The best man's major responsibility, despite what anyone else may say, is to make sure the audience leaves the ceremony with a smile on their face and belly laughs. But we've all gone to weddings when the jokes are lame, the speaker isn't funny, and the speech is given with the timing of a busted stopwatch, the kind of speeches where you're more likely to squirm than to even get a few pity titters.
Let's say you've read our guide on how to deliver a killer best man speech. If so, you already know that any wedding speech should begin with a joke. This Guide is perfect for any wedding speech, whether you're the groom, bride, best man, bridesmaid, groomsman, father of the bride/groom, mother of the bride/groom, grandparent of the bride/groom, or just a close friend with a knack for public speaking.
Our compilation of humorous introductions features everything from tried-and-true classics to more out-there jokes; many of them can be tweaked for maximum impact on the big day. You may put the guests at ease and establish the tone for a great wedding speech with one of these wonderful openers.
Structure Your Speech Around The Best Man
In addition to being remembered for years to come, a memorable speech also gives you the opportunity to make everyone around you happy and chuckle. The best speeches have a balance of humorous and serious content. Keep in mind that your audience is hoping to laugh, and that you should capitalise on that desire.
As the best man, you should begin your speech with an outline. This will help you organise your thoughts and provide greater focus to your speech. The following procedures can be performed in any order that makes sense to you.
Initial Remarks
The guests have heard speeches from the groom and the bride's father and are primed and ready to enjoy some humorous banter. One-liners and other brief comedic quips can be a fantastic way to break the ice and get the audience laughing at the start of a speech. If one joke falls flat, try another.
If you tell a series of tales, your listeners will be in fits of giggles. The best place to find one-liners is in joke books, especially those aimed towards children. Keep in mind that the jokes need to be tailored to the wedding setting in order to be funny. The best material for jokes in this introduction has nothing to do with the groom. It's best if you make jokes about yourself or the place you're at instead of other people. They'll be more receptive to the rest of your remarks after this, and you'll feel more comfortable addressing them.
Gratitude Expressed formally
Now we enter the meat of your remarks. It is customary for the best man to address the groom and express gratitude for the groom's flattering comments about the bridesmaids. At this point, you should agree with them and tell them how great of a job they have done. At this point, it would be appropriate to ask the audience for a round of applause to get them involved and boost the mood. Now is the time to tell the new bride how beautiful she is.
Introductory Remarks
During this portion of the speech, you should introduce yourself and describe your relationship to the groom. This is a crucial component of the best man speech that is often overlooked. You can use this opportunity to clarify this for the folks in the crowd who don't know who you are, and do so in a humorous way.
You have the option of making this segment of your speech very brief or dragging it out in order to generate additional laughter. Tell the tale of how you and the groom first met, or share a funny or touching memory from your time together. Now is the time to have some fun with the groom.
Tales of the Future Husband
Your audience will feel more connected to the groom and you will be able to add more information to your speech if you focus on this section. There will be a large number of guests who know the groom, but few who know him as well as you do. Therefore, this is an excellent opportunity to keep them entertained for a bit, preferably by roasting the groom with humour. You might raise the stakes by making jokes and telling anecdotes that may offend the groom if you know he can handle it. You can learn a lot about the groom's interesting past from his buddies, which is a terrific way to get a good laugh at his expense. You can buy them drinks while they spill the beans about him. Jot down as many anecdotes as you can think of; you can always pick and choose which ones to use in the speech later. The number of articles that will be published is quite limited. Keep in mind that most stories feature a climax followed by a resolution (or "punch line") that ties everything together. Spend a lot of time trying out different variations of the punch line to see what works best. The climax of every major narrative can be capped off with a humorous twist. You might, alternatively, connect a number of brief tales together. You should have both quick one-liners and longer stories with satisfying conclusions.
A Word of Counsel for the Engaged Couple
In this phase, you and your guests will share words of wisdom with the newlyweds about how to build a strong and enduring marriage. For starters, this part should be humorous.
To kick things off, you may give the groom some pointers on how to hide his less than admirable domestic habits. It's fine to give the bride and groom humorous, off-the-cuff pieces of advise and share a few anecdotes to keep the audience engaged. Use inside jokes that only the bride and groom will get at this point. However, if the jokes are too obscure, the audience may feel left out. It's possible that you'll wish to add some newly-learned information to the speech. If you decide at the last minute to incorporate current events into your speech, it will likely undergo some revisions, but the audience will appreciate the added excitement.
Give the newlyweds some semi-serious counsel as this step comes to a close. This will help you to add some gentleness and perhaps romance to your words. If you need inspiration, a fast Google search will yield plenty of romantic quotes you may use.
