Best man's speech advice.

tomstickland

I'm best man for a friend and I've been a bit worried about getting my speech right.
I've read a few websites and bought two books about being best man.

I think I've got a reasonable understanding of what's required. I've spent 2 nights knocking out ideas in a word document and I think it's gradually coming into shape as to something that I'd be happy to deliver.

I'd hope to rehearse it in my head to the point where I just use a page of prompts in case I forgot where I am.

However, I have a morbid fear that the whole thing will bomb horribly. I am quite a funny person - I can usually make people laugh. But it's a natural process whereby I just think of silly things off the top of my head when they occur to me. With this I'm going to put in more preparation. I'm also not going to try to be outlandishly funny. Just quite amusing.

I suppose the minimum is, if I deliver a straighforward little speech that is quite entertaining, original and doesn't come across as someone mumbling into a piece of paper, it'll be alright.

I'm all ears for advice.

Archway

Best advice you'll ever get:

Tell your friend not to do it

alipops1986

DON'T do, what my brother's best man did. His opening line was along the lines of :

"Being asked to be best man and deliver a speech is like being asked to sleep with the Queen.......an honour but no one wants to do it!"

I was only 14 at the time, i'm now 22 and it has stayed with me forever. Hilarious, even if my mum nrly killed him! X

tomstickland

I have found a few jokes that I find funny and I feel natural with.
I've also recalled a few amusing stories.

maggie111

alipops, I heard someone else make the same joke - completely bombed.

My advice for a funny speech - start off by making a joke about being nervous so that people warm to you. No sexual innuendos AT ALL unless you're very clear who the crowd is, and if you think it will be ok, do not put it in earlier than half way during the speech.

Lots of deep breaths, only one drink before you make the speech and don't forget to compliment the bride!

tomstickland

My thought are that it's better to make an OK speech rather than try to be an amazing wit and not deliver.

karen_newcastle

As a photographer I've seen many many many best man speeches and they are usually great!

One thing to bear in mind.....speeches are rarely perfect. People nearly always use their cards to prompt them and forget what they were saying and quite often go off script! This is perfectly normal and the guests dont even bat an eyelid.

I would learn your opening and then wing the rest just using bullets on a card for prompts. That way your natural personality will shine through rather than being stifled by being a slave to a script. And just make a joke about it if it goes off plan!!!

Funniest Best Mans speech...

Best Man - I have to say I was very surprised at the choice of the Groom's honeymoon location - Wales is not as exotic as I had expected.

Groom - What do you mean? We are going to Australia for a month?

Best Man - Ahhhhhh At the bar, just before, you said you are going to Bangor for a month!

The Granny nearly spat her teeth out! LOL LOL LOL

dizziblonde

Wedding I was at last week the best man had struggled so much to write his speech I think the groom had collared him and refused to let him free till it was written (and vetted!). Trouble he'd had was that every amusing anecdote he could come up with had him coming off much much worse than the happy couple!

s4aRainyDay

rather then trying to be funny, just concentrate on not offending anyone-what you may think is an amusing stag story his nan or 10 yr old nephew might not.

at least thats what I'm hoping out best man is going with!

the best opening to a best man speech I saw was an interpretive dance (involves guts but had everyone wetting them selves) until he started to talk about the brides past boyfriends.... it was very bad by the end

Good luck!

Morienos

I did a speech as best man for one of my best friends, and I was terrified, as people expected me to be witty. I sat down and thought through all the times I'd known us smile together and the things he said about his family and his (sadly passed) mother, and found threads to link them. Its hard to write a speech from scratch, but if you weave it together slowly it's easier. Anything people tell you must include can if you care be added in later, but tell a story of your friend and his loved ones, and I think generally you'll find humour to suit all ages, and smiles that stay with people.

ClareEmily

Hi there

I went to a wedding at the weekend, and they had two best men, the first was his best mate, who was VERY nervous and you really felt for him. He wanted to tell lots of LONG stories with too much detail, and then you were waiting for a punch line that NEVER came.

However his brother (the other best man) was brilliant. The best thing he did was during the pimms on the lawn he quietly passed door keys to lots of the woman there and told them when the time was right to come up to the top table and give to the groom.

So during his speach he said that now Andy was a married man, anyone with personal items belonging to Andy that now would be the time to return them. Their faces when half the room stood up, and then when a little old relative come up behind with pink handcuffs. It worked really well.

He also embarssed his brother about a story when they were little and a teddy bear he once had.

Also the hubby and wife had met via a lonely hearts ad, so they got the orginal adverts and read a line from the original and then an updated (more truthful) version if they were writing one today.

When my hubby was best man, his speach wasn't very long, so he blew up some embarrassing photos of the groom, and used some props to pad it out.

Everyone in the room will be rooting for you, and people will laugh at even the silliest joke.

Don't try too hard to make it funny, but do make it heartfelt, SHORT and if all else fails chuck speach out of the window and say the following:

I could not ask for a better best mate, and I wish --- and his beautiful bride a long and happy marriage with plenty of laughter. Now raise your glasses.

P.S My hubby typed out his speach and in big letter he actually put PAUSE and SLOW DOWN, this really helped as he could very eaily have put his head down and gabbled it out in 2 min flat.

AND finally Good luck you will be great