Being a best man is a position of honor and responsibility. The title alone conveys how important you, and your friendship, is to the groom. One specific role that comes with this job, is delivering a speech at the reception. Although nerve-wracking, the best man speech is an opportunity to share your feelings for the groom and his bride. As well as your excitement for their future together. To ensure that you are well-prepared and confident come your time to shine, we're sharing tips on how to write a best man speech! Read on for easy-to-follow templates! 

Easy Best Man Speech Templates

The best way to start writing a best man speech, is to simply put pen to paper. Expressing your ideas, with the guidance of a template, can help you sort through the overwhelming amount of ideas. Or, if you're lacking ideas, kickstart some emotions. We've put together a few best man speech templates that you can use as a guide or refer to when you get stuck.

Best Man Speech Template #1

1) Compliment the bride and groom and/or the wedding.

To start your speech, compliment the bride and groom, or the wedding. Whatever you feel is worth referring to and is likely to be agreed with by the crowd. This is a quick way to be seen as respectful by guests.

2) Introduce yourself and your relationship with the groom.

It's important that towards the beginning of your speech, you introduce yourself. Give a brief introduction about who you are, and your relationship with the groom. You might mention how long you have known one another or how you met, which will explain why you may have been selected to be the best man.

3) Say thank you!

Express your gratitude towards the people who helped make the event possible, including the wedding party, and the guests. This is a great way to appear polite and express your personal appreciation for those who helped make the wedding a reality.

4) Tell the story of how you and the groom met, a great inside story you and the groom share, what your first thoughts were when you met the bride, etc.

Follow up the introduction with an inside story about you and the groom. It can be about some experience that you shared together in college or when you were growing up together. You can also include some story about the bride if she is well-known to you.

5) Talk about how much the groom means to you.

The story you tell about your experience with the groom can be followed with a heartfelt statement about how much value he holds in your life and how much it means for you to have him as your friend or brother.

6) Talk about the couple and your overall thoughts on their relationship.

If you have spent some time with the bride and groom together, you would definitely be able to rake up some thoughts about what a beautiful couple they make or how perfect they are for each other.

7) Talk to the bride/groom about characteristics you appreciate.

Take this opportunity to strengthen your bond with the bride by letting her know how much of a positive difference she has made in your friend. You can also include something about the groom’s personality traits that you especially admire that you've seen develop ever since they became a couple. individual, or their relationship as a whole

8) Summarize your thoughts.

Towards the end of the speech, you can summarize your thoughts about the bride and groom with a couple of crisp sentences that can tie together your speech’s components in a neat way.

9) Give a toast to the future!

Finally, propose a toast to the couple. Congratulate them again for their wedding and wish them well for their future life as a couple.

Best Man Speech Template #2:

1) Introduce yourself.

Unless you know all of the other wedding guests, they don't know you! Introduce yourself, including your relationship to the groom or bride. Mention a few fun and personal details to be more relatable.

2) Thank everyone for attending.

Make it a point to thank all the guests for attending the wedding ceremony and making this day a grand success for the bride and the groom.

3) Thank those who helped carry out the wedding

Extend a personal thank you to individual people who helped arrange the wedding. Whether it be parents, in-laws, or friends.

4) Tell the story of how the bride/groom and groom met.

The story of how the bride and groom met is always a highlight in a speech. In fact, it is almost an expectation! Tell the story from your point of view, including your initial thoughts. If you were not present at this time or a witness to this moment, you can establish your relationship with the groom instead.

5) Express what the groom means to your and the impact he had on you.

Don't forget to refer to your own relationship with the groom. You can include how you met, memorable or funny points in your relationship, a point when he was there for you, and other instances that he had an impact on your life. 

6) Share a relevant or inspirational love quote or song lyric.

A great way to round out a speech is with a quote or lyric. Use your personal favorite, or that of the bride or groom. Be sure to use a line that is indicative of the overall thoughts of your speech, or the bride and groom's relationship. Keep it light but romantic!

7) Toast with your wishes!

Another way to deliver a toast is with your best wishes. We recommend sticking with a general statement that the crowd can get behind. Refer to your emotions for the bride and groom, and what you hope their future may look like.

8) End with a prayer (if you are religious)

If you or the bride/groom are religious, you can conclude with a prayer or hymn. You can ask everyone to bow their head if you wish.

Tips for Giving the Best Man Speech

Writing the Best Man Speech is difficult to say the least. But it is especially nerve-wracking to give a speech in front of a crowd, containing people you may or may not know. If you are feeling nervous about giving a speech, follow these tips to make the delivery a little easier. 

Tip #1: Don’t wait until the last minute to write your speech!

No matter how busy you are with wedding preparations, make sure that set aside time for your speech. Do not leave it until the last minute! Writing the speech well in advance will give you time to think about all that you want to say and deliver your thoughts in a clear and memorable way.

Tip #2: Your opening line sets the tone

It is extremely important that you grab the attention of your audience with the first few lines of your speech. Otherwise, their attention may wane. Kick things off with a quick joke or a funny story. Don't stray too far from the point, which is the bride and groom.

Tip #3: Find a balance between sentimental and humorous

A perfect speech is one that reduces the crowd to both laughter and cheers. An overly sentimental or humorous speech can make guests uncomfortable, especially if the topic is irrelevant. Stay on topic and always refer back to the bride and/or groom.

Tip #4: Practice in front of people

If speeches aren't your forte, then it's important that you practice. Ideally, in front of other people. They will be able to give you tips in regards to the flow of your speech, the topic of your speech, and other areas in which you can approve.

Tip #5: Write down an outline of your speech to reference

It happens all too often! People get up to give their speech and their mind goes blank. Even if you think you have your speech memorized, write down an outline and keep it in your pocket. In the event that you get stuck, it will be a lot less embarrassing and awkward.

Tip #6: Enunciate!

Enunciation is so incredibly important. The enunciation of words will help you make a deeper impact, and is necessary if you want to be clear. Enunciating will be especially appreciated by guests who may be hard of hearing - like the bride and groom's grandparents!

Tip #7: Don’t drink too much before the speech

Drinking too much before the speech is risky. A glass or two of wine can help take the edge off, but shots are probably too much. Keep it classy and remember that you can have your fun afterwards. Until your give your speech, you have a job to do.

Tip #8: Now is not the time to be innapropriate

A wedding reception is no place for inappropriate jokes. You will simply embarrass yourself and the bride/groom. Save them for another time!

Tip #9: Use emotions as fuel for your speech

If you encounter any writers’ block, try to use your emotions as fuel for your speech. It can help you recall stories about your relationship with the groom, or emotions you felt when witnessing the bride and groom's relationship.

Tip #10: Keep your speech five minutes or less

If you find yourself inundated with ideas, all of which seem amazing, don't get ahead of yourself. A good speech is one that is short, crisp and conveys all your feelings in a few words. Try to aim for five minutes or less!

Let's Chat!

The Best Man's speech is a memorable moment for the groom and is a way to further cementing your friendship. Plan your speech ahead of time, and be thoughtful, and we are sure that you'll knock it out of the park. We hope that our  templates and tips help you feel better prepared. Let us know about the areas of writing a best man speech that you most struggled with!

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