What Is the Structure in a Best Man Speech?

The best man has a variety of duties that he must perform at a wedding. He's responsible for helping to keep the groom organized and where he needs to be on the wedding day. One of the biggest responsibilities the best man faces is giving a speech at the reception, appropriately titled "The Best Man's Speech."

Break the Ice

Start the speech by breaking the ice with the guests and bridal party at the wedding. This can be done with humor, but be careful how you do it. As the best man, it is in good taste to make fun of the groom, but making a joke about the bride can be viewed as being in poor taste.

Address the Bride

The wedding is a special day for both the bride and the groom, but it is especially special for the bride. Make sure you compliment her on how beautiful she looks on her wedding day, and how lucky the groom is to have found his better half. It is also a good idea to compliment her maid of honor and bridesmaids as well on their appearance.

Introduce Yourself

Not everyone at the wedding is going to know who you are. Introduce yourself by talking about how long you have known the groom and some of the activities that you have gone through together. You can even include how you felt when you were asked to be the best man.

Address the Groom

You are the best man, and there's a good chance you know the groom as well as anyone that is there. This means that you should have plenty of material you can reflect on to come up with some embarrassing stories. Point out some of the more comical experiences you and others in attendance might remember about the groom as he grew up. Feel free to use props in your speech, such as the groom's little black book and reference how he "asked you to keep good care of it for him."

Speak About the Couple

After spending a few minutes making fun of the groom, change your tone and say how happy you are that he has found his new bride and how happy you hope the two of them will be. Reference any plans that you know of that others at the wedding might not, such as where they plan on living, their careers and honeymoon plans. Include how you feel that you aren't losing a friend to marriage, but instead gaining a new friend. Include tips on married life, or throwing in another joke about being married.

Close With the Toast

Invite everyone at the wedding reception to join you in ending your speech. Ask them all to raise their glasses in celebration of the love and the beauty on display at the wedding as you offer a toast to the bride and groom in honor of their marriage.