Weddings 2020 | Best Man Speech Tips

Your best mate has picked you to be his best man. Brilliant! You’re over the moon. But what now? Before you start panicking, read our step-by-step guide to writing a best man’s speech in 2020.

Start with a template

The blank page is often the hardest part of writing anything and is especially true for your speech. The best tip to beat the blank page is not to begin with one. Use the below template to get started.

1. Opening line

Getting a laugh early on will put you at ease, so open your speech with a light-hearted joke. A quick ‘dad joke’ will work well here.

Something like:

• “Weddings are emotional, aren’t they? Even the cake is in tiers.”
• “Thank you all for coming. Especially after you found out I’d be saying a few words.”
• “Before I start, the venue manager has asked me to warn you not to stand on any chairs or tables for my standing ovation as we’ll lose the deposit.

2. Introduce yourself

You won’t know everyone at the wedding, so introduce yourself and tell everyone about how you know the groom.

3. Embarrassing stories

These will make up the main bulk of your speech.

Good starting points might include:

• Did the groom go through any funny fashion fads?
• What were they like at school?
• Did you both ‘get away with murder’ one time?
• Are they a terrible cook?
• What were they like to live with?

What not to include:

• Jokes about the stag do
• Sexual innuendos about the honeymoon
• ‘In’ jokes only the lads will get
• Anything offensive about one of the guests

As a general rule, keep the stories tasteful. If you say something particularly bad it’ll be the bride and her family that will be the most embarrassed, not the groom.

So keep that in mind.

4. Compliment the groom

After you’ve made some fun out of the groom, it’s time to get serious and say a few nice things about him. Some useful transition lines would include:

• “On a serious note, I know you’ll all agree…”
• “But for as many funny stories there are about [groom], there are stories that show how much of a good bloke he is…”
• “I love those stories. When you think about it, they show how caring, loveable and genuine [groom] is…”

Let the groom know you’re proud to be his best man, tell him what it means to you, and propose a toast to the groom.

5. Compliment the bride and bridesmaids

Talk about when you met his wife. Mention how beautiful she looks and how beautiful the bridesmaids are too.

If you want to add some humour, you could say something like, “I was pretty sure I’d be the most beautiful here today, but you’ve all well and truly shown me up.”

6. Outro

Thank everyone again, and propose a toast to the bride and groom.

Tweak and Refine

Look at that; you’ve got your first draft. Congratulations! That’s the hardest part out of the way.

Now your subconscious mind will kick in, so don’t be surprised if great ideas start coming to you while you’re in the shower, on the toilet, or lying in bed.

When a great idea presents itself, you need to write it down. Don’t think “I’ll definitely remember that,” because you won’t, and you’ll kick yourself when you have forgotten.

Start your best man speech preparation as early as possible so that you’ve got months to add to and edit it. By the time you’re finished, your last draft might not look anything like your first draft and that’s absolutely fine.

The Finishing Touches

Can you think of anything to give your speech that little bit extra? Things that work well include a PowerPoint presentation of images to accompany your speech (you’d have to phone the venue to make sure they have a projector – most will).

Similarly, giant picture cards could work well.

To get a laugh early on, you could make a giant scroll that you unravel after saying you’ve got a “few stories” about the groom that you could share.

Let your imagination run wild. Again, if you have a funny idea, write it down.

A Final Vett

Now you need to make sure your jokes aren’t ‘too far’. Practice your speech with a sensible friend and ask their opinion of it.

Remember, you’re not just trying to make your mates laugh. Check you’ve got jokes everyone will find funny.

You’ve Got This

There’s no right or wrong way to do this.

If you’re happy with it, everyone else will be.

Smile, breathe, and take your time.

Download our Wedding Plan Guide for more information about the big day.