Best Man Speech — Tips for a Memorable Speech
A best man speech can be one of the best wedding speeches on the big day and help guests have a great time if you plan it right. If you’re the best man at a wedding, your speech is your chance to shine. If you’re not sure how to write a best man speech, here are a few tips to create a great best man speech that wedding guests will admire. If you’re wondering “How to write my best man speech?”, the tips covered below can serve as a best man speech template to help you organise your information.
(If you don’t have the time to do it yourself and don’t know where to start writing, contact us on 1300 731 955 or use the contact form on this page to get in touch.)
For your best man speech, don’t introduce yourself
First, you probably won’t need to introduce yourself at the beginning, as this is usually done by the master of ceremonies. What you will want to do is write a short introduction for the MC or discuss your background with him or her. Don’t give away too much though — save the good stuff for yourself. If you are introduced, you won’t need to say something like, “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is _______. I’m the best man and I will be delivering a speech today”, as the guests will already know this.
Welcome and thank people
As an opening line, you can welcome guests and thank anyone who has helped with the special day. It’s also customary to thank people who have travelled a long way to participate in the wedding day. People who have travelled a long distance across Australia or from overseas will appreciate the gesture. It will also help break the ice between guests during the reception as they get to know each other.
At some point during the speech, you will want to thank those who have helped you. I usually include this at the beginning after welcoming people, as this leaves the rest of the speech open to talk about the groom and bride, and their future together. Say your ‘Thank yous’ to the groomsmen and any other good friends who helped out. Sometimes you will also want to thank the bridesmaids if they have assisted you in your role as best man.
Once you have the formalities out of the way, it’s time to start talking about the groom in your best man speech. Things to talk about can include when you met and what you have done together over the years. If you have known the groom from an early age, you will have plenty of material to draw from. You can include stories about sports, school and university, travel and other activities when writing a best man speech.
Tips for funny best man speeches
The fun comes in when you start talking about the funny and dumb things the groom has done over the years. These stories will make your speech enjoyable and memorable. When including these stories, be sure they are appropriate for all audience members. If something is too embarrassing or won’t be appropriate for all guests, it’s probably best to leave it out.
In one speech I wrote, the best man wanted to include some ‘raunchy’ material that some might find embarrassing. To be sure, I double-checked with him, and he insisted that this material remained in his speech. After the event, I asked him how it went. He said that the audience loved it. So it always depends on who is attending the wedding.
Best man speech jokes can be easily found online. It’s a matter of finding the right one that connects to the best man. In one case, the groom was an accountant, and I included this for the best man: “Since he’s an accountant, he should make a good lover — because he’s great with figures.”
In one speech for the brother of the best man, I wrote a short section where the best man teased his brother (the groom) in a lighthearted way. It went like this:
Carlo is older, but I am the best man.
Carlo is a good swimmer, but I am the best man.
Carlo has more muscles, but I am the best man.
Carlo thinks he is smarter, but I am the best man.
Carlo is better at fishing and hunting, but I am the best man.
Carlo is good at jujitsu, but I am still the best man.
And not only all of that – I am two inches taller than he is!
In another example, the younger brother was the best man and complained that the groom always cheated and tricked him when they played rock, paper, scissors.
In the end, the type of humour you use will depend on the audience. If you feel some of the guests don’t have a sense of humour, include it anyway to lighten up the speech and wedding reception. It doesn’t have to be a completely funny presentation but you should include some humour. In the end, funny best man speeches will be remembered for years to come.
Every story about the groom doesn’t have to be funny, but it’s an option you have to add some levity to the day.
Highlight the positive
The next part of creating the perfect best man speech is when you talk about the positive qualities of the groom, including what a great friend he is. Looking back on your friendship, think about the groom’s best traits. These could be things like hard-working, determined, reliable, trustworthy and entertaining. Choose a few of these and give examples of why he is such a great friend.
If you know the bride well enough, you can speak about her positive qualities as well. This is usually done by the father of the bride, so you don’t need to go into specific detail, as he will provide insights into the life and character of his daughter.
Following this, talk about how the bride and groom complement each other. These might be opposite personality traits that help to balance them as a couple and things they have in common, such as they both love footy, rugby, camping, going to the gym, etc.
Send them off with best wishes and a toast at the end
At the end of your speech, you can talk about the future. Paint a positive picture of positive things to come, whether it’s travel, career, family or a new home. Don’t forget that it’s an emotional day, so it’s okay to be a bit inspirational as you talk about the couple’s future together.
