebration, yet every silver-lining does have a cloud, and that is, that you’ve now got to listen to me, unfortunately. I suppose I should introduce myself properly. I’m Ben, Tom’s best friend, and today his Best Man. I have to admit I am absolutely honoured to be chosen.

2. Wedding procession observations and give thanks

Before I undertake the customary duty of giving Tom an uncomfortable few minutes, I would like to say a few thank-yous first. The lovely Bridesmaids, Alison, Niamh, and Nicola. The very glamourous mothers Mary and Jackie. They all look wonderful and have done an excellent job today. Indeed they are only eclipsed by Sarah herself, who, I’m sure you’ll all agree, looks absolutely stunning. Thanks also to the Groomsmen who did an excellent job of standing still and looking pretty.

3. A few words about the Groom (and you)

So where do I start with Tom? Well for starters he’s… handsome. witty, intelligent. He’s char… charm…. Sorry… Tom …. I’m having trouble reading your handwriting, what does that say?

What can I say about Tom Smith. When I first met Tom I thought he was very laid back and normal. Boy was I wrong. I heard whispers from his family that he could be very highly strung. No, I thought, you must be exaggerating. That was until we lived together for a few years during college. As the months went on I started noticing little things:

the many conspiracy theories
only being able to eat diagonally cut sandwiches
the hunger tantrums – his colour coded wardrobe
his preference for baths instead of showers
his vast Dolly Parton record collection
and singing ’Working 9 to 5‘ in the bath
the night terrors
the collection of nun-chucks and other weapons
And last but not least, an unhealthy obsession with Matthew McConaughey

Tom, all joking aside you are an excellent friend and it is truly an honour being your Best Man today.

4. A few words about the Bride

It’s not just the groom who gets a mention in the Best Man speech. I also have a few words about the Bride. It’s not often that the Best Man is also close friends with the Bride. Not that close, Tom, don’t worry. Sarah is one of the nicest and kindest people you will ever meet. She is also a bit of a control freak. Luckily, Tom is really lazy so they are a perfect match!

5. The Bride and Groom together

Tom and Sarah have a lot in common, actually. They are both very hard-working, generous, passionate, quite stubborn, and they both think Tom Smith is the most handsome man in the world. They are both like a fine wine, Sarah gets better every year, and Tom will take a long time to mature.

6. Your gift and messages from well wishers

(Read out any messages and/or present your gift).

7. Final words and toast

OK, time to wrap this up. I’m sure I speak for everyone in this room when I say we all wish you the happiness that you deserve. We are so glad that you have found one another, and this day is a reminder that the best is yet to come. And on that note, can everyone please raise their glasses in a toast to the newlyweds, Tom and Sarah, Mr and Mrs Smith!

Get the Best Man Speech Guidebook

If you are thinking about your upcoming Best Man duties or need to draft your speech in a hurry you can check out the book the Best Man Speech Guidebook for even more tips and a full list of Best Man speech hacks. It contains the important do’s and don’ts in wedding speech etiquette, some great one-liners, visual gag options, but most importantly a clear speech structure and tried and tested speech templates.

The Best Man guide

For more advice and ideas for all of your Best Man duties, check out our Ultimate Best Man Guide page.

More Best Man speech advice

12 Clever Best Man Speech Hacks
Best Man Speech: 13 Must Do’s
Best Man Speech: 10 Absolute Don’ts
20 Unique Best Man Speech One Liners
3 Ideas For Best Man Speech Visual Gags
How To Write A Best Man Speech: Part 1
How To Write A Best Man Speech: Part 2
Funny Best Man Speech Template

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Related articles, 15 classic stag do costumes and fancy dress ideas, 21 top ideas for best man gifts to the groom, packing list: groom emergency kit bag, the ultimate best man duties list, essential resources.

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Best Man Speech: The Ultimate Guide (5 Examples & FAQs)

Magical Words

The Ultimate Best Man Speech Guide (Examples And Templates Included)

Posted by by Lisa Plaitt

Being picked to be the best man is such a great honor. You will feel blessed that the groom has thought of you, and considers you the best man and friend for the job.

But, as the wedding draws nearer, there’s one thing on your mind. No, it’s not the bachelor party… It’s the best man’s speech(see also: Best Ways to End Your Best Man’s Speech ).

As the best man, you will likely have many responsibilities in the run up towards the wedding. You’ll have to try on suits, organize the bachelor party, but the best man speech is the thing that most look forward to, or dread!

Standing up in front of many guests, some of which you may not have met before can be nerve wracking to say the least. It’s such an important task, and a part of the wedding that many guests look forward to.

A best man speech needs to hook the audience in, reveal some funny stories about the groom, and even the bride, but also wish the couple well, and spread some laughter amongst the audience.

