How To Give Best Man Wedding Toasts
Say Something Amazing Without Putting Your Foot In Your Mouth
Many a best man has choked at the thought of having to give a toast at the wedding reception. Grown men have been reduced to shaking hands and nervous twitters when contemplating what to say to a room full of people, all who will have their eyes and ears tuned in to what he, the best man, has to say.
The thought of standing in front of a crowd and delivering a speech can be the stuff that nightmares are made of.
How will the speech be accepted? Will people laugh, cry, or boo? Have no fear. With a few simple steps you can have a fabulous sentimental and downright funny public speaking for wedding.
First, Write For Groom
A best man's speech should be made up of three parts. The first section should focus solely on your relationship with the groom.
Define how the two of you are connected, then base your first mini story about that relationship. When trying to decide how to make the speech funny, try honesty and also make sure you take the audience in to account. Chances are that most of your listeners will not see the humor in the story about the groom getting so drunk at a college party that he wet his pants. Instead, focus on sentimental humor. Try something like this, where Joe is the best man, Bill is the groom, and Amy is the bride:
"Hi, I'm Joe, the older brother of the Bill. I'm the one he gets his good looks from. Bill was born when I was six. Someone told me that if I wanted a puppy, I should ask for a baby brother. They guaranteed me that Mom and Dad would settle for a puppy. Boy, was I mad when they actually showed up with a baby brother. He followed me around like a puppy though and at first I know I was pretty mean to him. I remember one time I promised him he could play football with my friends and me if he could learn how to fly. He tried jumping off the roof to prove he could do it. That was the first of many times Bill ended up in the emergency room thanks to me. I never got over wanting a puppy though, and I tried to put him on a leash a few times but that only got me in trouble. Now, Amy has him on a leash so it's all working out."
If your relationship with the bride is rocky, or she is very sensitive, be careful of how you reference her. If in doubt, don't be afraid to ask her opinion. You don't want to upset her or the groom on their big day!
Now, The Couples
The second part of the best man wedding toasts should be a short story about the bride and groom. How they met, your first impression of the bride (make sure it was positive, leave out any negative comments) and how she has changed the groom for the better. If you can think of a funny short story to add, then go for it.
Again, be conscious of to whom you are speaking. No nudity, drunkenness or illegal activity should be involved in the story. Try ending the second section with a quote. Here are a few quotes that are sure to get laughs:
- "Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight." (Phyllis Diller)
- "A man in love is incomplete until he is married. Then he is finished." (Zsa Zsa Gabor)
- "Marriage means commitment. Of course, so does insanity." (unknown author)
A simple web search can turn up more quotes as well.
Your Wishes
The final part of the best man wedding toasts should be good wishes towards the happy couple. If you are uncomfortable with sentimentality or speaking directly from the heart in front of many people, quotes are always a good way to go. But remember these key elements in order to ensure a successful toast:
- Do not focus or mention any negative traits of the bride or groom.
- No jokes about weight, body parts, drunkenness or nudeness.
- No swearing.
- Do not mention an ex girlfriend or boyfriend for either the bride or groom.
- Absolutely do not make reference to divorce, past or future.
- Do not wait until the last minute and write the speech on a cocktail napkin.
Make sure you are sober when you deliver the speech. Keep the best man wedding toasts within two to three minutes, and if in doubt, ask someone to read what you have written a day or two before delivering the speech so you have time to edit if necessary.
Need more ideas? These great wedding speech samples can help you get the responses from the crowd that you're looking for.
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