Best man speech examples

Good evening, everyone. For those I haven't met, I'm [your name], and I have had the job of being [groom]'s best man today. So far it has mostly involved carrying things.

I have known [groom] for [number] years. In that time I've learned that he is [one true, kind thing about him], that he is always [a harmless habit of his], and that he has never once [something he never does, like arrive early].

Then he met [partner]. I knew it was serious when [a small, real sign that it was serious]. [partner], you make him happier than I have ever seen him, and you have somehow made him better at replying to messages. We are all grateful.

On behalf of everyone here, thank you both for a wonderful day.

Please stand, if you can, and raise your glasses. To [groom] and [partner].

Good evening. My name is [your name]. I was told that a best man's speech should last as long as the groom does on the dance floor before he takes his jacket off, so I'll keep this to about ninety seconds.

When [groom] asked me to be his best man, I was honoured. Then I found out [name of another friend] had said no.

I have known [groom] since [when and where you met]. Back then he was [a funny, affectionate description of him at the time]. He once [a short, harmless story that makes people laugh and does not embarrass anyone else in the room]. To this day he insists [his side of the story].

I'd like to say he has changed. He hasn't. He still [a habit he still has]. But a while ago something did change. He started turning up on time. He started ironing. He started sentences with "[partner] says". That is when we all knew.

[partner], you look wonderful. [groom], you look like you can't believe your luck, which is the correct face.

In all seriousness, [groom] is the friend who [the genuine thing he does for people]. I could not be prouder to stand beside him today.

So please raise a glass. To [groom] and [partner]: may your arguments be short and your holidays long.

Good evening, everyone. I'm [your name], and [groom] has been my friend for [number] years.

I'm not going to tell stories about him tonight. Not because there aren't any, but because the thing I most want to say about [groom] isn't a story. It is that he shows up.

When [a time he was there for you or for someone else], he was the first one there. He didn't make a fuss about it. He never does. He just [what he did].

That is the man [partner] is marrying today. Somebody steady. Somebody who listens more than he talks, and who remembers what you told him.

[partner], from the first time we met you, [what you noticed about the two of them together]. You two are good to each other in the small ways, and the small ways are what a marriage is made of.

[groom], thank you for asking me to stand here. It is one of the honours of my life.

Would you all please stand and raise your glasses. To [groom] and [partner], and to a long and happy life together.

Good evening. For anyone who can't tell from the nose, I'm [your name], [groom]'s brother.

Being his brother means I have known him longer than anyone here except [your parents' names or "our parents"], and unlike them I shared a [bedroom, car or back seat] with him. I know things. I have been asked, firmly, not to share most of them.

What I can tell you is that growing up, [groom] was [what he was like as a child]. He [a short childhood story, kind and funny]. [A parent or sibling] still brings it up at Christmas.

Somewhere along the way that boy turned into the man you see today, and I have looked up to him more than I have ever told him. He is [two qualities you admire in him]. He is who I ring when [what you ring him for].

[partner], welcome to the family. You have already met all of us and you still said yes, which tells us everything about your courage. We could not have chosen better for him, and we are so glad he chose you.

To [parents' names], thank you for today, and for him.

Everyone, glasses up please. To my brother [groom], and to [partner].

Hello, everyone. I'm [your name]. [groom] and I met [where and when you met], which means I have been putting up with him for [number] years.

I thought the fairest way to describe him was in three moments.

The first is [an early memory: school, a team, a first job]. He was [what he was like], and I remember thinking [what you thought of him then].

The second is [a memory from the middle years: a trip, a flat you shared, a bad idea]. It went about as well as you would expect. [One line on how it ended.]

The third is the night he told me about [partner]. He [how he talked about [partner], or what he did that he had never done before]. I had never seen him like that. I went home and told [someone] that this was the one.

[partner], he was right about you. Thank you for taking him on, and for letting us keep him at weekends now and again.

[groom], you have been the best friend anyone could ask for. Today I get to be the best man, but everyone here knows which of us that really is.

Please raise your glasses. To [groom] and [partner].

Good evening, and a hundred thousand welcomes to you all, especially those who travelled a long way to be here.

I'm [your name], and I have known [groom] for [number] years. He is [one true thing about him], he is [a second true thing], and he is a terrible man for [a harmless fault, like leaving a party without saying goodbye].

[partner], the day he met you was the day he started [a change everyone noticed]. For that alone, the rest of us owe you a drink.

There is an old Irish blessing that says it better than I can, so I will borrow it.

May the road rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and the rains fall soft upon your fields.

[groom] and [partner], may you have all of that, and may you have each other through the days when the wind is in your face as well.

Would everybody stand, please, and raise a glass. To [groom] and [partner]. Sláinte.

Hello, everyone. I'm [your name].

I should say now that I am not a public speaker. [groom] knew that when he asked me, so this is his fault.

I'll keep it simple. I have three things to say.

One. [groom] is the best friend I have. [One sentence on why.]

Two. I have never seen him as happy as he has been since he met [partner]. [One small example.]

Three. [partner], thank you. You are good for him, and you are good to all of us.

That's it. That's the speech.

Please raise your glasses. To [groom] and [partner].