But, you have to do all of this in one single speech that can’t be too long, and can’t be too short!

So, how can you nail the best man speech? Well, that’s where we come in handy. We can offer you this ultimate guide to creating a best man speech, including tips, structure and examples you can take inspiration from.

How To Structure A Best Man Speech

Not everyone is gifted with the ability to speak clearly and confidently to a crowd. It can be very nerve racking, and make you anxious to say the least.

If you’re unsure of how to go about planning your best man speech, then we can help you out with this simple structure to follow and keep yourself on track.

This structure is a sort of guide, you don’t have to use it, but it’s a good idea to follow the structure so you cover all bases when doing the speech.

It can also help you when actually performing the speech, as you’ll know what needs to come next and in which order to go over your stories and anecdotes.

A good best man speech begins with:

An Introduction

Use the introduction to introduce yourself to the crowd. Not everyone will know who you are in the wedding, so it’s a nice way to break the ice and get rid of any awkwardness.

Try introducing yourself with a funny one liner about who you are and how you know the happy couple.

Talk About How You Met/Know The Groom

Next, it’s a good idea to briefly cover how you met the groom, or how long you’ve known each other. You can give a little history of how far back you go, and mention how honored you are to be the best man.

Anecdotes About The Groom

Here comes the fun part! Now is the time to start telling a funny story about the groom. The emphasis here is on funny and not too embarrassing or gross. Choose two or three short anecdotes or stories, but don’t overdo it.

Balance Poking Fun With Sincerity

After you’ve had your fun, balance this out by saying something meaningful and sincere about the groom, his qualities or your friendship.

Briefly Talk About How You Know The Bride

In this section, you can talk about your first meeting with the bride, how she came into the groom’s life, and how great of a match you believe them to be.

Wish Them All The Best

Finally, wish the couple all the best for their future together with a sincere, caring comment. Then, toast to the happy couple!

Best Man Speech Do’s And Don’ts

There are definitely a few do’s and don’ts when it comes to speaking at someone’s wedding. You’ll want to keep it concise, funny, but not too over the top jokey. Here’s our recommendations of what to do, and what not to do.

First things first, you’ll want to plan ahead, and write a few stories and anecdotes down that you can remember. Do this for a few weeks before the wedding, so it gives you time to come up with the right memories to share.

Try brainstorming ideas with other members of the family or bridal party to come up with the best things to share about the groom and his bride. Then, you can narrow down the list and find the most impactful or most important things to talk about.

You should also consider who this speech is going to be said around.

If the groom’s very traditional great aunt or grandma is there, it could be a good idea to avoid any crass, rude stories that could make family members uncomfortable. Save those lines for the bachelor party!

Do pause for reactions. You don’t want to talk too fast or fly through the speech as those who have laughed at the last line may miss the next one. Always leave small gaps or pauses for reactions, applause or responses.

Finally, make sure you focus on the couple, not just the groom.

This day is about the two of them. While you are doing a speech because you are the best man to the groom, it is important that you bring in the bride/partner in your speech so that overall you are wishing both of them well on their new adventure.

What Not To Do

Don’t wing it! You may have some liquid courage on the night, but you need this speech to be a crowd pleaser, so be sure to take your notes and go over the speech in your head just before you have to do it.

Don’t use foul language, or inflammatory language. You don’t want to cause a dark cloud over the event by offending anyone or causing a scene.

The same goes for mentioning exes (who could well be at the wedding) or bringing up sore subjects during the speech. Keep it fun, lighthearted, and hilarious.

Don’t use cliches like The groom is like a brother to me. Instead, demonstrate your close bond by telling a story or giving an example of when he treated you like family, and made you feel welcome.

This is far more impactful and will really get the audience involved in your speech.

Finally, and this is an important one- don’t make it about you. This is not your shining moment, your time will come.

Ensure you’re not talking about yourself too much, and always bringing it back to the bride and groom, because that’s what the audience really wants to hear about.

It’s a chance for them to see the couple in a different light, from your perspective, not learn everything about you.

Tips For Writing A Best Man Speech

We’ve also got some brief tips for writing and performing your best man speech!

Practice before the actual speech
Don’t include inside jokes- they will fall on deaf ears
Keep it short and sweet – don’t go over the top with long stories/memories
Don’t use cringey cliches
Don’t mention exes- even as a joke
Use clean language
Don’t say anything political/inflammatory
Tell a story about the groom and the couple as a pair
Don’t just focus on the groom
Always end on a high – make a nice toast and comment about the couple

Qualities To Talk About In The Best Man Speech

Throughout your speech, it is important to keep a running theme. If the joke you are telling is unrelated, it won’t have as much drive and impact.

