Man Speech

Not putting too much pressure on you, but the best man’s speech is typically one of the most anticipated talk during a wedding’s reception. Everyone, including and especially the bride and the groom, all want to hear all the embarrassing stories and experiences you have shared with the newly married man over the years. You will not get a better chance than this to unleash it all.

But if you don’t think about how scary it is to present a speech to people on somebody else’s special day, knowing full well that you have a 100% chance of humiliating yourself and delivering the lamest, most mediocre speech ever, being a best man is actually a pretty huge honor. It only means that you matter enough to the groom to be chosen to have a few minutes of spotlight on an event that is supposedly for him and his bride.

Aside from making yourself useful during the wedding preparations, organizing the most unforgettable bachelor’s party ever, and hosting some of the pre-wedding events along with the bride’s maid of honor, your job as the best man will all boil down to one very important task: delivering the speech.

Not everyone loves speaking in public. Although there are maybe 50% of people who would just love the chance to talk with the whole room’s eyes on them, the other 50% of people would rather curl up and let the other person talk in behalf of them. You may also see appreciation speech examples.

But, irregardless of which category you fall into, if you have been chosen to be the best man, you need to man up and prepare for one of the most important presentation of your whole life, because with this one, there is simply no room for errors. You may also like thank-you speech examples.

1. Best Man Speech Example

2. Best Man Speech Template

3. Fillable Best Man Speech Example

4. Brother Best Man Speech Example

5. Short Best Man Speech Example

6. Best Man Marriage Speech Example

7. Bride Speech Example

8. Father Of The Bride Speech Example

9. Best Man Friend Speech Example

10. Best Man Speech Questionnaire Example

11. Best Man Ceremony Speech Example

12. Simple Best Man Speech Example

13. Sample Best Man Speech Example

14. Basic Best Man Speech Example

15. Emotional Best Man Speech Example

16. Perfect Best Man Speech Example

17. Best Man Bridal Speech Example

18. Groom Best Man Speech Example

19. Best Man Speech Jokes Example

20. Best Man Speech Format

21. Son Best Man Speech Example

22. Best Man Speech Instructions Example

23. Blank Best Man Speech Example

24. Best Man Speech Outline Example

25. Best Man Speech Structure Example

26. Family Best Man Speech Example

27. Formal Best Man Speech Example

28. Best Man Speech Lines Example

29. Best Man Speech Guardian Example

30. Best Man Speech Layout Example

31. Writing Best Man Speech Example

Tips in Perfecting Your Best Man Speech

Before you start weeping and running toward your mama’s lap because you absolutely have no idea on where to start writing your speech, here are a few a tips that may help enlighten you:

1. First of all, plan waaaaay ahead.

If the bride and groom themselves are taking months from the year to prepare for their wedding when they have the help of a professional wedding planner, imagine how long you will need when you are doing all of this solo. At least two months before the wedding is a good enough time to start writing your speech.

Remember, this will not be the only thing you will have to do for the wedding. There will be other events and endless suit fittings you will have to attend. Also, you have a personal life you mustn’t neglect. In such a packed schedule, writing your speech may completely leave your mind. Before it does, start your draft.

2. Start your speech with a great one-liner.

A joke, perhaps. Something witty, maybe? Anything that can help you set the audience’s mood is as good as speech openings can get. This should also help you catch the attention of the crowd (and maybe some lovely single lady), which is what we want. You may also see school speeches examples.

3. Fill your speech with more jokes.

This is not a somber occasion. In fact, it’s the total opposite. Make the people laugh. Share all of the funny and embarrassing things your best dude have done during all the years you’ve known him. This is your chance to humiliate your friend in front of his whole family and new wife. But put a rein in all the joking. Make sure you don’t hurt any feelings with it. You may also like speech examples for students.

A few tear-jerking lines would be welcome as well. Your friend just got married! It’s such an important milestone in his life. You were both probably just clueless boys when you first met and look at him now—already promised his whole life to one person. If that doesn’t make you cry a little, what kind of friend are you? You might be interested in  orientation speech examples & samples.

However, a very important thing to remember in the midst of all that joking is to never include the bride. Laugh at your friend, but never at his new wife. Why? Well, first off, you’re the groom’s best man. Chances are that you’re closer to him, which means that a few friendly jokes are natural to you guys. But not to you and his wife. Leave the teasing to her bridesmaids and maid of honor. You may also check out campaign speech examples.

4. Express your appreciation.

It’s a lovely wedding that many pairs of hands worked together to create. Acknowledge their efforts by complimenting them. Thank the couple’s families and friends as well.

5. Vary the tone of your speech.

As mentioned earlier, although a series of jokes is highly appropriate for the occasion, a touch of sentimentality would also bring variation to your speech. Of course, you don’t want your whole presentation to be a comedy show, right? Stories can’t be all fun and jokes. An emotional whirlwind will spice up the event. You may also see student council speech examples.

