Best Man Speech
Being given the job as best man is one of the highest honours you would likely to achieve in your life time! Your friend fully trusts you to be there on the day with the ring and the best man speech of the century... not to mention organising the best stag do ever!
Here is our guide to writing the best speech possible with a little help from our freinds at Speechy...
What is West Country Games?
West Country Games embraces all the stereotypes of the West Country in one great day out, comprising of 9 totally hilarious games suitable for all sorts of groups.
If you have an upcoming, Stag do, Hen Weekend, Birthday Party or Team Building Day, then why not give us a try?
Create That Perfect Best Man's Speech
You sit down at your computer, with a blank piece of paper by your side, and you do the common mistake most men commit by searching “best jokes for a best man speech”. Chances are, even if you go to the depths of your Google search, the ‘jokes’ will illicit groans rather than genuine laughter.
The truth is, you’re not alone as most best man speeches have become a clichéd mess, often leaving the best man feeling embarrassed (rather than the groom!).
In order to achieve a speech that is both witty and heart-felt, the writing experts at Speechy have told us their tips for writing a best man speech.
Avoid 'Wedding Jokes'
Nobody wants to hear overused jokes about how the newlywed couple are off to Bangor, or how the wedding cake is already in tiers from your speech. Ditch those sort of jokes immediately.
Instead, focus on the groom. What is it about him that makes him unusual? His out of proportion Tex-Rex arms, his obsession with avocadoes or his reluctance to give up his Adidas Tree Stripes? Spot the quirks that are truly ‘him’ and you’re onto a winner.
Get The Evidence
Instead of wasting your time on PowerPoint creating a collage of all of his worst haircuts, spend your time researching everything you can about the groom. This isn’t to say you don’t know him, but make sure you’re taping into every resource available.
Get his other mates involved and utilize his folks – they’ll definitely be able to tell some tales.
If the bride isn’t giving a speech, she might also like to supply some damning evidence of his poor hygiene habits or questionable quirks.
Less Is More
The rule of thumb is to aim for around 8 to 10 minutes – hopefully with a bit of added time for laughter and ad-libs. Nobody ever said they ‘wished it were longer’ – at least, not when referring to a best man speech.
Be strict with yourself and make sure your material is punchy and snappy. You can mention certain memories, but TMI is never good. For example: you can mention the stag do, but it might be best to leave the trip to the strip club and his private lap dance out. We don’t want to give Granny any ailments.
Make It A Proper Tribute
Above all else, the speech is a heartfelt tribute to a true friend. Don’t resort to clichés about him being a ‘world-class mate’ without providing the evidence to back it up.
What’s with his fascination with Sex and The City? How did it take him 9 times to pass his driving test? How is he the only one of your mates to know what’s going on with Brexit? You get the gist, just remember to keep it NUT – Nice, Unique, and True(ish)
Don't Forget The Bride
You have to remember that two people have gotten married, so make sure you spend a minute or two focused on the bride, maybe mention some antics on the hen weekend and how they complement each other’s personalities perfectly.
Definately don’t do the clichéd line saying the groom promised to let you be best man at his next wedding if you did well this time round.
If you don’t know the bride well, do some research so you can say more than the typical platitudes. How has she turned the groom into a better person? Has she converted him to a chai latte fan?
Confidence Is Key
Believe it or not, most best men get nervous prior to addressing the guests. Nobody wants to be remembered as the boring one when it comes the speeches, but try to relax. A lot of confidence comes from simply faking it, so fake it!
Body language has a lot to do with how others perceive confidence so don’t look down and try to keep the shaking to a minimum. Make eye contact and remember to smile. It’s scientifically proven to be infectious, and those scientists seem to know stuff. So much of the humour for a speech relies on the delivery so make sure you talk slower than feels natural and pause where you expect laughter. It will come!
Enjoy It!
Overall, it’s important to have fun and remember that you’ve been chosen to give this speech because of how much you mean to the groom.
Avoid alcohol prior to delivering the speech – disappointingly, Dutch courage is a myth.
Make sure your speech is something both you and the groom can look back on in your later years, and laugh at – rather than grimace!