For instance, if you’re talking about the groom’s thoughtfulness, use funny anecdotes that relate to this, and bring it back to that whenever possible.

Here are some other qualities that are worth mentioning:

Sense of humor: If the groom is known for his quick wit and humor, be sure to incorporate this into your speech. Share a funny story or two that showcases his sense of humor and make the guests laugh.
Generosity: If the groom is known for his kindness and generosity, talk about a specific instance where he went out of his way to help someone in need. This will show the guests the type of person he truly is.
Loyalty: Mention the groom’s unwavering loyalty to his friends and family. Talk about how he has been there for you and others in the past and how this trait is so important in a relationship.
Intelligence: If the groom is intelligent and knowledgeable, highlight this in your speech. Talk about his impressive achievements or interests that show his intelligence and passion.
Adventure: If the groom is someone who is always up for a new adventure, talk about his love for travel or exploring new things. This will show the guests his spontaneous and adventurous side.

For example, you could say:

Where do I begin with the groom’s sharp sense of humor? He’s a true master of wit, who can leave even the most experienced comedian in awe. A particularly memorable instance was when him and his bride went on a picnic; after he inadvertently dropped their sandwiches into a nearby pond, he remarked ‘Well, it looks like we’re having fish sandwiches today!’. The bride couldn’t help but laugh out loud at how quickly he turned an unfortunate situation into something humorous – that is simply the type of person this groom is.

Groom has always had a very caring, loving nature. He would do anything for anyone. Except that one time I asked him to water my plants while I was on vacation. He brought all of the guys over to ‘water my plants’! Thanks for that, Groom. Just kidding, Groom is incredibly thoughtful and compassionate towards all who meet him, which is a quality I believe brought him closer to Bride.

You want to talk about his great qualities, poke a little fun, or share a funny story, but then talk about how these qualities have translated into his relationship with his partner, or how they have brought them closer together.

Best Man Speech Examples

Good evening everyone. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Tom, younger brother and best man of the groom. For those of you that do know me…heeeeeeey!

I have known Jack for…X years now (your age) and have always looked up to him. He had it all, the career, the intelligence, the sense of humor, and now the girl. Then again, I got the good looks.

In all seriousness, I have always looked up to my big brother. He’s always had a flair for sports, and genuinely has a heart of gold.

Being the youngest of the two of us, Jack has made me a better man, mainly because of the character building he put me through as a child. Jack would love taunting me by stealing my favorite stuffed animals.

I cherished my favorite, Mr. Snuggles, until one day Jack told me to come downstairs and see the new toy that our Rottweiler had been given.

I was so excited to see our little furry boy happy and playing with his toy until I realized that Jack had offered up Mr. Snuggles in sacrifice with a huge grin on his face. It was a day I won’t forget.

Despite the taunting and the terrorizing, Jack has been the man that I’ve always aspired to be. In all of the years I’ve been around Jack, he’s always been tenacious and worked hard for what he wants. And he’s always gotten it.

After asking Jenny out the first time, and she said no , he didn’t give up. He knew she was the one for him! It’s a good thing he has the patience of a saint, as it took another 3 attempts to get the first date!

With Jack being the older, but not often the wiser brother, he managed to get himself into some mishaps in the past.

When he did finally get a chance to take Jenny out on a date, he turned up at the wrong house, and managed to slip and break his shoulder all in one fantastic, first meeting with the parents.

Smoooth, brother. At least he made it an unforgettable start to their journey together.

With Jenny at his side, Jack’s clumsy mishaps are less and less. You truly bring out the best in him, Jen. I would say welcome to the family, but you’ve been a part of our lives for some time already, and I am truly blessed to be able to call you my new sister.

From day one, you’ve fit right in, as you too have taken on the role of teasing Jack just as I wanted. Let me tell you guys, there have been many pranks that Jenny and I have pulled off on Jack.

One time, we hid all of his left shoes, until the confusion nearly drove him to madness…and he had to deliver his board meeting like some kind of two right footed lunatic.

Other times, we’ve hidden around the house just when Jack is coming home from a long day at the office, to ambush him with Nerf guns until he pleads for mercy! Let’s just say justice has been served for Mr. Snuggles.

I quickly realized that Jenny and Jack were cut from the same mold. You two are a real example of what it means to marry your best friend, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the two of you.

So everyone, if you could raise your glass…and toast- to the bride and groom!

Hi everyone! For those of you who don’t know me already, I am Zach, the best man of James! When James asked me to be the best man I felt like it was such an honor.

Then he reminded me that it’s not just about organizing the bachelor party and I have to actually come to the wedding so…here I am.

