Best man speech

[sippo]

Hi All,

 

I'm planning my best man speech for my best mates wedding in July. Plenty of panic time ahead. There will be a projector and board available, so am looking at some sort of powerpoint presentation. Any tips/templates would be appreciated! Got a few idea's but not sure what to show visually.

[pcstru]

Powerpoint at a wedding? You are kidding? Is there no escape!

 

Seriously, if you have a bunch of slightly tipsy guests, bored kids running around and maybe you might be having one or three for ... courage, do you really want to worry about the technology working at that point. A few scribbles on a scrunched up piece of A4 might seem a bit old hat, but it will work without too much worry.

[plexer]

Do a you've been framed show, pictures of the bride and groom as babies etc.... would be funny

 

Ben

[difinity]

I've been a best man twice. You need some good jokes, an embarrassing story or 2, a nice story and a good way to end.

 

Unless you have some great photos of him in compromising positions/circumstances i'd forget the projector/powerpoint idea.

[elsiegee40]

I have to say that the best wedding speeches I've heard over the years have been short and sweet. The 2 PowerPoints I have been subjected to were far too long and lacked humour (although they were clearly intended to be funny)

 

Just talk and don't hide behind technology

[PICNIC]

Rowan Atkinson With Friends Like These - YouTube

 

 

[Edit]NSFW - just watched through this again, forgot its not quite SFW [/Edit]

Edited May 14, 2012 by PICNIC

[Brucy]

don't do the powerpoint, better and more engaging to stand and talk rather than keep looking round at the screen and then getting annoyed becuse at the exact moment you start the AV kicks in and slows the machine down!

[sippo]

The only reason I was thinking of a powerpoint was purely for photo's.

[teejay]

Just stick to talking, you could always run the photos slideshow at another point in the evening when you're under less pressure, keep it simple:)

[Disaster]

all you need is to say this... "It's been an emotional day, even the cake is in tears (tiers*)"

 

*cake must have tiers

[Mako]

If you want to run photos, dig out the worst childhood ones. Slip them into your speech (usually works for the humourous 'biographical' style speeches). Combined with a remote to advance slides, you could easily stand and deliver your speech, interspersed with humourous and hopefully embarrassing images, which should give the audience something to chuckle at as you deliver each punchline as if you were Mike Tyson.

 

My best man speech was just 10 minutes of gags without any aides which had everyone in stitches, so it's not necessary in the slightest.

[AMLinington]

Eurgh, powerpoint for your best mans speech? Sorry but tech at a wedding never goes to plan. To be honest, write a speech that will fit on 3 of those large index cards (single side only). 3 Paragraphs each about different things. The guests will thank you. Guests hate powerpoints and lengthy speeches. I know I do. If I were you I would do something simple, not embarrassing, maybe with a cheesy self-deprecating joke about terrible best man jokes, a CLEAN, funny story and some thank-yous. That will go down far better with the guests than a great long powerpoint thing that you spend 10 minutes fumbling over whilst the fizz in the champagne peters out and goes warm.

 

I'm with Elsiegee - short and sweet. The worst part of the speech will be preparing something someone else will cover. Overlapping speeches that thank everyone-and-their-dog will be boring.

 

Might I venture a small suggestion:

 

Paragraph 1: Open with a little joke about best man speeches. Explain your relationship to the Happy Couple for those that don't have a clue who you are (probably about 2/3 of the room). Little bit of background to your relationship with the Groom. Maybe a silly anecdote about how you've been best friends since that time you did XYZ.

 

Paragraph 2: Say something nice about the bride. Even if you hate her. Wish them luck and love and happiness in their marriage. If you know the grooms family well and his parents are happily married, wish them as much joy as Mr and Mrs Senior. That sort of thing. BIG Time family bonus points.

 

Paragraph 3: Invite the audience to raise their glasses and toast the happy couple. Thank everyone for their patience. Sit.