The final words should be your best man toast to the happy couple. Before making raising a glass for the toast, ask the guests to fill their glasses and stand up.
Best man speech template
Although I don’t offer a best man speech template, here’s an outline of what is typically covered in the speech and the order it’s presented:
- Welcome guests and highlight any who have travelled a long way to attend.
- Thank anyone who helped you as the best man,including members of the wedding party.
- Discuss your history with the groom — how long you have known each other, memorable and funny stories and things you have done together.
- Talk about the groom’s most positive qualities — this could be his focus on work, helping others, staying fit, persistence.
- Mention how the bride and groom complement each other — this could be things they have in common and how their differences balance each other out.
- Speak about their future together and any goals they have shared with you. This could be buying a house, starting a family or travelling the world together.
- A wedding toast to the happy couple.
If you fill in the details for these seven points, you have everything needed for a best man speech template.
We have written many best man speeches over the years and will be glad to discuss your specific requirements if you’re wondering “How to write my best man speech?” Please contact us on 1300 731 955 or use the contact form above for a no-obligation discussion.
If you’re interested, we can provide a quote and timeframe for writing your complete speech.
For more information and wedding speeches in general, check out our wedding speeches page.
Best man speech example
Here’s a best man speech example we created for the groom’s brother. Although not a best man speech template, it will give you an idea of how this type of speech is put together if you decide to write your own.
Thank you for being here as we celebrate the wedding of Rick and Tina.
For those who may not know me, my name is Jeff Hardy, and I have the honour of being my brother’s best man at his wedding. Thank you, Rick and Tina. I feel very privileged.
Before I get on to the toast to the bride and groom, I’m going to share a few things I have learnt about Rick during the past 27 years.
Rick has always been very sports orientated and a great athlete. While I had to work hard, it just came naturally to him – whether it was cricket, football or tennis. I remember him being the man of the match in football and being coached and excelling in tennis.
Along with sports, Rick has always been very competitive, which can be a plus or a minus, depending on how you look at it. Once when we were pretty young, I got lucky and bowled him out in a game of cricket. He was very surprised and got angry. Then he threw the bat at me and broke my nose — and he’s three years younger than me.
Another time he was playing in a high-pressure tennis match, and things weren’t going his way. He then had a John McEnroe moment and started hitting balls over the fence.
I’m glad to say that Rick has calmed down over the years and isn’t as temperamental.
We have always done things together, including buying our toys while trying to outdo each other. I remember when I bought a 30-foot boat. Rick had to get one too, so we could both go out in our big boats during the summer holidays. We are part owners of a racehorse together. I own 25% and Rick owns 2.5%. But when our horse wins, Rick says that his 2.5% is the nose that made it over the finish line first.
Despite his competitive streak and breaking my nose all those years ago, we’re still best mates and look out for each other. We also were protective of our younger sister Bec when we were growing up. Guys were afraid to go out with Bec when Rick and were I around, which wasn’t suitable for her social life. But now that we’ve grown up and moved on, that’s changed.
Rick and I had many great times together. One experience that stands out was travelling to China on our last family holiday together. We went out to a bar in the nightclub district in Shanghai and couldn’t believe all the women around trying to get our attention. We thought it was cool to be so popular — until we realised they were practising the world’s oldest profession. So we get out of there and went to a nightclub. Somehow we ended up on stage singing and had everyone singing along with us. In the end, the crowd was cheering ‘Aussie, Aussie, Aussie’ as we left.
Getting back to today, I am happy that Rick has met a woman as wonderful as Tina. They are both fit, attractive and glamorous blonde beach beauties. Sometimes I like to joke that they are the Brad and Angelina of our district.
But seriously, I feel Rick and Tina are a perfect match. While Rick can get agitated sometimes, Tina is mellow and laid back and is a calming influence. So they complement and balance each other perfectly, and I feel privileged to have Tina as my sister-in-law.
Please join me for the toast to the bride and groom.
Rick and Tina, I congratulate you as you open in a new chapter in your lives.
May you have a lifetime of love, opportunity and happiness.
May you live each day like it’s your last, and live each night like it’s your first.
To Rick and Tina!
If you are not a great public speaker, having an effective speech prepared will help you make an impression on the big day. Weddings can be a lot of fun if you’re ready for them. So relax, prepare and enjoy some wedding cake at the end.