Messages From the Heart
This part will be taken much more seriously than the preceding ones were. Sincerity in your speech demonstrates to the audience that you have thought about how to appropriately recognise the event. You'll be depicting the happy couple in the greatest light imaginable. In this part, you will also have the option to repair any harm done to the groom's honour. Feel free to start waxing lyrical about how wonderful a match the bride and groom make. The time is also appropriate to mention those family members and friends who were unable to attend the wedding. The mood of the speech has turned very serious, and you may now conclude it on a high note by neatly tying up all the loose ends.
We Raise a Glass to You
Everyone should raise their glasses at this moment and salute the bride and groom. Don't forget to say "Ladies and gentlemen - to the Bride and Groom" when it's time to introduce the happy couple to their guests. The bride's name must come first. Your hard work is done; your speech is over; you may now sit back and enjoy the applause.
How to Give the Best Man's Speech
Precise Timing is Crucial.
We shouldn't have to tell you this, but extended speeches at weddings are never appreciated by guests. Your audience's attention span is incredibly limited, so don't waste it on jokes or sentimentality if those are what you're aiming for. More than likely, they've already arrived to the pub and are eager to resume drinking.
Do Not Visit Parody Sites
It's not a good idea to fill your best man speech with jokes you found online, no matter how funny you think they are when you're reading them to yourself on the toilet.
Jokes that are too generic come seem as forced and unnatural. They never get anyone excited other than the newlyweds to grumble, though. Because of his deep affection for you, the groom has chosen you to be his best man.
As The Saying Goes, "Laughter is the Best Medicine."
However, it's normal to feel some nervousness before delivering the best man speech. Our panel of experts did concur, however, that the knowledge that your speech will be humorous can be the greatest comfort.
Rehearse And Refine
It is crucial that you memorise every word of your best man speech. It will make your delivery more confident and less susceptible to last-minute stage fright. Make notecards to keep on hand to help you remember the key points you want to make, but don't rely on them exclusively.
Take Deep Breaths
It is nearly difficult to forget to breathe because it is one of the body's automatic processes. However, when one is faced with the challenge of public speaking, they may forget to take deep breaths for whatever reason.
the Humor Level
Simply said, don't lose track of your whereabouts. If you think one of your jokes could be taken the wrong way or be offensive to someone, leave it out. You're not here to shock grandma; you're here to make everyone laugh. The target audience is paramount. Avoid making jokes that only the groom and you would understand; he may get a good laugh out of them, but the guests will be baffled if you bring up the "Noodle incident."
Don't ruin a funny anecdote by explaining every detail; that will boring your audience to tears. Is it important for the listeners to know that this incident occurred.
Humor Presentation
Great satire has to be delivered boldly, so even if you're full of anxiety and shaking like a leaf, pretending to be confident will make the punchlines go down smoother than a really smooth thing. This is one thing the entertainment industry got right.
Also, it's not only how loud you can speak with assurance. Your posture has a role. It's possible that some best guys may appear so stiff that they'll give the impression that something has been pushed into an inappropriate place. Concentrate on unwinding your muscles; this will not only put you at ease, but also the people observing you.
Just be you. Don't set the bar too high for success. The audience is prepared to laugh, but not to be bombarded with jokes. If a couple of your jokes don't land, don't sweat it; just keep going. They're all your friends and family, so half of them won't care, and the other half are probably too drunk to remember anyhow!
Participate Proudly in the Occasion's Applause
Many people's first instinct when a speech ends is to take a sip of their drink and settle into a seat, but this is the wrong thing to do. You clearly put in a lot of effort to prepare the talk, memorise it by heart (or at least by using minimal notes), and give it with confidence. Get as much out of the spotlight as you can. After you've had a few seconds to swig from your beverage of choice and flash your best smile, it's time to hand the mic to the next speaker. It's customary to hand the gavel to the groom, so before the big moment, find out who it should go to so you can give them a warm introduction and earn their enthusiastic ovation.
Additional Suggestions for an Outstanding Best Man's Speech
Get a Printout of Your Speech And Edit it With a Red Pen.
Try cutting down on your writing by 10%. Therefore, try to make your second draught slightly shorter. As a result, you'll probably need to remove some of the humour.
Practice Reading Your Speech Aloud To A Friend
Time constraints and unnecessary activities can be better planned using this information. Practice with a live audience member to hone your presentation abilities before the big day. If you want to get some good criticism on your speech, you can try practising it in front of a few people.
Don't Forget to Practice Your Talk
Instead of staring down at a piece of paper the whole time, you can engage with the audience with this method. If you deliver your speech by simply reading from a sheet of paper, you're likely to get lost in the middle of it. Learning a small portion of your speech each day might help you memorise it more easily. It should only take you a week to commit the seven steps necessary to deliver a hilarious best man's speech to memory.
FAQs About Writing Wedding Speech
You might think that being best man is all about planning a raucous bachelor party and not much else, but this job does have a few best man duties to prepare for, most important being the best man speech. And when it comes to the wedding speech order, the best man usually goes first.
- Start planning early.
- Introduce yourself and how you know the bride and groom.
