Choosing the right material for your best man’s wedding speech

Check what can and can’t go in your wedding speech before you start being creative!

As best man you’ll be expected to make a witty, amusing, moving speech at the wedding… but you will no doubt already know this and have been panicking since you were asked by the groom!

Take it easy though, because you can have a quick read through of our guides here for everything from how to get your delivery right, what toasts to say and what props to use.

Before you finally sit down with pen and paper to write your speech though, just have a quick look over our handy checklist of subjects you CAN and CAN’T include (unless you want to be heckled or have the bride in tears!

What you can and can’t include in your best man’s wedding speech:

DON’T include these subjects

• race
• religion
• ex-partners
• people who refused to attend
• last-minute threats to call off the wedding
• swearing
• explicit sexual references
• past romances

DON’T criticize

Don’t knock anything about the venue or the service and don’t make jokes at other people’s expense, especially the bride’s. This is the happy couple’s perfect day, and you need to help keep it that way by considering other people’s feelings at all times.

DON’T go into graphic detail about the happy couple’s relationship

Comments about the bride and groom are usually part of the best man’s speech. Tread carefully, however, especially if their relationship has been stormy in the past.

• Do tell guests About how their first meeting generated enough electricity to power the National Grid. Talk about how compatible they are and how great they both look today.
• Don’t tell them About how they slept together within half-an-hour of meeting or about how she left him for someone else for six months. Arguments, estrangements and threats to call off the wedding are all off limits. If in any doubt, leave it out.

DON’T reveal graphic or offensive stories about the groom

DON’T mention any family squabbles

Complimenting the bride and groom’s families can be part of your speech – but make sure you stick to compliments and avoid comments about divorced or warring parents. If the family situation is very sensitive, resist the temptation to think you can make things better with a few carefully chosen lines.

DON’T be anything less than complimentary about the bride

You might not like her much, but keep your thoughts to yourself at the wedding and don’t mention her weight at ALL! Compliments to the bride are the only things you can say about her in your speech.

DO be kind

Your speech is about teasing the groom, but mix the mockery with some sincerity. Talk about how highly you think of him, what a good friend he is and how his relationship with the bride has made him happy.