Congratulations on ‘getting the job’ as the best man; only few are chosen among many for this vital role.
Now’s it’s time to prepare the perfect best man speech and you want to ensure you live up to your name when its presented- the best man for the job!
In the olden times, being named the best man is a much scarier proposition. It means handling a sword or a pistol, and making sure that no one runs off with the bride or disturbs the couple until the I Do’s are said.
Fast forward into the current millennia, where being the best man is both party central prior to the wedding ceremony, a rock of stability during the ceremony, and gregarious back-up during the reception.
The gig, however, remains true to the foundations of its violent roots; the groom has his closest unmarried male chum standing pat beside him, ready for anything that may occur.
Aside from making sure that the groom has a decent bachelor’s party, carrying the ring, and making sure the groom actually gets to his own wedding; Your main job is to make a speech during the wedding to introduce the groom to the guests who may not really know who he is (think distant relatives whom the parents insisted to be invited!) and do it the way only his best man can.
What’s In A Best Man Speech
There are many suggestions Keeping to a simple format will be very helpful.
Here’s one format with some specific tips on what to cover for each part.
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Introduction
Introduce yourself and how you’re related to the groom. It’s often a good start to inject some humor with a line or two too.
This is where you tell everyone why you are the one standing there speaking about the man and, at some point, his new wife.
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A Brief History Of Your Relationship To The Groom/Couple
This is your chance to tell everyone your story (okay, some of it. It’s still his day after all) and make sure that you tell a light hearted one.
If in case the story of how you met isn’t that much interesting, think about something you did together that is quite interesting or maybe even funny.
Remember that this is about your relationship/friendship with the groom and your opportunity to introduce him to some of the guests who have not had the chance to know him as you do but it’s also not the time to review your complete history together, so keep it short & simple, and hopefully funny if you could.
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The Story Of How The Groom Met The Bride
This could be the moment to either touch hearts on get some laughs and “awws…” But on the few and rare cases where one hasn’t met the bride, make sure that:
- You quiz your buddy to get the details of their relationship and his bride
- Get face time with the bride as well so you can accurately gauge the tone of your speech.
Also, keep in mind that this is a gathering filled with joy. If you plan to roast your buddy, keep it along the lines of “hopeless romantic who got his wishes fulfilled” kind of thing.
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The Reason Why The Couple Is Important To You
This a good time to take the chance to congratulate the couple AND give the bride a compliment or two.
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Close Your BestMan Speech And Thank Everyone For Coming
You can use this part to quickly count the lovely and endearing qualities of your buddy and your chance to make all the people say “oh what a lovely thing to say!”
It’s good if guests and families have that ‘ah huh’ moment where they realize why you were the ‘best man’ chosen!
Closing correctly helps that, and is segue to the rest of the reception. Refer to the wedding invitation, and keep notes of people important to the couple.
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Propose a Toast
As you close your speech to raise your glass, you can now “philosophize” on love and relationship in general and then rounding it up to highlight the couple’s relationship.
Oh, and don’t forget to raise your glass and offer the couple a toast
It is quite easy to get lost in the barrage of memories once you see your best buddy tie the knot. Chances are, you will be very nostalgic about all the things you two did in the past that you would want to maybe share all the little details with everyone in attendance.
What Should Not Be In Your Best Man Speech
So to keep things in perspective, here are a few things that you really should try to avoid:
- Too much information with regard to past relationships, no matter how funny it may seem. Better yet, try not to mention past relationships at all.
- Off color jokes. Yes, it’s easy but no. Don’t go there.
- By the way, off color includes what exactly went down during the bachelor party.
- Too many inside jokes. You would want your entire audience to be able to understand what you’re trying to get across and not just a few frat buddies chuckling.
- Explaining childhood nicknames. You want your chum respected, and in turn, you also want to be invited by them in the future
- Disparaging anyone – this is a speech on a memorable day. Any roasting should have been done at the bachelor’s party
- Try not to keep on rambling about you and the groom and forget about mentioning the bride at all.
As a general rule, try to aim for a speech that is more than 5 minutes but not more than 10.
This would keep you from getting lost in nostalgia, spilling more than is appropriate, and be a rambling mess in front of a lot of people you have only met that day.
Bear in mind that you were asked because you are the closest male person to the groom. So you’ll need to keep the humor in check.
Any form of ribbing should not be in the form of a roast. Keep it light and formal.
Finally, even the best speech makers will tell you that best man speeches are never good enough if the words aren’t said from the heart.
So, take a deep breath, maybe a shot or two to calm the nerves, and step into the limelight. And make sure that your best man speech separates yourself from the old repetitive traditional best man speeches, that will make the groom thank you after.
To Guarantee That You Capture Your Audience And Have Your Speech Be Remembered As The Best…
If you want to take your speech to that next level and really impress the audience (no matter how challenging they maybe), I recommend that you check out the follow resource:
(Note: When you click the link, you’ll need to select “Best Man” for the appropriate resource.)