The perfect best man speech

I was recently asked to be the Best Man in a friend’s wedding. After the initial responsibilities of being a best man sank in, I started to think about the speech I would give at the reception. You would think it would be simple for someone like me, who is exposed to Best Man speeches every weekend, to write the perfect speech. Yet, it is quite the difficult task.

In some speeches I’ve heard, the Best Man will tell an awkward joke or share a funny story about the friendship he and the groom share. There have been others where the speech lasted all of 20 seconds, and before you knew it, the salad was being served. This past weekend I got to hear (and see) one of the best speeches to date. Jimmy Yen was the Best Man at Elena & Mitch Baylarian’s wedding, held at the beautiful Manor House at Commonwealth. He approached me during the cocktail hour and informed me of this routine he and the other groomsmen had prepared for his speech. Unsure at first, I listened to the CD. The song was “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler. All in all it took about 5 minutes, but it was one of the most entertaining speeches I have ever witnessed.

After the wedding I went home and reflected on what makes the perfect speech. Granted, Jimmy’s speech was entertaining, but that wasn’t what made it special. His speech was heartfelt and genuine. I personally believe the perfect best man speech should be mildly funny, quick and from the heart. Needless to say Jimmy’s speech helped shed new light on what a best man’s speech should really be and it took some of the pressure off. As a best man, the perfect speech is communicating how much you care about the new Mr. And Mrs.

Here are a few images from the speech, courtesy of Barton Paul Photography.

-Matt