If you are the best man for an upcoming wedding, then you are going to want to have a kickass ‘Best Man Speech’ prepared so that you can bring the house down and create a memorable moment on the special day. This is the ultimate best-man speech structure UK so that you can craft your epic best-man speech that is entertaining and impactful. If you want to improve your public speeching and use the experise of a charisma coach then book your discovery call below:
The Ultimate Best Man Speech Structure UK
What is the best structure for a ‘best man’ speech:
- Opening Lines and Greetings
- Personal Anecdotes and Memories
- Humorous Stories and Jokes
- Tribute to the Bride and Groom
- Words of Advice and Well Wishes
- Thanking the Guests and Wedding Party
- Closing Remarks and Toast
Understanding the Role of the Best Man
The best man’s speech at a wedding has a long tradition in British wedding culture, to the point that it is now part of the wedding that people look forward to. Understandably, this brings a bit of stress and anxiety to the best man as they want it to be a success; however, a solid best man speech structure can help with that (More details to follow). The role of the best man at a wedding is to support in a range of wedding-associated activities such as:
- Organizing the stag do
- Supporting the groom with their wedding duties
- Helping on the day of the wedding with operational tasks
- Offering help to the groom leading up to the wedding day
- Managing and organizing the rest of the groomsmen
- Delivering an engaging speech
- Making sure everyone is behaving themselves
Best Man Speech Structure UK
Below will take you step by step to craft the perfect best-man speech and will give you an easy structure to follow.
Opening Lines and Greetings
One of the best ways you can start your speech is with a welcome and introduction. Chances are most of the guests will not know who you are so establish that fact early on. To capture the audience’s attention right away, I would recommend putting a little joke or two right at the start just to get your audience engaged. Please see a suggestion below:
“Good evening everyone, my name is (Name) and I am the best man. I wanted to start by saying welcome to everyone attending, and I think we can all agree that (bride’s name) looks spectacular and (Groom’s name), thanks for coming on time.”
You do not need a huge introduction and give your backstory just a simple introduction and welcome will be sufficient.
Personal Anecdotes and Memories
One of the elements of a best man speech that the audience loves is when you share personal stories, anecdotes, memories, etc., about the special couple from your perspective. They can be sweet, loving moments that you have witnessed, or they could be entertaining situations that bring a smile to your face. People love hearing stories about the bride and groom that they have not heard before and ones that allow the guests to learn more about the special couple will always go down well. Here are a few suggestions to think about:
- When they first met, did the groom tell you any juicy bits of gossip about their date?
- Did you witness some saucy dancing on a wild night out you had together?
- Was there a fall out which ended up bringing the bride and groom closer together?
- Did you see them work together on a project which ended up in disaster?
Humorous Stories and Jokes
The big expectation for the ‘best man’ is that the speech will be funny; this can put a lot of stress and anxiety on you, especially if you are not 100% sure how to make it funny. Here are a few suggestions to help you out.
- Any story or joke made at the groom’s expense will go down well. Try to keep it a little appropriate because there could be grandmothers and extended family who may get offended.
- Make fun of the groom’s style, dress sense, lack of romantic prowess, or looks. The groom is expecting to be the butt of the jokes so don’t be afraid to poke fun at them.
- If you are childhood friends with the groom then perhaps look at growing up where perhaps there was a coming of age moment that you can share.
- If you were friends at university then perhaps there is a story from a wild night out that could make for a funny story.
- If you work together then perhaps you know of a story where it all went wrong in a funny way, but the groom managed to save the day.
Here are some funny jokes you can use just to include in your speech:
- “I was told to keep my speech funny and light, just like the groom’s wallet after the wedding!”
- I’ve known the groom for so long, I remember when his idea of a wild night was staying up past 9 PM!”
- “Remember, marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right, and the other is the husband!”
- “They say the best man’s speech should last as long as it takes the groom to make love – so thank you, ladies and gentlemen, and goodnight!”
It’s important to know that no one is expecting you to be a stand-up comedian; you are not supposed to have a flawless and polished set. Your goal is to give the audience a look through the window into the newlyweds’ life to show them something they haven’t seen before.
