Short Best Man Speech Examples

Not everyone wants to drone on for ten minutes about when the groom was a wee lad. Sometimes it is better to keep it short, sharp and to the point. These short best man speech examples are for the best man who wants to stand up, get a laugh, say something kind, raise a glass and sit back down while people still like him. Every speech below is complete and ready to steal, with the names swapped for (Groom), (Bride) and (Best Man) so you can drop your own in.

Short works for a reason. Nobody has ever left a wedding complaining that the best man speech was too brief. The room is full, the food is on its way, the groom is sweating, and a tight two or three minutes that lands beats a rambling eight that doesn’t. It is also far easier to remember, far easier to rehearse, and gives you far fewer chances to say something you shouldn’t.

How long is short? Aim for two to three minutes, which is roughly 300 to 450 words read out loud at a sensible pace. For context, our best man speech guide puts a normal speech at five to eight minutes and never more than ten, so anything under three is properly short. Some of the examples here are under 150 words, which is a minute, tops.

A short best man speech template

A short speech still needs a shape. Six steps, one or two sentences each, and you are done.

1. Open. One line to get their attention. A quick gag or a simple “Good evening everyone” both work. You do not need a grand entrance.
2. Thanks. Thank the guests for coming and, if the groom has asked you to, the bridesmaids and the people who paid. Keep it to one sentence.
3. Who you are. Your name and how you know the groom. Brother, school mate, uni mate, the bloke he met at five-a-side. Half the room has no idea who you are.
4. One story. Not three. One. Pick the story that says something about the groom and ends with a laugh or a smile. If it needs a run-up of more than two sentences, it is the wrong story.
5. The bride. Say she looks beautiful, say what she has done for the groom, say the groom is lucky. Mean it.
6. The toast. Ask everyone to stand, raise your glass, and give them the couple’s names. Then sit down. That is the whole trick.

If you want to see the same skeleton at full length, there are 40 complete speeches in our best man speech examples library.

Short best man speech examples

Seven complete short speeches, from genuinely tiny to “short but with a proper story in it”. Steal the structure, steal the lines, swap the names.

Super short best man speech

Suits: anyone who wants the quickest possible speech that still sounds like a speech. Formal, warm, under a minute.

Good evening. My name is (Best Man) and on behalf of (Groom) and (Bride), I would like to thank you all for being here today. I have the honour of acting as best man tonight and I am thrilled to be standing with these two wonderful people as they begin a new chapter in their lives.

(Bride) and (Groom) have each walked many miles to be here together today, and this wedding is a joy to behold. I can speak for everyone in this room when I say we all wish you the happiness you deserve. We are so glad that you found one another, and today is a reminder that the best is yet to come. Congratulations, (Bride) and (Groom)!

Short best man speech for your brother

Suits: a younger brother. One gentle dig, one story about how the bride changed him, and out.

Good evening everyone. I’m (Best Man), the groom’s brother and best man for today.

By choosing me as his best man, (Groom) has admitted something that has taken him 30 long years to admit. That I, his younger brother, am the best. Thanks (Groom)!

(Bride), I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but (Groom) was such a workaholic until he met you. I remember a time when we went hiking and wanted to stay an extra day at a stunning spot, but (Groom) was absolutely determined not to miss work. And now all he wants to do is go on holiday every other week with you. (Bride), (Groom) has truly fallen head over heels for you. It’s beautiful to see the two of you together.

You are perfect for each other and make such an adorable couple. I wish you both a happy married life, and hopefully you will let me speak at your 50th anniversary celebration too!

Short funny best man speech

Suits: a mate who wants three quick laughs and a soft landing. The pauses are marked for you.

Everyone, please raise your glasses and join me in toasting (Bride) and (Groom).

As I begin this wedding speech, one of the first thoughts that comes to mind is… if I’m the best man… then why is (Bride) marrying (Groom)? (Pause when people laugh.) I guess because today, I am just an average man and (Groom) is the best man. (Pause.)

In my extensive research into how to deliver a great best man speech, I learned that I am expected to sing the praises of the groom and tell you what a wonderful guy (Groom) is. Unfortunately, I’m a bad singer and a bad liar. (Pause when people laugh.) (Groom)… (Bride) is a wonderful, beautiful, kind and good-hearted person who deserves a great husband. Thank goodness you snapped her up before she found one. (Pause when people laugh.)

All kidding aside, I’m honoured to be here today. I love you both and wish you many years of happy marriage. Cheers!

Short heartfelt best man speech

Suits: a serious best man, or a groom who has asked you to keep it clean. One quote, one observation, one toast.

To my friends, old and new. It’s an honour for me to be here to celebrate this very special day for (Groom) and (Bride). Dale Carnegie once said: “Don’t ask a man what is important to him. Watch how he spends his time.” I’ve watched (Groom) spend his time, and I can see what’s important to him. It’s (Bride).

She has made (Groom) a happy man. A man with a new focus, a man with a new appreciation for love and life. I’ve known (Groom) and (Bride) for eight years and I can honestly say that they are perfect for one another. They were both fantastic people when they met. Now, as a team, they will embark on a new adventure together as husband and wife.

(Groom) and (Bride), I toast you, and wish you both peace, health and happiness.

Short best man speech for an old friend

Suits: a long-standing friend who is not a natural comedian. Sincere and simple.

Ladies and gentlemen. I met (Groom) in 1990. We have been friends for over 17 years. In that time he has proven himself to be not only a great friend, but a truly good man as well.

