What to Include in a Best Man Speech: A Complete Guide (2026)

You have said yes to being best man, and now the harder part starts: working out what actually needs to go into the speech itself. It is tempting to sit down and just start writing jokes, but a best man speech that works is built on a clear structure first, with the humour layered in afterwards. Knowing what to include, and in what order, takes most of the pressure off.

This guide walks through every element a strong best man speech should contain, so you can check your draft against it and see what might still be missing.

Introduce Yourself Briefly

Not every guest will know who you are or how you know the groom, so a short introduction at the start earns you some goodwill and gives people context for the stories that follow. A sentence or two is plenty. Say your name, how you know the groom, and roughly how long you have known him. This is not the place for a long backstory. It is simply a way of orienting the room before you get into the material that matters.

If the toastmaster or master of ceremonies has already introduced you properly, you can keep this section even shorter, or skip straight into a light opening line instead.

Thank Whoever Needs Thanking

Convention has it that the best man thanks the groom for the invitation to speak, and it is worth acknowledging the honour of being asked, particularly if you know it was not a given. A brief nod to the bride and groom for including you in the day, and perhaps a word of thanks to whoever organised the stag do or the wedding logistics, rounds this section off. Keep it short. This is a courtesy, not the main event.

Tell the Story of How You Know the Groom

This is usually where a best man speech finds its footing. Rather than trying to cover the entire history of your friendship, pick one or two stories that say something real about who the groom is, whether that is his loyalty, his terrible sense of direction, or the ridiculous lengths he went to on a night out years ago. A story with a clear beginning, middle and punchline will always land better than a loosely connected string of memories.

If you have known the groom since childhood, school or university, a quick mention of how you met gives the story some context before you move into the anecdote itself. Guests enjoy a sense of history, even a brief one.

Read Out Messages From Absent Friends

If any friends or family could not make the wedding, a traditional and well received part of a best man speech is reading out a short message or two on their behalf, particularly if they sent one specifically for the occasion. Keep this section brief and pick your favourites rather than reading everything you were sent. It is a nice moment for the room, but it should not become the centrepiece of your speech.

Balance the Humour With Genuine Warmth

A best man speech is expected to be funny, but the strongest ones also include a moment of real sincerity about the groom, whether that is what you admire about him as a person or what you think he has found in his new spouse. Guests remember the laughs, but it is usually the honest moment that makes a speech genuinely memorable rather than just entertaining.

If you are naturally more comfortable with jokes than sentiment, even one or two straightforward sentences of warmth, delivered simply, will do the job. You do not need to write anything elaborate. For more detail on getting this balance right, our guide to best man speeches at speechcraft.co/best-man covers pacing and structure in more depth, and can build a full speech around your own stories.

Offer the Couple a Few Words

Somewhere in the speech, it is worth speaking directly to the couple rather than just about the groom. A short line wishing them well, or a genuine observation about how they are together, gives the speech a sense of occasion and reminds the room that this is a wedding speech, not just a set of stories about the groom's past.

This section does not need to be long. A few honest sentences addressed to both the bride and groom is usually enough to round things off before the toast.

What to Leave Out

Some material is best avoided altogether. Steer well clear of anything involving the groom's previous relationships, since it rarely lands the way it is intended and can make guests uncomfortable on the bride's behalf. Be cautious with stag do stories that involve details the groom would not want his new in-laws to hear, and think carefully before including anything about money, gambling or excessive drinking, even if it got a laugh when you told it to your mates. If you are ever unsure whether a story crosses a line, it almost certainly does, and it is safer to cut it.

Long in-jokes that only a handful of people in the room will understand are also worth trimming, since most of the audience will simply be waiting for you to move on.

End With a Toast

A best man speech traditionally closes with a toast to the bride and groom. Keep the wording simple and sincere, and make sure the room knows to raise a glass. If other speakers are also toasting the couple, a quick word with the master of ceremonies beforehand avoids any awkward overlap.

Bringing It All Together

A complete best man speech moves through a clear sequence: a brief introduction, a word of thanks, one or two well chosen stories about the groom, a nod to absent friends if relevant, a genuine moment of warmth, a few words to the couple directly, and a toast to close. Not every section needs equal weight. Some best men lean heavily on the stories and keep everything else brief, while others spend more time on sincerity. What matters is that each piece is present in some form, so the speech feels rounded rather than one note.

If you would rather have a personalised best man speech written for you, built around your actual stories and delivered in minutes, Speechcraft can write it for you at speechcraft.co/best-man.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I really need to introduce myself if most guests already know me? Not everyone in the room will know you, especially guests from the bride's side of the family, so a brief introduction is still worth including even at a smaller wedding.

How many stories about the groom should I include? One or two well developed stories are usually more effective than four or five shorter ones. Depth and a clear punchline matter more than volume.

Is it necessary to read out messages from absent friends? It is a traditional touch rather than a strict requirement. Include it if you have genuinely good messages to share, and skip it if you do not, rather than padding the section out.

What if I am not naturally funny? A best man speech does not have to be a comedy routine. A few honest, well told stories delivered warmly will always go down better than jokes that feel forced.

Should I let the groom read my speech beforehand? Many best men choose to run the speech past the groom, particularly any story that is close to a sensitive subject, just to check nothing will land badly on the day. It is not compulsory, but it can save you an awkward moment.

Can I use notes during the speech? Yes, and most best men do. A printed copy or cue cards are far more reliable than memorising the whole thing, particularly with the nerves of the day in play.