Best Man Speech For Brother Or Friend: Proven Tips And Ideas To Help You Write A Great Best Man Wedding Speech For Your Brother Or Friend Even If You Are Very Nervous
Making an amazing best man speech for your brother or friend is something every best man should aspire to do when they are asked to deliver a few remarks on the wedding day.
However, not many best men get it right. Well, have you ever wondered why some exceptional best man speeches go viral while so many others sink into oblivion as soon as the speaker goes back to their seats?
That’s not because the very eloquent speakers are great with words nor have magnetic personalities.
While those natural abilities help to an extent, a lot is involved when it comes to writing and delivering a heartfelt best man speech for your brother or friend.
To do justice to your speech, you need to get a mental picture of what you want to achieve and stick to that plan from start till the end. Here’s what I recommend you do if you want to get it right.
Guess what? You just have to follow this simple process and steps:
- Having a positive mindset
- Creating an environment for the expression of your ideas
- Scripting your ideas and tie together the loose ends
- Practicing your best man speech
Let’s look at each idea in detail. Shall we go on?
- Develop a positive mindset
Let’s start with one problem all best men face and how to overcome it. Guess what the problem is? Nerves!Whenever you imagine speaking before the wedding crowd, your heart will miss several beats and you will be wondering if you have the guts to do that.
If you have never made a best man speech before, that feeling might leave you paralyze and you might even wonder if you can really make your friend or brother proud with your wedding speech?
Believe it or not, you can do it! You see, whenever you have to deliver any speech, your mind will bring back unpleasant feelings of when you did a terrible job talking to a small crowd. But you should put the past behind if you really want your best man speech to be a hit.
This, in essence, is the first step to taking control of the situation even before you deliver your best man toast.
Now, let’s look at the next idea:
Before you sit to write your speech, you need to create the right environment to help you put your ideas together.
If you don’t know where to start or how to get good ideas for the content of your best man speech, it can be quite daunting.
But, there’s hope. The easy way out is to watch a few best man speech video clips to get a fair idea of how such toasts are made.
There are so many clips on YouTube but I managed to get these really good ones for you! I recommend watching them several times so you can figure how it was scripted before you give yours a try.
Here you go:
Best man speech for friend video example#1
Best man speech for brother video sample #2
I really enjoyed watching both clips because it encompasses most of the stuff that makes best man speech tick.
I don’t know what your favorite best man speech video is? Do you mind telling me what that is and what you got from watching them? Please write them down.
Now, let’s look at another aspect of the write-up:
How To Write Your Best Man Speech For Your Brother Or Friend
Even if you are a naturally gifted speaker or writer, the fail-proof resource you can lean to help you say something remarkable about your friend or brother.
Well-crafted best man speech examples come in handy if you want to come up with great ideas on the fly.
Ok. Here are two expertly crafted best man speech examples you can study and learn from and apply to writing your own best man speech. Afterward, we will analyze one of them so we can figure what goes into writing a funny and heartfelt best man speech.
But, first, let’s read through both examples slowly.
Here they are:
Best Man Speech Friend Example/Template #1
Hello everyone. I’m Jason, and I’m cast today as “Best Man #2” which is a great honor and privilege for me. As many of you may know, I have known Jimmy for a long time. In fact, I first met him when he was just a kid, as I was his teacher. Little did I know that one day, that kid would become one of my closest friends.
Jimmy has always been an incredible athlete, and it was no surprise to me when he came back to work as an assistant coach after college. We have been coaching together ever since, and I have seen him grow as a coach and as a person. We also get to chaperone a group of 8th graders to New York and Washington DC every year. And he can tell you, when you look at these kids, you aren’t thinking “one of these kids is going to be my best friend someday.” Believe me!
But what can I say, from the moment I met him, Jimmy has been one of the most genuine and authentic people I have ever met. He has always been true to himself, and that is what I admire most about him. He sets goals and works tirelessly to achieve them, whether it is in coaching, college, or his career.
But Jimmy's journey would not be complete without Mary, who is one of the final pieces of his life’s puzzle. Mary, you are a beautiful and remarkable woman who has captured the heart of our dear friend. You complement each other in every way, and your love for one another is evident in everything you do.
Jimmy is one of the most loyal and dedicated people I know, whether it is with his family, friends, or soon-to-be wife. He has been in my life since my children were born and has been one of their biggest supporters at athletic games over the years.
I can't wait to return the favor and be in the stands, cheering on his children one day. And if they aren’t athletes, that’s ok. I’ll be cheering them on in the auditorium as they win for their debate team, or star in the musical, or whatever.
Jimmy, my friend, I am honored to stand here today as your best man. You are an incredible person, and I am so grateful for our friendship. Mary, you are a beautiful addition to our circle of friends, and I am so happy to see the two of you getting married today.
It also helps that you are also a fan of the Lakers and of course, Prince! I still would have been happy for Jimmy if he’d met a girl who did not like Purple Rain, but I am certainly much more pleased with the fact that he did!
Please remember to always laugh together, never be afraid to cry together, and always stand together against the world. Hand-in-hand the two of you can do absolutely anything. So I say pick “happily ever after” all right?
Ladies and gentlemen, let us raise our glasses to Jimmy and Mary, wishing them a lifetime of love, happiness, and success. Cheers!
Now, here’s the next sample:
Best Man Speech Friend Example/Template #2
I’d like to thank hitched for having this example on their site.
Good Afternoon everyone and thank you for coming to this special occasion, it's lovely to see so many friends and family here today. I'm sure you will all agree it's been a fantastic day so far, yet every silver lining does have a cloud, and that is, unfortunately that you've now all got to listen to me ramble on for a while…
I did hear there was a sweepstake running on how long this speech was going to be and just so you know, I managed to get 200/1 on an hour and 12 minutes, so I hope you've all been to the toilet, filled your glasses and are all sitting comfortably.
Firstly I'd like to start by saying what a wonderful job the bridesmaids have done today and how fantastic they all look.
They are of course only outshone by Sally, who I think you'll all agree looks absolutely stunning.
I would also like to thank the ushers, for at least turning up relatively sober. Good job though boys, I'm sure everyone here would have all struggled to find their seats, without the help of the five of you!
So for those that don't know me I'm Dave and I've known Andy since we were toddlers…My main aim today is not to embarrass or humiliate the groom, but rather to help you all to get to know him a little bit better. Although as a disclaimer, I cannot deny that a little embarrassment and humiliation may be on the cards.
The first thing a best man is supposed to do in his speech is let everybody from the bride's side know what sort of man Sally has married, so here we go…Andy is caring, loving, funny, charming, generous and…*squint and show card to groom* Sorry mate but I'm struggling to read your handwriting! Well you get the idea anyway, he's a decent bloke.
Andy and I have been best friends for many years now, so obviously I have been witness to some of his finer moments. I've have also, of course, been witness to some of his less fine moments. And naturally, it's mainly those moments I shall be focusing on today…after all leading up to the wedding, he did say he didn't care what stories were told in this speech.
Even with this in mind, I soon realised that the majority of the stories still fell in to the ‘not fit for public consumption’ category!
Naturally, in preparation for writing this speech I consulted his family to see if there were any funny stories from the groom's childhood. John informed me that as a small child when he needed the toilet, he had to go and hide behind the sofa…well, ladies and gentlemen, I can assure you that 20-odd years later, thankfully, he has now grown out of this habit…however his toilet habits can still resemble those of a two year old, as was the case on holiday in Spain last year, when he had a little accident in the middle of the night!
Luckily for Sally though, being a dog owner she's quite often carrying a poop-a-scoop around with her so she must be fairly used to clearing up other people's mess!
Andy was the year below me at school and has always told me what an academic genius he is, and in fairness, there's nothing really to suggest to the contrary.
Now that may sound like he was ‘blowing his own trumpet’ and whilst on the subject, Andy used to take trumpet lessons back in school…Rock and Roll I know! Unfortunately for him though, a characteristic of a good trumpet player is that you need the right kind of lips.
I always thought that Andy grew ‘too cool’ to continue his trumpet playing, until a couple of years ago, when Sami reliably informed us that the real reason was because his bottom lip was in fact too big! I'm not sure if she made that bit up though?!
Luckily during our time in Tarporley 6th form, myself and Andy discovered a new shared interest in…lager, bitter, cider, vodka, Sambuca…well I think you get the idea!
We spent many good times ‘socialising’ in our local public houses and especially enjoying many lock ins with Ahmed and everyone in the Copper Kettle!
After 6th form we both went our separate ways and whilst I was in Sheffield, Andy went to study in Liverpool. He enjoyed his first year SO much at University that he decided to attempt it again. He assures me it had nothing to do with excessive drinking and partying and was purely because he wanted a change in direction.
On our return from our time at University, we decided to move in to a rented house in town. I'm sure Sally will agree that Andy isn't the tidiest of people to live with, but we did share some great times whilst living in Handbridge.
Most people like to make their mark on a home, but Andy took this quite literally and one piece of advice I can pass on to Sally that I learnt from my time living with Andy, is never go away for a weekend and leave him with a bottle of Rum punch, especially if you decide to lay cream carpets in your new house!
It's rumoured that on the day in question, or should I say the morning after, Andy (and Matthew) were found face down on the living room floor next to a HUGE orange stain. For those who have never drank Rum punch, I'd just like to advise you at this point, that it is fluorescent orange in colour so as you can imagine it's not the easiest stain to get out of a cream carpet and this was confirmed by Chrissy, my mother and also ‘Compentent Carpet cleaners of Chester’.
I think it's safe to say, Andy really made a lasting mark on that house! Seriously though Sally, I think you need to get laminate flooring throughout your new home!
Not long after we had moved in together, Andy and Sally went on a blind date. After this first date, I remember Andy telling me that the night they met, there was enough electricity to power the National Grid…in light of them both being accountants, I like to think that what he really meant, was it was enough to power a Casio Calculator!
Andy is far from the stereotypical accountant. That said, in the run-up to the wedding he did prepare a spread sheet listing the probability of attendance for each and every one of us. He had Sally down as 100%…which I thought was a tad presumptuous.
After a few years together, Andy proposed to Sally out at sea whilst on a holiday in Spain last summer. He chartered a yacht and whilst they were supping Champagne, the boat became surrounded by a pack of dolphins. A very romantic scene, I am sure you will all agree.
Now you may be wondering where this anecdote is leading…well, a lot of you here today may know that Andy's nickname is ‘Clogg’, but what I bet a lot of you didn't know is that Sally has her own pet name for him…*turn to groom* isn't that right DOLPHIN?
No seriously, their relationship has obviously blossomed down the years and anyone who has spent any time with you both will agree you make a fantastic couple.
The other love in the groom's life is Birmingham City. Being a massive Birmingham City fan, and having held a season ticket for many years now, Andy and his dad often make the trip down to see their beloved Blues on a Saturday afternoon.
In fact, he's such a huge fan that he still lets his dad pay for his season ticket, misses the train most weeks and when he does eventually turn up to meet his Dad, he never has any cash on him!
Andy and John will travel the length and breadth of the country to watch Birmingham play…as was literally the case the time Andy was getting the train to New Street from Manchester after a night out and ended up waking up in Cheltenham; on the plus side he woke up in time to get off in Cheltenham and return to Brum just in time for thesecond half!
Myself and Andy have spent many a holiday together. From our regular trips to Puerto Banus, to our trip to Tokyo, Sydney and Thailand (for Xmas back in 2007). I'd like to tell you these were highly cultural trips filled with museum visits, theatre trips & sightseeing – however, reminiscing now I can confirm that in fact none of this ever took place & instead our time was mainly spent in hostelries sampling the local liquid delicacies. Each trip was an experience I can tell you.
This brings me nicely on to the stag do…well what can I say about the stag do, not a great deal in present company, but I can say we enjoyed a few days in the sun in Barcelona.
I can also let you know that Andy looks fantastic in lycra, he wears a henna tattoo remarkably well, and that Barcelona is in fact one of Boris Johnson's favourite holiday destinations.
Anyway that's about as far as I'm willing to go with that, or as far as I remember if truth be told!
Before I let you all enjoy the rest of the day, it's traditional to offer the groom some advice and as I have just mentioned with him being such a huge fan of Birmingham City, you'll be pleased to know that a successful marriage can be compared to football…so Andy…
– Ensure you are fully committed every week.
– Try your best to score every Saturday.
– Don't put your tackle in too hard as you might get injured.
We've had some excellent times together over the years, and I know we will continue to do so in the future.You have been a fantastic friend and it really is a great honour to be your Best Man today and it's been a real pleasure getting to know Sally over the past few years so I wish you both every happiness for the future…
I also hope you have a great honeymoon, which I only found out today was spending some time travelling around Asia. Originally I thought it was in North Wales as Andy told me he was going to Bangor for a week.
Just before I make a toast I'd just like to thank all the staff here at Nunsmere hall for their fantastic hospitality today…bar-keep, cue the moment when you need to start pouring me a pint!
And on that note, ladies and gentlemen, could I ask you to stand with me, and raise your glasses in a toast to Andy and Sally, the new Mr & Mrs Clegg.
We wish you well for the future and hope they enjoy a long and happy marriage.
To Andy and Sally.
Both are great best man speech examples, right? I bet you can write something more captivating than these. To get a hang of it, we first have to split up those best man speeches into these parts:
- Introductory remarks
- Body or content
- Conclusion
First, let’s start with the introductory or opening remarks. Let’s cull out the opening remarks of both best man speeches so we can figure out how to write one.
Best man speech for friend example#1---(opening remarks)
‘’ Hello everyone. I’m Jason, and I’m cast today as “Best Man #2” which is a great honor and privilege for me. As many of you may know, I have known Cesar for a long time. In fact, I first met him when he was just a kid, as I was his teacher. Little did I know that one day, that kid would become one of my closest friends.’’
Best man speech for brother template#2---(opening remarks)
Good Afternoon everyone and thank you for coming to this special occasion, it's lovely to see so many friends and family here today. I'm sure you will all agree it's been a fantastic day so far, yet every silver lining does have a cloud, and that is, unfortunately that you've now all got to listen to me ramble on for a while…
I did hear there was a sweepstake running on how long this speech was going to be and just so you know, I managed to get 200/1 on an hour and 12 minutes, so I hope you've all been to the toilet, filled your glasses and are all sitting comfortably….(funny)
Both remarks (particularly the second introduction) is pretty amazing. But I guess both are pretty standard, right?
This is your homework assignment: Can you write a simple introduction as seen above? Let’s try writing coming up with our own example and let’s see how it goes.
As a hint, you may start by writing down names of people you’d like to express gratitude to. If you are the brother of the groom or his best man, you can add your own parents to the gratitude list and mention why you are thanking them.
If the best man is marrying a girl from another country where English is not widely spoken, you can probably learn a few self-introductory phrases and you will end up getting some good laughs out of that.
Before we moved on to other things, let’s look at second portion of the introductory remarks.
They come right after the extracts I culled them out from both speeches. You remember?
Ok…Let’s go back and use those same examples.
Example #1: ‘’ Cesar has always been an incredible athlete, and it was no surprise to me when he came back to work as an assistant coach after college…
Example #2: ‘’ Firstly I'd like to start by saying what a wonderful job the bridesmaids have done today and how fantastic they all look.
They are of course only outshone by Sally, who I think you'll all agree looks absolutely stunning…
So for those that don't know me I'm Dave and I've known Andy since we were toddlers…My main aim today is not to embarrass or humiliate the groom…‘’
If you read both examples, you will realize they come after the introductory remarks. After you have said a few things about who you are, expressed gratitude, and acknowledged the groom for choosing you to be his best man, you have start your best man speech with a captivating hook/opener so that it stands out.
You may use or one more of these strategies to come up with a thrilling hook.
- Start with a little story about how you became friends.
- If you are the brother of the groom and you’re much older, you can share a story about how you felt when your little brother was born. If you are his younger brother, you may share why and how you look up to him for inspiration and guidance.
- Another great way to get everyone into your speech is wax poetic or sing about the bride and groom like this talented guy did when his brother was getting married.
Ok….now, let’s have some fun now: How would you like to start your best man speech? Please write down what suits your personality best and just go with it.
Having said that, let’s look at…
How to Write an Outline and Structure for Your Best Man Speech
Drafting an outline and structure for your best man speech should be a fairly easy process because this part of your wedding speech highlights what your relationship with the groom and bride has been like all the years.
Nonetheless, the problem lies in organizing your scattered thoughts into a very thoughtful piece and that’s something most best men struggle with.
To make this part of your best man writing process a breeze, you just have to center your thoughts on these ideas:
- Share fun and fond memories
- Write about your shared interests…For example, you belong to the same sports club or you like to dress alike, you went to the same high school or college
- Write about his personal transformation from the time you became friends
- Share your thoughts about how he met the bride
That’s not all. If you really know about the bride, you may share a few anecdotes about her too and mention how she complements your friend or brother.
If you really don’t know the bride very well, you can simply say that you are happy that they have found each other.
That brings me to the conclusion of this piece:
How To End Your Best Man Speech With A Bang
There are several ways of ending on a resounding note and I am happy to share a few ideas to help you finish strong.
First, you can simply end with your best wishes or intentions for the bride and groom as seen in this second example.
And on that note, ladies and gentlemen, could I ask you to stand with me, and raise your glasses in a toast to Andy and Sally, the new Mr & Mrs Clegg.
We wish you well for the future and hope they enjoy a long and happy marriage.
To Andy and Sally.
Second, you can end with a poem or prayer if the couple is religious.
Third, you can frame your speech and gift it to the couple or give them a very thoughtful gift.
If you are not too sure if you can come up with a heartfelt best man speech, then you have to fill out this very short form and we will help you out even if you don't have a flair with words or absolutely hate speaking in public.
You really need help…
- If you are expecting nothing less than a very special, beautiful, unique, and memorable speech.
- If you don’t have much time to write a perfect speech just as you want it because of work demands and other life's pressure or even sick? Then, let’s take care of it and the guests will definitely sing your praises--we have done it for so many others and it's your turn now!
- If you are overwhelmed by the pressures of work and don’t have the time to put together a very meaningful speech, so you can have your peace of mind
- If you want your friend or brother, the bride, and wedding guests to shower you with very sincere compliments…just imagine how you will feel
- If you are not good with words and you feel you’re not a natural writer and you are struggling to find the right words but still want to give a great speech.
- If you get so scared anytime you’re asked to say something before an audience and you really want to save yourself from any form of embarrassment on your friend or brother's big day.
- If you are not too eloquent or not too sure if you are on the right track.
- If you absolutely hate speaking in public or feel this is not your thing but you want to make your son feel very proud
- If you have a day or less to the wedding and you are worried that you might make some horrible mistakes
- If you are a good speaker but you still want someone to look over or review what you've come up with!
Just imagine leaving your entire presentation in the hands of skilled wedding speech consultants who will take away your pain of spending hours thinking hard and long about what to say and what not to say.
Also, envision being patiently guided to say something that will leave a favorable impression on the mind of your listeners.
And also imagine the thrill and feeling of excitement and pride you’re going to experience when the audience leaps onto their feet and scream and shouts and even sing your praises.
Won’t you love that? I hope you do...
Wedding not too far away? Or happening in less than 24 hours? Trust me, we can deliver! it doesn’t matter if your speech is today, tomorrow, next week, next month ,next year,... we can make things work for you
Please fill out this very short form to get started.
Just imagine leaving your entire presentation in the hands of skilled wedding speech consultants who will take away your pain of spending hours thinking hard and long about what to say and what not to say.
This is another letter someone sent to us after his wedding.(You can click on the image to read it)
Also, envision being patiently guided to say something that will leave a favorable impression on the mind of your listeners.
And also imagine the thrill and feeling of excitement and pride you’re going to experience when the audience leaps onto their feet and screams and shouts and even sing your praises.
Won’t you love that? I hope you do...
Ok, I am Interested, What’s the Cost?
You simply pay what you want after you’ve got your beautiful speech.
Why? As you know, the current health and economic crisis have caused severe hardships for most people.
Precious lives have been lost, jobs wiped out and families displaced, leaving everyone wondering what the future holds.
Yet, some couples are still getting married and asking friends and family to give speeches like never before.
Nonetheless, not everyone could afford our services even before the pandemic suddenly hit us.
So, we have dropped our normal rates so you can simply pay what you want after you have got your beautiful speech.
Please note: When life gets back to normal, this offer will be scrapped for good.
So, please take advantage of it now even if the big day is in the future.
Even though we are going through this crazy time, if you do a poor job at it, your speech will be captured on video, and the groom, your friends and family, and other viewers will forever remember what you said and would not attribute your poor performance to the fact there was a deadly disease in town.
