Remember also that the groom will be less well known to some members of your audience than others. The wait between laughs is too long, and if a story falls flat, it'll suck the life out of the room quicker than you can say '…at which point, the Vicar walked in.' In fact, don't ever tell more than one or two extended stories. If you do decide that an anecdote is worth relating - and some definitely are - make it the centrepiece of your speech, not one of several stories that get lost in the mix. So he should find marriage a breeze.'ģ) AND ANOTHER THING. 'As anyone who remembers Steve's notorious caving accident in '92 will know, he's used to being trapped in a harsh, cold environment which no light can reach. A 500 word summary of Steve's disastrous 1992 pot-holing holiday might be entertaining for your fellow spelunkers at the reception, but you'd be better off distilling it into a single gag … If it can be potted down to two or three lines of hard-hitting humour, it will get a much better response. Consider whether you need to relate an entire story. An ill-considered ad lib can turn the crowd against you and once their attention starts to drift, it's hard to get them back.Īmusing incidents from the groom's past can be gold dust, but not if the punch line takes ten minutes to set-up.

If things are going well, don't be tempted to improvise and add to your speech. Any longer and you'll start to lose your audience. A good best man's speech should be limited to not more than 1000 words. Yes, you've got a big part to play in the day's proceedings, but remember you're not the main event. If you're lacking in that department, pay close attention to our list of the Top 10 Best Man's Speech Mistakes: A little common sense will keep you out of trouble. The good news is that nobody's forcing you to make a fool of yourself you're in control of your own destiny. You won't often have the opportunity to offend, embarrass or bore so many people with your public speaking all at the same time … unless, of course, you're a Tory peer. Worried about making your best man's speech? You should be.

Funny ispeech phrases