Best man speech written from your own stories
You said yes to being best man, and now the wedding is close and the page is blank. Send your todo.is agent a few stories about the groom and how he met his partner. It shapes them into a warm, funny 3 to 5 minute speech with a clear toast at the end, plus printable cue cards.
The prompt
- Write my best man speech for [GROOM'S NAME]'s wedding to [PARTNER'S NAME]. I am his [HOW YOU KNOW HIM]. Here are my stories and details: [2-4 STORIES OR MEMORIES]. The tone should be [TONE], and the crowd includes grandparents and kids, so keep jokes clean and nothing about exes. Structure: short intro of who I am, one funny story, one story that shows who he really is, a few kind words about his partner and how they met, then a toast. Keep it to about [LENGTH IN MINUTES] minutes when read slowly (around 130 words a minute). Give me the speech as a Word file, a large-print cue-card version as a PDF, and two alternative opening lines.
What to change
- [GROOM'S NAME]: The groom's first name or nickname, e.g. "Dan".
- [PARTNER'S NAME]: His partner's first name, e.g. "Maya".
- [HOW YOU KNOW HIM]: Your relationship, e.g. "brother", "college roommate" or "friend since we were 7".
- [2-4 STORIES OR MEMORIES]: Write them in rough notes, e.g. "camping trip where he forgot the tent; drove 4 hours when my dad was in hospital". Or attach a voice note telling them.
- [TONE]: e.g. "mostly funny with one heartfelt moment", "sentimental" or "dry humor".
- [LENGTH IN MINUTES]: 3 to 5 is best, e.g. "4".
Example result
- Best man speech for Dan and Maya (about 4 minutes)
- Good evening, everyone. For those who don't know me, I'm Chris, Dan's younger brother. I've known Dan my whole life, which means I've had 29 years to collect material. Don't worry, Maya. I've only brought the good stuff.
- The funny story
- When Dan was 19, he organised a camping trip for six of us. He planned the route, the food, the playlist. He even laminated a checklist. We drove three hours into the mountains, unpacked the car, and discovered that the one thing not on the laminated checklist was the tent. We slept in the car. Dan still says it was "a character-building experience." Maya, if he ever offers to plan your holiday, check the boot.
- Who he really is
- But here's the thing about my brother. Two years ago, when our dad was in hospital, I called Dan at 11 at night. He didn't ask questions. He just got in the car and drove four hours to sit with me in a waiting room until morning. That's Dan. He forgets tents. He never forgets people.
- About Maya
- Then Maya came along. They met at a friend's quiz night, where Dan confidently answered that the capital of Australia was Sydney. Maya corrected him, and he has been listening to her ever since. Maya, you make him calmer, braver and a lot better at geography. Our family has loved you from the first Sunday lunch.
- The toast
- So please raise your glasses. To Dan and Maya: may your adventures be long, your arguments short, and may you always remember to pack the tent. To Dan and Maya!
- Two other ways to open
- • "Hi, I'm Chris. I'm the best man, which is funny, because Dan has been telling me he's the best man since 1997."
- • "Good evening. My name is Chris, and I've been asked to say a few words about Dan. I've got a few thousand, but I'll keep it to the nice ones."
- Delivery notes
- • Pause after "check the boot" and after "never forgets people"
- • Look at Maya when you speak about her, then at the room for the toast
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in the brackets with names, how you know the groom and your rough stories.
- Paste it into todo.is on the Today screen, or send it to your agent on WhatsApp or Telegram. A voice note with your stories works too.
- Your agent writes the speech, times it and sends a Word file plus large-print cue cards.
- Read it out loud once, then reply with changes like "make the camping story shorter" or "add a line about his kids".
Tips for a better result
- One great funny story beats five short jokes. Guests remember a story with a clear ending.
- Keep inside jokes out, or explain them in one line. Half the room has never met you.
- Never mention exes, drinking disasters or anything you would not say in front of the grandparents.
- Ask your agent for a 30-second shorter version too, in case the schedule runs late.
- Practice with a timer at a slow pace. Nerves make most people speak too fast.
best man speech: FAQ
- How long should a best man speech be? Three to five minutes is ideal, about 400 to 650 words. Longer than that and guests start to drift, especially after dinner.
- When does the best man give his speech? It depends on the wedding, but the best man usually speaks at the reception after the father of the bride or the hosts, and before or after the maid of honor. Check the order with the couple or planner.
- Should a best man speech be funny? Mostly, yes, but kindly. Aim for gentle teasing, one heartfelt moment and a warm toast. The groom should laugh, not cringe.
- Can I read my best man speech from my phone? You can, but cue cards or a printed page look better in photos and won't dim or buzz mid-speech. Ask your agent for a large-print PDF.
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