I value my friendship with (Groom) and I look forward to having the same great friendship with his lovely new bride, (Bride). I know one important thing about (Bride). She has made (Groom) happier than I have ever seen him.

Today is a day of joy and happiness for all of us. But it is not just a day. It’s the very special beginning of a new life between (Groom) and (Bride). I wish you both health and happiness, and may God bless your marriage.

Short best man speech for a childhood friend

Suits: the mate you have known since primary school. One running gag that pays off at the end.

As the best man, it’s my turn now to make a toast. My name is (Best Man), and I’ve known (Groom) since we were eight.

Wow. That’s a long time. Back then we were more interested in Transformers than girls. Then it was sport rather than girls. But sure enough, as the seasons change, there came a time when we were more interested in girls than anything else.

After watching (Groom) and (Bride) fall in love, I can say that now I know all those years of Transformers and sports training were worthwhile. (Groom) will always have the transforming ability to say “Yes honey” and the Olympic endurance to say “Yes honey” for year, after year, after year.

Here’s to the bride and groom!

Still a short best man speech, but a bit longer

Suits: a best man who wants the full structure (thanks, story, advice, toast) in about three minutes. This is the top end of “short”.

There comes a time in every person’s life when they meet their one true love, their soulmate, their destiny. The person who will know and understand them for the rest of their life. That moment came for (Groom) 32 years ago, when he met me.

First, I want to thank our three wonderful and beautiful bridesmaids and (Maid of Honour), an amazing maid of honour. I also want to thank the ushers, who worked so hard getting everyone seated, and the groomsmen for supporting me over the past few months and doing such a great job today. Most importantly, I want to sincerely thank the bride and groom for allowing all of us to share in this incredibly special day.

By tradition, the best man is supposed to dig up embarrassing stories from the groom’s past, a sort of character assassination. But because I have such immense respect for this man, I’m afraid I just can’t do that. I mean, for me to mention the time he streaked across the school stage during a performance of Annie Get Your Gun, wearing only a gun holster, would be mortifying. I would no more tell you about the time he dressed up as a woman for Halloween, or the time he was so drunk he got up and sang an entire rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow in a karaoke contest… and won. Oh wait, what am I thinking?

Okay, that’s enough about (Groom). As I spoke with various guests here tonight, I took notes from those who have been married for years and years, and gathered as much advice on the ingredients of a happy marriage as I could. (Groom), here is what they wanted to tell you.

You need to establish that you’re the boss, the king of your castle. Just be sure you do whatever (Bride) tells you to do.

Never forget the five rings of marriage: the engagement ring, the wedding ring, the suffering, the torturing and the enduring.

Remember, (Groom), marriage is not just an eight-letter word. It’s an entire sentence, although you would probably get much less for murder. And the best way to remember your wedding anniversary is to forget it… just once.

Okay, seriously, my best advice to you is to always remember three simple words: “You’re right, (Bride).”

You will all be happy to know that I just have a few more things to say. In all seriousness, (Groom), it has been an honour and a privilege to be your best man today. You are a very fortunate man to have met such a wonderful woman as (Bride). She is caring, loving, smart, and the perfect match for you any day of the week. And (Bride), you found… well, (Groom). The two of you will have a healthy and loving marriage and I’m thrilled to call you both my friends.

Finally, it gives me great pleasure to invite all of you to stand, raise your glasses to the newly married couple, and join me in wishing them good health and a wonderful life together. Here’s to (Groom) and (Bride)!

Tips for keeping it short

• Write it, then cut a third. Every first draft has a second story, a second joke and a paragraph of thank-yous that nobody needs. Cut them. If a line does not get a laugh or make the bride smile, it goes.
• One story, told quickly. The childhood friend and brother speeches above each have one story and it takes four sentences. If your story needs a map and a cast list, pick another one.
• No lists of thank-yous. The groom will thank the caterers. You thank the guests in one line and move on.
• Tell them it will be short. One of the speeches in our library opens with “for those who are starting to fidget, you can relax, as we’ll be keeping it short. I’ve heard that is how the bride likes it.” It gets a laugh and buys you goodwill for the next two minutes.
• Time it out loud. Reading in your head is faster than reading to a room. Stand up, read it at speaking pace, and if it is over three minutes, cut again.
• Don’t pad it with jokes you found online. One well-placed line beats five. If you need one, our best man speech jokes and one-liners page is the place, and our how to be funny page explains why less is more.

How to end a short best man speech

The toast is the ending, and in a short speech it is doing half the work. Every one of the examples above finishes the same way: a quick switch from funny to sincere, one line about the couple, then the glass goes up. You do not need a poem, a quote or a drum roll.

The simplest version is three sentences. One: a warm line about the couple (“(Groom), you are a very lucky man, and (Bride), you look beautiful”). Two: the instruction (“Ladies and gentlemen, please stand and raise your glasses”). Three: the names (“To (Groom) and (Bride)”). Then drink, and sit down. If you want to be fancy, borrow from the serious speech above and wish them “peace, health and happiness”, or from the super short one and remind them “the best is yet to come”.

Two things to avoid. Do not end on a joke, because if it dies you have nowhere to go. And do not improvise the toast, because the toast is the one bit the whole room says back to you, so it needs to be clear. For what happens when best men get this wrong, have a look at our worst best man speeches.

Short speeches are harder to write than long ones, because every line has to earn its place. Our best man speech guide covers structure and delivery, the best man speech examples library has 40 full speeches to borrow from, and if you would rather hand the whole thing over, our speech writing service will write you a short one that sounds like you.