I’ve known James for so many years now, having met him at high school. In those years, it’s become clear what a fantastic friend he is. He’s handsome, kind, brilliant, funny…and sorry (looks at Groom) mate I can’t read your handwriting here. I’ll just wing it.

Just kidding. Me and James have been through thick and thin. I’ve watched him go from a weedy, awkward teenager to a less weedy, awkward adult!

Britney would probably argue with me over the adult part! James has always had that boyish sense of humor that’s often gotten us into trouble over the years.

I remember James would always be the class clown in high school. But for some reason, it was always me getting in trouble. One day, I glanced over in class to see James scribbling away on his desk.

He’s probably carving out some obscenity in the wood I thought.

This is why it came as such a shock when later that day it was I who was called into the principal’s office, and as I walked with my head hung in shame to my fate, James smiled wide and proudly.

Little did I know it was my name he had carved into the wood, so I could sit in detention after class!

Ever since that day, James and I have been at war with one another to get the other one back! But deep down, I know that James would do anything for me. If I needed someone at 4am, James is that friend.

Despite our differences, I know he’s as good as family to me, and all of the Henderson’s have welcomed me into their home on many occasions, and now Britney gets to have that same privilege.

Britney brings out the absolute best in James, and has given us an incredible gift in bringing two wonderful boys into our lives. With Britney, James gets someone who is beautiful, smart, caring, and Britney…well, you get James.

In all seriousness, if Britney gets half as much joy in being married to James, that I have had in being his friend over the years, then she will be incredibly lucky indeed.

On behalf of all the groomsmen, bridesmaids and myself, I would like to thank James and Britney for having us be a part of their special day. I know how hard you’ve worked to make this a day to remember, and you’ve definitely succeeded.

I wish you both all of the happiness, joy and good luck in the world, as you take these steps towards your future together. To the bride and groom, everyone! (Cheers).

Hello everyone. My name is Joe and I’d just like to thank John for finally confirming that I am in fact – the best man, after 20 years of friendship. 20 years is a long time.

Just think, back then…Low rise jeans were in fashion, Spiderman was the favorite superhero, and Ben Affleck and J-Lo were together. So really, nothing has changed in 20 years, and the same goes for our friendship.

If I ever needed building up, or bringing back down to earth, John was the man to do it. He’s always been there for me, through thick and thin. And let’s face it…during the college years, we were more thick than thin!

But, we had each other’s backs no matter what.

I remember one time in college, we decided that reading books and writing our own essays just wasn’t for us anymore. We decided to pay someone to write us an essay, and we would switch it up to pass the class.

From that day on a keen businessman was born- be careful everyone- you’ll probably get a bill for your food!

It all would have gone swimmingly if John hadn’t forgotten to change the name on the essay, but he never took me down with him!

Since then, I’ve realized what a tenacious person, good friend and loyal individual John was, and it’s an absolute blessing to be up here with you tonight as your best man.

There is one very important person who is not sitting on this top table with us today, and that is John’s mother, Cathy, who sadly passed away just last year.

I’ve joked a lot about John tonight, but I know that Cathy would be incredibly proud to see the man that you have become, and over the moon of how happy you are today with Mia.

So, if you wouldn’t mind joining me in raising a glass to John’s mom, who can’t be with us today, but is with us in spirit. Cheers.

On behalf of the wedding party, I would just like to say a huge thank you to John and Mia, for including us in their special day.

It’s been a wonderful day so far, and all Mia’s hard work planning and prepping has truly paid off. John, you just sit there and look pretty.

In addition, I’d like to thank both Mia’s parents, and John’s dad who have helped make this day extra special for the happy couple, which I’m sure they are eternally grateful for.

I’d also like to say that the bridesmaids have done an incredible job helping Mia plan the perfect wedding, and for making sure that Mia looks every bit as beautiful as she does today.

They also had the difficult task of getting Mia to the church on time, which if you know Mia is a very big achievement, indeed.

Finally, I’d like to thank the groomsmen for organizing and completing the best bachelor party Miami has ever seen. I only hope it was the send off John was hoping for before he begins the next stage of his life with Mia. (But I highly doubt it)

John, I’ve loved being your best friend, and I thank you for bringing Mia into our lives. She’s a beautiful person, intelligent, and brings out the best in everyone she meets. Her only downfall is her taste in men! Just kidding.

Seriously, I think everyone will join me in saying that we wish you only the best for your future together, and that we all can share one day in a love like yours. Cheers to the bride and groom!

Ladies and Gentleman, I have an announcement to make. If there is anyone here tonight that is feeling nervous, apprehensive, or maybe even a little nauseous at what lies ahead…then it’s probably because you’ve just married Adam.