- Thank hosts, guests, and wedding party; congratulate the couple.
- Make it personal.
- Think of 3 traits with 3 stories.
- Talk about the couple.
- Have a beginning, middle, and end.
- Consider your audience.
Tradition states that the Wedding Speeches should be conducted after the meal and they essentially bring an end to the day's formalities at which point the party side of the day can begin. By serving the meal first it means your guests are finally being properly fed.
Conclusion
Whether you're the groom, bride, best man, or bridesmaid, this Handbook is the perfect companion to your wedding speech. A good speech will include both lighthearted and serious moments. To help you organise your thoughts, you should start your best man speech with an outline. Funny wedding jokes are those that fit the occasion perfectly. Your audience will be in fits of laughter if you tell them a string of humorous stories.
The best source for one-liners is children's joke books. Concentrating on this part of your speech will allow you to include more details. Although many of the guests will know the groom, few will know him as well as you do on your wedding day. Make use of private jokes that only the bride and groom will fully appreciate. The protocol for the best man's speech at a wedding.
Anxiety about giving the best man speech is common. However, our experts did agree that knowing your speech will be funny can be the biggest relief. Create flashcards to have on hand as a reminder of the essential information. Before the big day, print out your speech and edit it with a red pen to make any necessary changes. As the best man, you should begin your speech by outlining the points you plan to make.
To be truly funny, wedding jokes need to be relevant to the happy couple's union. It can be a huge weight off your shoulders to know that your speech will be humorous. The best places to find one-liners are in joke books, especially those written for children. In order to make an appropriate introduction, you should know in advance to whom you will be presenting the gavel. It is crucial that you memorise every word of your best man speech.
Joke about things that only the bride and groom would understand. When it's time to introduce the bride and groom to their guests, be sure to say "Ladies and gentlemen - to the Bride and Groom."
Content Summary
- One-liners and other brief comedic quips can be a fantastic way to break the ice and get the audience laughing at the start of a speech.
- The best place to find one-liners is in joke books, especially those aimed towards children.
- The best material for jokes in this introduction has nothing to do with the groom.
- It is customary for the best man to address the groom and express gratitude for the groom's flattering comments about the bridesmaids.
- During this portion of the speech, you should introduce yourself and describe your relationship to the groom.
- This is a crucial component of the best man speech that is often overlooked.
- Your audience will feel more connected to the groom and you will be able to add more information to your speech if you focus on this section.
- Therefore, this is an excellent opportunity to keep them entertained for a bit, preferably by roasting the groom with humour.
- In this phase, you and your guests will share words of wisdom with the newlyweds about how to build a strong and enduring marriage.
- It's fine to give the bride and groom humorous, off-the-cuff pieces of advice and share a few anecdotes to keep the audience engaged.
- Use inside jokes that only the bride and groom will get at this point.
- It's possible that you'll wish to add some newly-learned information to the speech.
- If you decide at the last minute to incorporate current events into your speech, it will likely undergo some revisions, but the audience will appreciate the added excitement.
- This will help you to add some gentleness and perhaps romance to your words.
- Sincerity in your speech demonstrates to the audience that you have thought about how to appropriately recognise the event.
- Everyone should raise their glasses at this moment and salute the bride and groom.
- Your audience's attention span is incredibly limited, so don't waste it on jokes or sentimentality if those are what you're aiming for.
- It's not a good idea to fill your best man speech with jokes you found online, no matter how funny you think they are when you're reading them to yourself on the toilet.
- However, it's normal to feel some nervousness before delivering the best man speech.
- Our panel of experts did concur, however, that the knowledge that your speech will be humorous can be the greatest comfort.
- It is crucial that you memorise every word of your best man speech.
- Your posture has a role.
- Just be you.
- Don't set the bar too high for success.
- Get as much out of the spotlight as you can.
- Practice with a live audience member to hone your presentation abilities before the big day.
- If you want to get some good criticism on your speech, you can try practising it in front of a few people.
- If you deliver your speech by simply reading from a sheet of paper, you're likely to get lost in the middle of it.
- Learning a small portion of your speech each day might help you memorise it more easily.
- It should only take you a week to commit the seven steps necessary to deliver a hilarious best man's speech to memory.
- If you're the best man, you should start your speech by outlining your main points.
- If you concentrate on this part of your speech, you will be able to include more details.
- Make use of inside jokes that at this stage in the wedding only the bride and groom would understand.
- An instruction manual for the best man's speech at a wedding.
- Create flashcards to keep on hand as a reminder of the essential details.
- If so, you already know that any wedding speech should begin with a joke.
- As the best man, you should begin your speech with an outline.
- During this portion of the speech, you should introduce yourself and describe your relationship to the groom.
- It is crucial that you memorise every word of your best man speech.
- Practice with a live audience member to hone your presentation abilities before the big day.
- Learning a small portion of your speech each day might help you memorise it more easily.