Ahh, the best man speech… the speech which is guaranteed to be the most fun of all the speeches and get a laugh. Out of all the speeches, this one is the one people look forward to the most. Do not get me wrong as some of the others are generally more heartfelt and will bring a tear to the eye.
However, the best man speech is one that people enjoy the most due to its fun nature. If you are looking for a guide on how to write a best man speech, then you have come to the right place! Follow this guide below, and it will go off without a hitch:
Best Man Speech Guide
Start Your Best Man Speech By Expressing Gratitude
It’s important to start your best man speech by expressing gratitude, not only because it sets a positive tone, but also because it acknowledges the hard work and effort that has gone into making the wedding day possible.
Begin by thanking the couple’s parents by name and expressing your appreciation for their role in bringing the bride and groom together. You could also offer a toast to their love and commitment to each other.
Next, thank all the people who have played a part in making the wedding day a success. This might include the wedding planner, the caterers, the florists, and anyone else who has contributed to the day in a significant way. By doing this, you’ll show your appreciation for their hard work and help ensure that everyone feels valued and appreciated.
Finally, thank all the guests for coming and sharing in the special day. Let them know how much it means to the bride and groom to have them there to celebrate. You could also acknowledge any guests who have travelled a long distance to be there and offer your gratitude for their efforts to be part of the wedding day.
Introduce Yourself
Being the best man, almost everyone would know who you are but introduce who you are and how you met the groom. There may be some from the other side of the wedding party who have never met you or distant relatives of the couple you have never met.
Start by sharing a bit about yourself, including your name and your relationship to the groom. This will help those who may not know you very well understand why you have been chosen to give the groom speech.
You can mention how long you have known the groom and any significant memories or experiences you have shared together that have brought you to this moment.
By introducing yourself at the beginning of your speech, you will set the tone for the rest of your delivery and make sure everyone is on the same page before you start sharing your stories and advice.
Funny Story About The Groom
This is the fun part where you tell one or two stories about the groom. Of course, everyone expects a roasting of the groom but do not go overboard (you still want to be friends with them after the wedding). Keep in mind that if the groom is to be the best man at your future wedding “paybacks a bitch” so keep that in mind.
Also, do not choose stories which are just between the 2 of you. I have seen many speeches talking about in-house jokes that the guests are just not familiar with or were not explained properly.
The Story of how the groom met the bride
This is your take on how the groom and his new bride met. As the best man, you have a unique insight as you see it from the perspective of your then single friend meeting the love of his life.
A good example of when I was a best man at a wedding, I gave a story of how the groom met this girl and didn’t think she was the one and that he “had enough of chicks”… Three weeks later they were in a relationship. This can also include a quick mention of how he introduced you to her and your first impressions of her (assuming they are positive).
Finish with a quote
To wrap off your now amazing speech… end it with a quote. Try to make it specific to the couple and from the heart. It could also be a very tiny story, for example, my grandfather gave me some words of wisdom which I use on a best man speech I gave. I summarised the story, gave appropriate backstory and ended with a quote. If you are stuck on quotes check out our Facebook Page for marriage advice quotes.
Toast to the bride and groom
This is the last part, all you have to do now is raise your glasses and toast to the bride and groom.
Specific Tips For The Best Man
The below tips are specifically for the best man and his speech. These are based on the many best man speeches I have seen in the past.
- Do not get too drunk, sure have a drink as it’s a wedding. The last thing you want to see is a video of yourself “off your chops” delivering a slurred speech.
- The last thing you want is a bad speech at a wedding as I tell everyone to practice. For the best man, it is essential as everyone expects a fun speech. Just remember that while the groom and the inner circle get your jokes not everyone will. Write to appeal to everyone or if not everyone at least the vast majority.
- “Karma is a bitch” so as stated above… tell funny stories, and everyone expects a roasting. However, you can quickly go overboard and easily break a friendship as I have seen.
- This happens rarely but enough to mention it. The speech is for the couple and not for dating. Sometimes a best man will make comments about the bridesmaids and complimenting them which is fine BUT do not go overboard. If you do, then all you are doing is making the girl embarrassed (if she likes you or not) and now the whole room knows your business.
The Best Man Speech In Conclusion
That’s it and if you followed everything you will have just delivered an amazing best man speech. Just remember that the best man speech is supposed to be entertaining compared to the other speeches. That being said have fun but do not roast the groom too much otherwise a friendship may be in jeopardy.
Also below is an example of a wedding speech from one of our clients best man speeches. For other example feel free to check out the Pink Caviar YouTube Channel and use it as inspiration to help craft your own best man speech:
Feel free to check out our other wedding speech guides down below. Here we give you guides for the perfect speech on your wedding day (or anyone else speaking).
- Wedding Speech Handy Hints – A great straightforward guide for all wedding speeches
- Groom’s Speech
- Best Man Speech – You Are Here 🙂
- Father Of The Bride Speech
- Father Of The Groom Speech
- Bride Speech
- Maid Of Honour Speech
- Bridesmaid Speech
- Groomsmen Speech
- Wedding Guest Speech
- Cringy And Worst Wedding Speech Guide – A basic guide of what NOT to do
Let us know if this guide helps you with writing your speech. Have you been to a wedding and heard a great best man speech? Or did you hear one that could have been better? Let us know and join the discussion below 🙂
Dimitri Cassimatis is the Marketing Manager at Pink Caviar Events, a corporate event management and styling company based in Sydney, Australia. With a background in marketing and communications, Dimitri brings a wealth of expertise to his role, including strategic planning, branding, and digital marketing. He is passionate about creating engaging content that resonates with Pink Caviar’s target audience and helps to drive the company’s growth. Dimitri is also committed to staying up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in marketing, and regularly attends industry events and conferences.