For those of you who don’t know who I am, I am the best man, James. There are few words to describe Adam. Handsome, funny, but smart isn’t one of them. You see, Adam was my best man, at my wedding, and boy he did not hold back!

So, as we stand here today, know that my time has come for me to get you back!

Before I start the character assassination that is my best man’s speech, let me just thank Adam and Olivia for having us be a part of this very special day.

I know how much work has gone into making today as great as it has been, so thank you both for pulling it off! To be honest, I never thought Adam would find someone to marry, let alone someone as beautiful and amazing as Olivia!

I’ve known Adam for a very long time, all the way back to when he still had hair! We first met during our studies at X University. At first I thought we had nothing in common, but I quickly found out that we did. We would both likely fail our first year!

Our time at University was one of the best in my life, and I’ve far too many stories to tell you about our lovely Adam here.

But, as the BEST man, I won’t do to him what he did to me. Instead, I’ll talk about his lovely qualities over the years. First up, is his beautiful singing voice. I can’t tell you how many times I heard the works of Marvin Gaye after he met Olivia.

We quickly banned singing in the shower at our dorm because of all the love songs he would belt out after going on a date with Olivia. To say he was smitten from the start is an understatement.

And why wouldn’t he be? All those who know Olivia know what a lovely, and caring person she is. She deserves a good husband. Thank god Adam got there first before she could find one!

Another defining quality that drew Olivia to Adam is his caring nature. We’re incredibly proud of Adam for working as an EMT and helping people every day.

I’ll never forget the time a few years back during a friendly soccer game where I slipped and fell over on my side, snapping and breaking my ankle.

Adam was at my side within SECONDS…to let me know he caught my fall on video. Emergency Medical Services *Scoff*. Only when he saw the angle of my ankle did his medical training kick in.

All jokes aside, Adam and Olivia have always been there for me, and I them. I’d like to think of them as family rather than friends, and can only hope that continues going forward.

Adam and Olivia…I’ve never met two people more perfect for one another. You are both kind, old souls, and you make each other incredibly happy. So, if you all could raise your glasses with me, and toast to this amazing couple…to the bride and groom!

Hello everyone. My name is Kane, and I am the best man, and longtime friend of Rob. I was, however, somewhat surprised to be asked to be the best man, as Rob has never been able to admit this over the years.

At first, I thought this was great. I get to plan a bachelor party for Rob, but then he reminds me I have to write a killer speech that would likely make everyone laugh.

I had no idea where to start, so I decided to trawl the internet for inspiration. After a few hours, I found some really….really…great stuff. But then I remembered I needed to write a speech, so I got off YouTube.

I asked friends and family for advice, and according to tradition, I am supposed to sing Rob’s praises and tell you all about his fantastic qualities. Well, sorry to tell you, but I can’t sing and I don’t lie. So that’s out of the window.

But, Sophia told me I can’t say anything too rude or controversial about Rob. Instead, I can only say nice funny things, so with that in mind, thank you and goodnight all.

Just kidding. Seriously, Rob is one of the most kind, funny, caring and compassionate people I have ever met. This is a quality that I think brought Sophia closer to him.

His willingness to do anything for anyone, without accepting anything in return is what makes Rob extra special, and a joy to be around.

In turn, Sophia is one of the sweetest, and funnest ladies I have ever met! We’ve shared many great memories together, with my partner included, as Sophia and Rob are actually our children’s godparents.

I’ve known Rob for years. We grew up only a few doors apart on our street. I thought there was no kid cooler than Rob. He had all of the best hot wheels, Pokemon cards, and I had a huge crush on his big sister, Natalie *winks at groom’s sister*.

Looking back, I was probably a big nuisance always wanting to go play over his house, but I had some of the best time of my life growing up with Rob by my side. We’ve been there for every big moment of each other’s lives.

Graduation, getting our first jobs, our first cars, and now I get to be here for the biggest day of his life, where he gets to marry the beautiful Sophia.

Sophia and Rob, your love for each other shines through you. Sophia, I’m happy to step down as I can see that you two are truly best friends, and meant to be.

I can’t think of anyone better to look after my Rob here, and I know he will do everything he can to look after you for the rest of his days.

Thank you both so much for a fantastic day. If the rest of your lives is half as good as today has been, then you are in for a joyful marriage indeed. Please join me everyone in raising a glass to the newly weds, Rob and Sophia. Cheers!

Best Man Speech Frequentl Asked Questions

Does the best man have to do a speech.

The best man does not have to give a speech if he really does not want to, or if there isn’t enough time because there are other people doing speeches, but it is tradition and expected of the best man to do a speech.

When Does The Best Man’S Speech Happen?