6. Practice.

No one needs to tell you the importance of this particular exercise in anything that involves performing. When you are satisfied with the written content of your general speech, practice delivering it. Presenting in front of a mirror is a timeless classic. Why not get into the trend? Look at your gestures while talking, practice your pronunciation and the intonation of your voice.

You can also video yourself why practicing and send it to a friend who will not be at the wedding, and ask him for honest opinions about your speech. The helpful criticism of an actual audience is always more preferred than an inanimate object that can’t tell you your flaws. You may also like acceptance speech examples.

It would also help if you have familiarized much of your speech so that it won’t seem as if you’re just reading a script instead of presenting one of the most important talk of your life! Also, it would give you a better chance to look at your audience (which is important in orations) if you can spare a glance from your copy. Memorizing your speech would also make you look prepared, and your best buddy will appreciate that a lot. You may also check out launch speech examples.

7. Have a plan B.

Before your delivery of the simple speech on the actual day of the event, prepare a plan B. There’s always the possibility that your speech, no matter how hard you’ve prepare for it, will just not sell to the audience. To save yourself from this humiliating possibility, think of a backup plan.

For example, when you think that people are getting bored of your blabbering, putting the bride under the spotlight will never fail you. Complimenting her beauty and glow will get you enough claps and shouts to animate your speech for a while. Then it’s up to you to take back the handle. You might be interested in welcome speech examples.

Outline of a Best Man Speech

If the above steps didn’t help (and left you even more bewildered than you originally were), here are the things that a basic best man speech contains. Elaborate on these and you will get yourself a best man speech. You may also see tribute speech examples.

• Have a killer opening line. This will automatically give you the attention of your audience.
• Thank the speakers. Usually, you will be given an introduction by, perhaps, a master of ceremonies. Address them. Be courteous. You may also like middle school speech examples.
• Congratulate the wedding couple. Before you proceed to the gory storytelling, don’t forget what brought you to that event in the first place.
• Make a joke about the groom, and then make more jokes about the groom.
• Read messages from guests who couldn’t come. That is, if there are any.
• Quote a famous line, or a poem, or a song that you think the newly wed can relate to.
• Propose a toast. Preferably a heart-warming one.

Other Important Things to Remember

Experts’ advice say that a speech should be no longer than 5 minutes. It’s long enough to say what you want to the couple, but short enough that your audience don’t feel the desire to throw the cake at you. (It’d be a waste of a perfectly good cake, so please, no longer than 5 minutes.) You may also see leadership speech examples.

However, this rule will differ depending on the type of event that you are attending. If it’s also a 5-minute long Vegas wedding ceremony, then you’d need a much, much shorter speech than that. But if it’s an all-out formal, traditional wedding event, then you might be expected to speak a little longer.

You must also be careful to NOT make your speech all about you. It’s their wedding, their special day. You are just a spectator, and spectators don’t steal the spotlight. Even if you are talking about your memories with the groom, make sure that you are not the hero of the stories. For one last night before settling down for good, be your best bud’s wingman. And, of course, add the pretty lady into the equation. Talk about her as well. You may also like wedding speech examples.

There are also a few taboos you must never speak about in your best man speech. Irregardless of how close you are to the groom, the bride, and to every single guest, you are bound to offend someone if you talk about any of the following:

1. Negativity about marriage in general.

Honestly, if you are cynical about the whole till-death-do-us-part deal, either you hide that long enough to present a speech, or you don’t present a speech at all. This is an event committing two souls together. Why would you ruin it with your antagonism? Save that for a different audience. You may also check out special occasion speech examples.

2. Past relationships.

Even in passing, or even as a joke, you must never mention a girlfriend or even just a fling during your best man speech. First of all, it doesn’t matter anymore. Second, you don’t want to ruin the bride’s mood and perfect smile by mentioning any of the girls who got her man first. It’s not exactly the best topic of conversation to start a marriage with. You may also see youth speech examples.

3. Previous marriages or divorce.

If this is your buddy’s second attempt at a happily ever after, there’s no need to bring that up. The guests have already gossiped about it anyway, so you’re at least a couple of months too late. Either way, any jokes about a previous wife would certainly offend someone, so best leave it during a more private gathering. You may also like dedication speech examples.

4. Drinks, drugs, gambling, STDs.

You and the groom may have secret dirty jokes only the two of you understand, but this is not the place to discuss that. Again, find a more private gathering. Also, there are kids in the audience. You really don’t want the night to end with mommy’s discussing what STDs are to their precious little ones. Let’s keep it child-friendly, shall we? You may also check out retirement speech examples.

5. Any adult humor.

It’s an inescapable part of a harmless banter to tease the bride and the groom about their honeymoon, and all the things that newly weds do, but a best man speech is not the venue for that. Best keep all the dirty jokes where they belong.

Weddings are just a great occasion, and you get an important part in it! For just one night, for just five minutes, lose all your cool and try to give the most heartfelt speech that you can. This is a special day already but try to make it even more so.