Bestman's Cufflinks

The Perfect Best Man Speech

As if being the best man wasn’t pressured enough, you are also expected to come up with a speech that is entertaining, witty, personal and thoughtful – giving the wedding guests a good laugh but not offending anyone (especially the bride). Not an easy task for the most confident public speaker, but if you – like many a best man – are uncomfortable with the whole idea of speeches, read on for our easy guide to the perfect best man speech…

Tip #1 – Write the speech as early as you can
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it is surprising how many times the best man is still struggling to jot down his speech ideas just before – or worse, just after – the wedding ceremony! Start thinking of ideas as soon as you are asked to perform the best man duties. Ask around the groom’s family and friends for anecdotes you can use in your best man speech – if you start early enough you’re sure to have more than you need.

Tip #2 – Get the balance right
The perfect best man speech is a combination of humour and sensitivity, witty anecdotes next to warm memories. Yes, you want to entertain the wedding guests, but you also need to show respect for the bride and groom, and for their families and friends. However hysterical you might find that story about your last lads’ holiday in Ibiza, the best man speech is not the time to roll it out. Use it for the stag party, then put it away. Safe themes for the perfect best man speech include: the happy couple’s unique attraction and how well they are suited, the groom’s funny childhood stories, the venue and the food (a little imagination is needed to write this beforehand), and perhaps how nervous you are about giving a speech. Try to pace your speech – a funny story followed by praise for the bride and groom, followed by another witty comment, and so on.

Tip #3 – Don’t neglect your duties
The best man speech is traditionally expected to contain certain elements, such as compliments to the bridesmaids, compliments to the bride’s family and compliments to the groom’s family. You will also need to round off the speech by giving a toast to the bride and groom. It’s best to build these into your speech so you don’t forget them and embarrass yourself.

Tip #4 – Practice, practice, practice
If you want to give the perfect best man speech you can’t practice too much. Nerves may be a problem on the day, but if you have given yourself enough time to practice the best man speech you will feel more confident and give a better performance.

Tip #5 – Great Groom Gifts
Don’t forget to buy the groom a fantastic personalised gift as a way to say thanks for asking you to be best man. Think about your friend’s likes and dislikes before choosing, so the groom gift is truly special. Engraved groom gifts are a good choice – if he enjoys a cigarette or cigar then how about an engraved Zippo lighter? Another great option is a personalised hip flask.

Please reward your best man for all his hard work with a special gift to show him your appreciation. At www.weddinggifts2u.co.uk we have a huge range of gifts for your best man and we know that we will have something that he is certain to like. Whether it is a set of engraved cufflinks or a bottle of engraved champagne. Your best man needs to be rewarded, afterall he made sure you got to the church on time!