The best man speech will typically happen after the groom has said a few words. However, every wedding is different, and the bride and groom may organize the day differently depending on how they think the speeches should flow.

How Long Should A Best Man Speech Be?

A best man speech should be short and sweet, but not too short, and not too long. A happy medium is about 5-6 minutes in length. You don’t want it to be shorter than 3 minutes as it may seem too brief.

The point is to keep the audience engaged, and deliver a few anecdotes, thank the bride and groom, and raise a toast.

What Should You Include In A Best Man Speech?

There are a few things that you should include in the best man speech. This is who you are, and how you know the bride and groom.

In addition, you need a fun story about the groom and you, and why you think the bride and groom are an excellent match, followed by your best wishes for the couple and a toast to their future together.

Who Should You Thank In A Best Man Speech?

In the best man speech, you should thank the bride and groom of course, but you can also thank the bridesmaids or groomsmen for their efforts, or say thank you to the parents of the bride and groom, especially if they have contributed a lot to the wedding.

To summarize, writing a best man speech is not all as bad as it seems.

With this ultimate guide, you’ve got all of the tools you need to succeed, and successfully deliver a hilarious, fun, lighthearted speech that is sure to wish the couple all of the best for the future.

Whether you are looking for examples, tips, what to do, or what not to do, we’ve covered it all in this handy guide.

Now, instead of stressing out about what you are going to say, how you are going to say it, you can look forward to the wedding planning process in the run up to the big day, and most importantly…the bachelor party!

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Report by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, April 2024: UK response

Ambassador Neil Holland thanks Secretary General Buric for her leadership and for the Council of Europe's ongoing collaboration with the OSCE.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Secretary General Buric, Dear Maria, welcome back to the Permanent Council. And congratulations to the Council of Europe on the upcoming 75th anniversary of the signing of the Statute of London, its founding document. The UK appreciates the Council of Europe’s collaboration with the OSCE. On this, your last Permanent Council appearance, thank you for your contribution throughout your time in office.

The promotion of human rights, rule of law and democracy underpins the relationship between the Council of Europe and the OSCE. We share common challenges, which each organisation approaches with a unique set of tools. As you have said, we must continue to work with each other to ensure that each organisation’s activities complement and reinforce the other’s in pursuit of our common goals.

It is with great sadness that we meet again against the bleak backdrop of Russian aggression in Ukraine. Holding those who do not respect their international obligations accountable is more pertinent than ever. We commend the Council of Europe for its work to establish the Register of Damage for Ukraine, which will allow individuals to file claims for loss, injury and damage caused by Russia’s invasion. The UK is proud to chair the Register of Damage. I encourage all States who have not signed up to the Register, to do so.

We also acknowledge the Council of Europe’s work to tackle contemporary challenges such as the recently concluded negotiations for the Convention on AI. Combating people smuggling is another area where international cooperation is critical, and we thank you, Secretary General, for your commitment to the Council of Europe’s efforts in this area.

Secretary General Buric – in the face of war in Europe and regression of human rights and fundamental freedoms across the region, the work of both organisations remains vital. The UK looks forward to working with the Council of Europe and the OSCE throughout 2024 and beyond. And we wish you personally all the best with whatever comes next.

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30 Great Ways to Start Your Best Man's Speech

Know all the killer content you want inside, but not sure how to get started? These best man speech openers are bound to help!

We have included third party products to help you navigate and enjoy life’s biggest moments. Purchases made through links on this page may earn us a commission.

Jordanna Marston

If you want to nail your five minutes of fame at your best mate's wedding, brilliant best man speech opening lines are the way to do it. The first few lines of your best man speech set the tone for the rest of it, so getting your best man opening lines right is vital.

The traditional order of wedding speeches sees the best man speech opening line follow on from the groom and father of the bride, so you're likely to have pretty big shoes to fill, and there's no better way to get the crowd on your side than a killer opening.

Great opening lines for a best man speech very in theme and tone - so we've made sure this guide has something for everyone!

30 Brilliant Best Man Speech Opening Lines

Whether you're after a formal best man speech introduction, some funny lines to warm up the room or a few best man speech openers to preface some sentimental stories, we've got something to suit you.

Choose between sweet, sentimental, sarcastic, sassy and more!

1. Last Minute Best Man Opener

Are you known for always being forgetful and a bit slap-dash? If so, why not use your best man speech introduction to poke fun at yourself about it.

“Hi, I’m [x] and it’s time for me to do this speech I scribbled down about an hour before the ceremony started.”

2. Wedding Jokes

This light-hearted wedding joke is a great way to get some giggles at the start of your speech without saying anything about anyone in particular.