Tribute to The Bride and Groom
During the day, there will be lots of speeches and almost all of them will have a tribute that will say the same thing. What you want to do is highlight the qualities and virtues that make them both special as individuals and how those qualities fit perfectly together. Look at their values, ideology, personality, and beliefs and look at where they align and where they differ. Either way, they can be tailored in such a way that they are perfect for each other, let’s look at an example:
“Today has been such a special day for both the bride and groom; I have learned so much about their love and have watched them blossom into beautiful people you see today. The groom is softly spoken, thinks first before speaking, and wants everything to be perfect. The bride is passionate, fiery, and has a deep value of fairness. You might wonder how two people could come together but the bride’s passion is what the groom needs in his life, and the perfectionism of the groom does sometimes drive the bride up the wall; it is because he believes she deserves it all”
You can see it is perhaps the more ‘romantic’ and ‘loving’ element of the speech. I wouldn’t recommend skipping it because it keeps your speech balanced, with jokes, stories, love, and seriousness which will make it more effective.
Words of Advice and Well Wishes
Here is your time to add your spin to the best man speech structure UK because you can include your personal relationship advice. If you are already married then you may already have some words of wisdom to share with the newlyweds or if you are not married yet you can share your perspective on marriage and what you are looking forward to.
If you are struggling to think of any advice here are a few topics to consider:
- How to make up after an argument
- How to make the other person feel special
- How to support them through tough times
- How to celebrate their successes
- How to work together
If you have a story or anecdote then you can 100% use it in this section as well.
Thanking the Guests and Wedding Party
This section of the best man speech can be quite political; you do have to make sure you thank the RIGHT people in the right order. If you miss someone off or overlook another then you could have the mother-in-law on your back. Here is a list of people to thank:
- The bride, highlight her effort and how beautiful she looks
- The mother-in-law, thank her as a sign of respect
- The father-in-law once again it is a sign of respect
- The bridesmaids, highlight how much they have worked and how great they look
- The groomsmen for giving you support and help
- Any other family members or those who represent the family
- The venue and catering staff
- Any others such as the band, niece, or nephew, photographer, or anyone involved in the wedding
Closing Remarks and Toast
Now we have come to the last hurdle of the best man speech structure UK. You have done the hard bit, you just need to finish it off, you do not need to overthink the closing remarks or toast. If you have anything else you would like to add outside the structure then this is the best place to put it, you can tee it up by saying “Just one final thing before I finish…” and then go into your moment. Your toast is really just getting the guests to raise their glass to celebrate the new couple. Here are some suggestions:
- “To the bride and groom: may your love be timeless, your adventures endless, and your happiness eternal.”
- “Here’s to love, laughter, and happily ever after. May your marriage be filled with joy and your hearts forever intertwined.”
- “To the newlyweds: may your marriage be a journey of shared dreams, mutual support, and endless love.”
- “As we raise our glasses, let’s toast to the bride and groom, whose love shines brighter than any star in the sky.”
Once again do not overthink it, at this point people will be hungry, drunk, or keen to start dancing so this will be well received.
Dos and Don’ts of Best Man Speeches
Here are some quick Do’s and Don’ts for the best man speech, just to help you on your journey.
Don’ts
- Don’t make fun of the bride’s looks or appearance
- Don’t make the stories too sexual
- Don’t bring up ex-girlfriends or boyfriends
- Don’t just ‘wing’ the speech
- Don’t get so drunk on the day you cannot deliver the speech
- Don’t take too long between the 3-5 minute mark is good
Dos
- Do try to enjoy it; people are excited to hear your speech
- Do dress appropriately – no costume changes
- Do speak clearly and loudly
- Do have notes with you if it helps
- Do use body language
Practice and Preparation Tips
The worst thing you could do is just ‘wing’ the best man’s speech. The bride has spent months planning every detail, and I can promise you that she will not be happy if it crashes and burns. What’s best is a few weeks before following this structure:
- Brainstorm ideas, stories, and anecdotes. You will have a few so try to boil down the best ones
- Look to see where you can inject humor, write a couple of gags or one-liners that you can pepper throughout your speech
- Once you have a 1st draft practice it in the mirror
- You may also want to get the groomsmen’s input or perhaps even the groom for a sign-off.
- If you are using props or any presentation equipment, prepare beforehand.
- Prepare any notes beforehand
The main thing is to do as much preparation beforehand and try to enjoy the moment; you are giving the bride and groom a very special moment.
Next Steps
If you would like the support of a charisma coach to help you through your journey of crafting speeches which engaging and inspire the audience then book your discovery call with a charisma coach to help you improve your charisma when speaking:
