The Icebreaker
If you can start off with an icebreaker and it’s not written into your script, the spontaneity makes it even better. This helps to ease you into the impending speech, hopefully with a bit of laughter.
For example I used the environment at the last best man speech I did, noticing how hot the room was and that the heating was on during the summer!!! My opening comment was, “I’ve asked all the staff to lock all the windows and to turn up the heating if nobody laughs!” I was rewarded with a chorus of laughter and felt a lot more comfortable about making my speech.
Reflection
The opening is generally the best time to let your audience know about how you met the groom, was it at school or even before you could walk? Maybe it was actually quite recently and he has so few friends there was no option but to elect you as the best man!
This is also a good opportunity to build your listeners anticipation up with a bit of background history and a few funny anecdotes about your friends past. You can even mention the odd skeleton hiding in his closet, but remember that he is your mate and probably wants to be married happily for longer than that day!
The Punch
This is what you’ve been building up to; the funniest story you can remember and that’s suitable for your audience’s ears. Tell every little detail so that they can relive it with you.
For instance I was the best man to a guy who was very self-conscience about his appearance. Throughout the whole reflection I dropped in hints of this until I’d built him up to be such a perfectionist and self-confessed Adonis, nobody was ready for the huge fall he was about to take, including him. This is the bit where you expect to see a few tears in your audience’s eyes and the odd scream of laughter.
The Grovel
Now that you’ve completely embarrassed and humiliated him it’s time to make up a bit of ground and tell the bride as well as the audience what a catch he is and how much of a good mate he’s been to you. After all when someone’s had a fall and it was you who tripped them, it’s only fair that you pick them back up and dust them off.
Obviously the odd subtle joke can be woven into this, in fact that’s essential so that you can keep your own dignity as well.
Conclusion
Lastly you must not forget to thank the bridesmaids and this is a good point to finish your speech on. How you do that and how funny you make it is up to you. Maybe before you decide to have a joke at their expense or completely flatter them it would be best to consider whether or not you’d like to be introduced to one of them after the meal, (if you don’t know them already).
And remember, if any of your jokes get the classic tumbleweed and silence, then pretend it was meant to happen. Make a joke out of it.
“That’s the last time I’m using one of my Dads jokes” or “I just wanted to get that out of the way as I’ve been told it can break you and completely ruin the speech.”
Good luck on writing the most important and awaited after-dinner speech of the occasion.
