For your benefit, I’ve dissected some good and bad Best Man speeches and come up with an outline for the makings of a solid speech. First, the key to any speech is sincerity, so don’t try to be someone or something you aren’t-it always shows. Also, if you have any doubts about some questionable content that you want to include in your speech, refer back to the goals.
Thank the Bride’s Family for the Wedding Reception
This is always a nice touch. Just say something like: “I’d like to take a moment to thank the [insert Bride's family's name] for putting together this wonderful reception for all of us.” Pause here to let people applaud them, then say: “We’ve all appreciated all their work, and I personally have enjoyed getting to know them over the last few days.”
It makes you look humble, and it’s nice for people to have an opportunity to give the Bride’s parents some good feedback, even for just a moment.
Next take a moment to thank the Groom’s family for the rehearsal dinner and all their work and support. You probably know them quite well, so you can say how good they’ve been to you over the years and that you want to take this opportunity to thank them.
Optional: If you grew up with the Groom, you may want to thank them for always having a full refrigerator or. some other benefit they provided to you for being their-son’s friend (basketball hoop, toys, cars, or whatever-but not their unlocked liquor cabinet; see Sidebar:
“Should I Say It?” If you’re close to them, you can ham it up by saying that you intend to pay them back if they can come up with a good interest rate and a reasonable monthly payment, or once you hit it big.
Who You Are and How You Know the Groom
It’s good to follow up with this topic for a few reasons. First, you’ll be nervous when you begin, so why not start with a topic you won’t forget? Second, the crowd needs to know who you are. At other public speaking events, a Master of Ceremonies (MC) might introduce you and describe a little about you, your background, and why you were chosen to speak. This is probably not going to happen at the wedding (unless the DJ assumes this role) because you’re the MC, so introduce yourself. Don’t think that, because you know most of the people or met them during the wedding process, this first step is unnecessary. Some people-even relatives-who attend the wedding won’t know you from Adam.
This is nice time to tell a little about the Groom, especially a good story about how you met or about the time in your lives when you spent the most time together. People love to get the inside scoop-but keep it clean and complimentary, even if it’s a backhanded compliment. 