“I must admit, I’m not accustomed to public speaking. Up until I was asked to give this speech, I thought a toastmaster was a kind of kitchen appliance!”

3. Cramping Your Style

Is the groom a bit of a buffoon? And are you a single pringle? If so, this best man speech opening line is perfect.

“Hi, I’m [x] and in the run up to the wedding many people have asked me how I’ll cope now my best friend is married and will spend all his time at home loved up with his partner. And the truth is, I’m thrilled. I’m finally able to talk to women without him cramping my style!”

4. Unexpected Announcement

This quick-witted joke is the house rules announcement no one saw coming.

“Right, I’d just like to start by laying down a couple of rules. Firstly, if you do have a mobile phone…please, leave it switched on; keep yourselves entertained. And secondly, if anyone texts you any good jokes, could you please forward them to me?”

5. Not a Pleasure

This stereotypical 'act like you don't want to be doing a speech' vibe works for so many best men.

“My name is [x] and it’s an honour to stand here as [x]’s best man. I’d like to say it’s a pleasure too, but that won’t be the case until I’ve finished this speech…”

6. The Internet Intro

Give the impression you've printed this speech off the internet to warm the crowd up.

"It's a pleasure to stand here as the best man to 'insert name here'. Oh wait, I was supposed to edit that bit out before I printed it off..."

7. I'm the Best

Rub it in to the rest of the group that you're officially the groom's favourite.

“My name is [x] and I’m officially the best man. It might have taken [x] amount of years, but [x] has finally admitted I’m the best.”

8. Your Writing

This one's a classic, and you can tailor the adjectives to ensure it's the kind of thing your friend would actually write for you.

“Hello, I’m [x] and I’m here to tell you all about [x] and how wonderful, handsome and…sorry, mate, I can’t read your writing.”

9. My Only Chance

Is it a running joke that the groom never picks up the bill? If so, you could poke a bit of fun at it in your best man opener lines.

"Thank you for having me as your best man [x], I didn’t really want to do it, but I thought it might be the only chance I’ll get to have a meal and some drinks paid for by you, so I didn’t risk turning it down.”

10. To the Groom

Think your friend has excellent taste in friends? Start off by telling everyone that, then.

"Hello everyone, I’d like to start this speech off by congratulating the groom on his excellent taste in best men. He’s really outdone himself."

11. That's Me Done

This is a brilliantly funny best man speech introduction, and also acts as a great way to skim over stereotypical topics and get into some more personal anecdotes.

"The happy couple have asked that I don’t share any embarrassing stories, stag do pranks or crude jokes in my best man’s speech… so that’s it from me! Thanks for listening."

12. My Word Means Nothing

If you are going to go down the route of telling some funny stag do stories, this is a hilarious way to introduce them.

"[x] asked me not to mention any of the scandals from the stag do, and I said I wouldn't. But as you all know, I'm a compulsive liar and my word means nothing, so here goes nothing..."

13. Enough About Me

There's nothing wrong with using your best man opening lines to compliment yourself, right?

"Gorgeous, loyal, charming, handsome...but today isn't about me. Now, let's talk about [x]."

14. Worst Day of Their Lives

We love this best man opener line, it's a funny way of saying you wish the couple all the happiness in the world.

"My only wish for the happy couple is that each day of their marriage is better than the previous so that they can look back on today, their wedding day, and say that it was the worst day of their lives."

15. Only Joking

Is your best friend's partner a stickler for plans and precision? If so, this is a fun way to address that.

"Good evening. I’m pleased to be delivering the only five minutes that the [x] didn’t meticulously plan. Of course, I’m only joking. She went over the speech with me half an hour ago in the bar."

16. Sweepstake

Wedding speeches going on for too long is a stereotype that's fun to lean into, and starting off your best man's speech with this line will have everyone laughing, and also leave them feeling relieved that you're aware 45 minutes is too long, and will hopefully be finished soon!

"I just heard about the sweepstake people have on how long the best man speech should last. I put my money on 45 minutes, so make yourselves comfortable everyone…"

17. Dead Body At a Funeral

Have you and all the guests got a dry sense of humour?

"A best man is just like a dead body at a funeral. You’re expected to be there, but if you start talking, everyone starts freaking out."

18. Standing Ovation

Looking for confident great opening lines for a best man speech?

"Now before I get started, I have a quick health and safety notice. The venue team have kindly asked that during your standing ovation, you do not stand on the tables or chairs. I know it'll be difficult to celebrate calmly, but please, safety first!"

19. Dancing Lesson

This light-hearted joke will get everyone excited for the first dance.

"Good evening everyone, my name is [x] and I'm the best man. I’ll try to keep my speech short, because every minute I speak is an extra minute’s delay in witnessing how the [x]'s dance lessons worked out."