So, please take advantage of it now even if the groom's big day is in the future by simply paying what you want after you get your beautiful speech.
Oh Ok, How Then Do I Get Started Since I Want To Get On Board Right Away?
Ok, here’s how it works
All you have to do RIGHT NOW is to click on this link to receive an easy-to-fill-in questionnaire via email. Check your email a few hours after you’ve submitted your request for your questionnaire.
So,
- After that, we will send you a very short questionnaire to fill out via email! You only have to check your email a few hours after you have made your request.
- Then, you fill out the questionnaire sent through your email and please have it sent back to us…
- We will confirm receipt of it…If something is not too clear, we will ask you to clarify….
- If not, we will send you a wonderful draft in a couple of hours if this on very short notice….If not, after a few days
- Then, you look it over and tell us if you are okay with it or you want to amend or edit or revise it till you are happy with it--although we always get it right even with the first draft.
- There will be an opportunity to give feedback and ask for edit….
- Then, you pay for the speech.
Please note: The information collected through the questionnaire is only for the purpose of writing your speech. I wouldn't even need it if I could read your mind. So, your information is very confidential and no one will know about it.
Just a reminder of what you pay after it’s duly completed.
You simply pay what you want after you’ve got your beautiful speech.
Why? As you know, the current health and economic crisis have caused severe hardships for most people.
Precious lives have been lost, jobs wiped out and families displaced, leaving everyone wondering what the future holds.
Yet, some grooms are still getting married and their family and friends have to say something about them.
Nonetheless, not everyone could afford our services even before the pandemic suddenly hit us.
So, we have dropped our normal rates so you can simply pay what you want after you have got your beautiful speech.
Please note: When life gets back to normal, this offer will be scrapped for good.
So, please take advantage of it now even if the wedding day is in the future.
Even though we are going through this crazy time, if you do a poor job at it, your speech will be captured on video, and your friend or brother, family and friends, and other viewers will forever remember what you said and would not attribute your poor performance to the fact there was a deadly disease in town.
So, please take advantage of it now even if the wedding day is in the future by simply paying what you want after you get your beautiful speech.
Please note: Your speech draft comes with a proven and simple tip to master your speech or remember your speech just as you want it without carrying a paper with you.
Just see what someone said about that great tip that's proven to calm your nerves and help you speak with purpose, poise, and clarity!
''Hi Dan,
The speech went very well, I modified it a bit and practiced it as you suggested (great advice). Thanks for all your help and if I need a prepared speech again I’ll definitely contact you.
All the best,
Matt''
Please note: Don’t fill out this form if you’re a dishonest individual. This offer is for a limited time.
So, CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED NOW TO GET YOUR GREAT SPEECH NOW BY FILLING OUT A QUESTIONNAIRE---you only pay after your beautiful speech has been delivered. So, you can have peace of mind and not lose money. The risk is on us!
You don't have to worry about paying our per speech for now.
Forget about money and let’s write something for you. We believe in the values of honesty and integrity and we think you should be happy with our work first.
So, Here Are The Benefits You Get When You Get On Board!
- A great speech written by our wedding speech consultants that reflects what you want to say exactly
- We coach you on how to use your voice to make your speech very exciting.
- We show you a simple but often overlook strategy to rehearse your speech even if you have a very poor memory. This method is used by great speakers like Obama and was used by Abraham Lincoln and his compatriots
- The most effective way to get your entire speech into your head without memorizing your speech. Guaranteed to help you even if you have a very poor memory or your memory is like a goldfish…most of our clients still wonder where we got this idea from. This ensures that you don't read off a sheet of paper...
Just see what someone said about that great tip that's proven to calm your nerves and help you speak with purpose, poise, and clarity!
''Hi Dan,
The speech went very well, I modified it a bit and practiced it as you suggested (great advice). Thanks for all your help and if I need a prepared speech again I’ll definitely contact you.
All the best,
Matt''
- Ways to include humor in your speech and what it takes to do so
So, CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED NOW TO GET YOUR GREAT SPEECH NOW BY FILLING OUT A QUESTIONNAIRE---you only pay after your beautiful speech has been delivered. So, you can have peace of mind and not lose money. The risk is on us!
Remember, you have to see your speech first before you pay. So, you can relax and let us sweat it out at our expense.