 

Relieved applause will ensue and you will have avoided doing one of the many many best man sins:

 

1. Upsetting the bride by putting humiliating photos out there. She will have planned every detail and smutty pictures of her new husband in Amsterdam with his arms around a 'Lady in red' will be guaranteed to enrage her, upset her and alienate her family and probably some of his. It's a bad idea and will leave a sour taste in everyones mouths. I will specifically instruct my venue NOT to permit slideshows or projectors of any kind without my express WRITTEN approval (unfortunately I know LeBoyfriends mates - LeBoyfriend is a sensible chap but his mates are little more than purile teens).

 

2. Babbling - Nothing is worse than sitting there waiting for the best man to get to the point of a story you have no interest in hearing. It's boring and will alienate guests.

 

3. The curse of TMI - No-one wants to hear about the Groom's unfortunate rash or how you once walked in on them 'in flagrente' and the groom was wearing a dog collar. It's nasty. No-one likes that. Keep it clean.

 

I'm such a control freak I will ask for a copy of the Best Mans speech to veto it. If it's too filthy the Best Man will be prevented from speaking. I am also going to prepare my own speech as a contingency if LeBoyfriend fails to cover all the important thank-yous and acknowledgements. Or I might just write it for him...

[markcuk]

I did my own speech it was amazing poking fun at myself:D the best man did his job sorting other stuff i did the jokes

[edie209]

Write yourself a good basic speech and use some sites like Best man speeches and best man speech material to pinch and modify some jokes so they apply to the groom, but remember YOU will be organising the stag night so make sure you get some dirt on him just enough to make him squirm. I had a few people come up to me after my last BMS to congratulate me on some of the things I said, but remember make them squirm but don't be nasty.

[hardtailstar]

For my brothers wedding when i was his best man, I asked other people to let me know any funny stories about him and added a few jokes in here and there about being the 'better looking brother', 'glad to get rid of him now' and 'hes finally realised im the best man'

 

it was only a short speech but at family gatherings i still get told how people liked my speech.

[sippo]

Thanks all for the suggestions. Think I will scrap the powerpoint idea now.

[DSapseid]

At my sisters wedding the best man started off by saying 'id like to make a toast to the most important people here tonight.......... the bar staff!' certainly had the room laughing!! Well i think it helped that there were something like 16 ushers all late 20 something blokes!!

[Danp]

I had no speeches at my wedding, everyone said how refreshing it was!

[captaincharisma]

I wrote mine from scratch last year. It was for my brothers wedding so I just used plenty of family stories and it went down a storm. Also if you do make a joke and no one laughs, turn it into a joke don't stand there looking awkward!

[pcstru]

I had no speeches at my wedding, everyone said how refreshing it was!

 

I had no guests at my wedding but no one complained.

[Danp]

I had no guests at my wedding but no one complained.

 

Even better then!

[laserblazer]

My parents turned up unexpectedly at our wedding and boosted the crowd by a third!

 

Here's some great ideas for a best man's speech http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8hrSAhCeck

[rad]

I was best man for my twin brother, I was able to use every embaressing moment that took place, I used props that I had in a laptop bag, something that came as a suprise which included a job he had de-stoning plums, so out came the PPE and then the plums to de-stone, his teddy he had from a nipper etc etc.

 

He got his own back on me a month ago at my wedding by using pictures he got printed to A3 size (quality was amazing from SnapFish i believe) from a scanned photo. So instead of the powerpoint, outcame these pictures, I havent a clue how he got them to the venue as i never saw them till the moment they were shown. also something I have to keep too,.

[Rawns]

If the mother-in-law has a good sense of humour...

 

Step 1: Get a load of old random door keys and hand slyly them out to loads of the male guests, and give one to the mother of the bride.

Step 2: Begin speech.

Step 3: During the speech, mention how the bride is now officially 'off the market' and ask all her previous 'gentlemen friends' with a key to her place to hand them in.

Step 4: Mention that the groom is now also off the market and ask all the ladies to hand in the keys to his place.

Step 5: Bask in the awesomeness of your joke and enjoy the laughter and applause as the mother-in-law hands her key in.

 

Guaranteed win.

Edited May 15, 2012 by Rawns

[rad]

If you are after ideas, go to Youtube, nick a joke of each and there you have it. Mind you, be prepared to cut out a joke it if has been used by the Father or Groom in their speeches. Happened to me, but only the toastmaster noticed.