20. I'm the Best Man

We love this opening line, it's fun and a great way to start your best man speech.

"You’ve got no idea how much I’ve been looking forward to today. After all the years I’ve been friends with the groom, he has finally admitted that I am in fact the best man."

21. Unfortunately, I'm Married

This best man speech opening is a great way to compliment your friend and get some laughs at the same time.

"[x] had the honour of being my best man. He spent months writing a perfect, tender and charming speech. Everyone agreed it was funny and beautiful. Unfortunately I’m married, so I haven’t had the time to do all that."

22. Slept Like a Baby

Guests love it when you poke fun at yourself, so use your best man speech opening to self-deprecate.

"I’ve been worried about giving this speech for a while now. Fortunately last night I slept like a baby, AKA waking up every two hours and bawling my eyes out."

23. Hard to Follow

If the person before you can take a poking, this is a funny speech introduction for the best man.

"I always knew the groom’s speech would be hard to follow. In fact, I couldn’t understand a word of it."

24. The Drinks Bill

Is it even a best man speech introduction if you don't reference the cost of the wedding?

"Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve now reached the point in the proceedings when we all get to see the groom squirm uncomfortably in his seat and grip the table in nervous anticipation. That’s right, I’ve been asked to give him the drinks bill."

25. Making Love

This is a cheeky one, but not half as bad as some of the best man speech opening lines we've heard before!

"I read somewhere that the perfect best man speech should last as long as it takes for the groom to make love. So please could everyone raise a glass to the happy couple!"

26. Don't Get What You Want

Way to compliment your friend's partner and get a little dig in about them all at the same time.

“We all know [x] is a wonderful woman and deserves the perfect man. Unfortunately, you don’t always get what you deserve.”

27. Cost of a Stamp

This fun best man speech introduction won't get you into any real trouble, but will ensure you get off to a good start.

“My name is [x] and [x] asked me to be his best man a year ago – although I never actually received a formal invitation to the wedding. Let’s hope I haven’t eaten someone else’s meal by mistake – but more likely, it was [x] saving himself the cost of a stamp.”

28. Terrible Hangover

If you're likely to have a sore head on the day of the wedding, you might as well get it all out in the open at the beginning of the speech.

“If you could keep the clapping and cheering to a minimum today - I’ve got a pretty bad hangover. I know you shouldn’t drink heavily before a big event but I couldn’t let [x] drink alone, could I?"

29. Emotional Day

This one is as cheesy as it is classic, but it's a crowd-pleaser if we've ever heard one.

“Hi, I’m the best man and can I start by saying what an emotional day it’s been today? Even the cake is in tiers.”

30. Still Had Hair

If your pal can take a little joke about their appearance, why not eh?!

“My name is [x] and I’ve known [x] since we were at school – yes, I knew him when he still had hair!”

If you want to make your best man’s speech even better, we’ve got a bunch of hilarious tried and tested best man jokes that will have everyone laughing!

best man speech example uk

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14 Amazing Best Man Speech Examples

1. Best Man Speech Examples: The Humorous Opener

If In Doubt, Buy The Book…

2. The Childhood Anecdote

3. The Love Story Narration

4. The Supportive Brother

5. The Unexpected Talent

6. The Toast to Family

7. The Lessons in Love

8. The Quirky Comparison

9. The Thank You to the Guests

10. The Promise of Friendship

11. The Romantic Quote

12. Best Man Speech Examples: The Wedding Advice

13. The Appreciation for the Bride

14. The Final Toast

See Also…

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The Ultimate Best Man’s Speech Template

How To Write An Amazing Best Man Speech

Best Man Speech Template

Welcoming the guests

Introduce yourself and how you met the groom

Talk about the best man

The bride and the groom

The wedding day

The best man speech toast

What To Do Once You've Written Your Best Man Speech

Accessibility links

Ten tips for writing a brilliant best man speech

Listen to Best Men on BBC Sounds

1. The speech opening should put you on the right track

2. Keep it under 10 minutes

3. Avoid cliches and generic gags

How to write a perfect speech

The secret to writing a great political speech

4. Know your audience – ditch the stag-do stories

5. Include the bride

6. No PowerPoint presentations

7. Pick a married best man

8. Your best man doesn’t need to be your best friend

9. The positioning of speeches to food can influence the mood

10. Read your speech from paper – and look happy

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How to Structure Writing a Best Man Speech in 10 Simple Points

1. Introducing Yourself

2. Relation to the Groom

3. Friendship Reminisces

4. The Praise

5. The Roast

6. Add a Joke

7. Compliment the Bride

8. Compliment the Couple

9. Closing Lines

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