Best man speech opening lines, and how to start strong

What your opening has to do

The opening of a best man speech has three small jobs:

1. Get attention. People are mid-conversation or topping up glasses. Give them a reason to turn round.
2. Say who you are. Half the room may not know you. Your name and how you know the groom is enough.
3. Set the tone. A light laugh or a warm line tells guests they are in safe hands.

That is it. Keep the opening to two or three sentences and move into your story.

15 opening lines in five styles

Every line below is written for this guide. Change the names and details so they fit your groom, or use them as a pattern for your own.

1. Straight in, with a twist

• "Good evening, everyone. I'm Ben, the best man. I've known Luke for twenty years, which in friendship terms makes me either loyal or very bad at taking hints."
• "Hello, I'm Aaron. For those who don't know me, I'm the man Josh calls when the satnav gives up. Today he called me for something slightly more important."
• "Hi, everyone. I'm Rory, and I've been Matt's best friend since we were seven. I've also been his alibi since we were eight."

2. Story first

• "It's 6am on a campsite in Wales, it's raining sideways, and Callum is telling me this is the best holiday he's ever had. That, everyone, is the man you've just watched get married."
• "The first time I met Kieran, he was trying to return a sofa that he had already sat on for six months. I knew then we'd be friends."
• "Ten years ago, Liam rang me at midnight to say he'd met someone who laughed at his jokes. I told him that was impossible. I'd like to apologise to Hannah for doubting her."

3. Something everyone just saw

• "I think we can all agree that was a beautiful ceremony, and that Ross held it together brilliantly until roughly the second word."
• "Before I start, can we just take a moment for the fact that Will arrived on time today. Some of us have waited a long time to see that."
• "Anyone who saw Adam's face when Grace walked in already knows most of what I'm about to say."

4. Gently self-deprecating

• "When Ed asked me to be his best man, I was honoured. When he told me there would be a microphone, I was less honoured."
• "I've been told the best man speech should be funny, heartfelt and short. I've practised all three, just not at the same time."
• "I'm Joe. I'm not a natural public speaker, so if this goes well, it was Charlie's idea. If it doesn't, it was also Charlie's idea."

5. Warm and sincere

• "I'm Nathan, and standing here next to my oldest friend on the best day of his life is one of the proudest moments of mine."
• "Good afternoon. I'm Sam, Dev's brother. I've looked up to him my whole life, which until about age fifteen was a practical matter of height."
• "I'm Alfie. Most of the best things that have happened to me over the last fifteen years have involved Jack in some way. Today is his turn."

Openers to avoid

• The dictionary definition. "The dictionary defines marriage as..." is the most overused opening there is.
• The long apology. One honest line about nerves is fine. A minute of it makes the room nervous for you.
• Insults dressed as jokes. Jokes about the partner, the in-laws or the groom's exes land badly in a mixed room.
• Internet one-liners. If you found it on a list of best man jokes, so did someone else at the last wedding your guests went to.
• Inside references. If only the stag group will get it, save it for the stag do.

Write your own opening in three steps

1. Write the plain version. "I'm [name], and I've known [groom] since [when and how]."
2. Add one true detail. Something specific about how you met or what he is like. "Since we were seven" becomes "since he swapped me a broken Game Boy for my packed lunch".
3. Say it out loud. Cut any word you trip over. If it makes you smile when you say it, keep it.

UK and US notes

At a traditional UK wedding the best man often speaks after the groom, so it is common to open by thanking him, sometimes on behalf of the bridesmaids, before your first line. Check the running order with the couple. In the US, the best man and maid of honor often give back to back toasts, so a quick nod to the previous speaker works well: "Thank you, Sarah. That's a hard act to follow."

Once your opening is done, the next job is the story. Our best man speech examples show how an opening leads into it, and the guide to writing a best man speech covers the rest.