Are you a man of honor? Then one of your main responsibilities is to deliver a killer man of honor wedding speech.
Forget the overwhelm. Let go of stress.
As a wedding speech writer, I’m here to help you write a wedding speech that the couple and all of their guests will love.
Here are 9 tips to help you write and deliver your man of honor speech.
Tip #1: Begin with a Simple Introduction
Keep the introduction simple and to the point. You’ll have plenty of time for jokes later.
Kick things off by simply stating your name, role in the wedding, and your relationship to the couple.
Example: Hello everyone! I’m Brett, the man of honor and I’ve been best friends with this beautiful bride for the past 20 years.
Tip #2: Share Stories About the Bride
Think of 2 - 3 specific stories that illustrate a positive trait about the bride. This trait will end up being your theme that you’ll later reference when bringing everything together at the end of your speech.
Struggling to come up with story ideas? Use these writing prompts to brainstorm material for this section of your man of honor speech.
Describe your travel adventures together.
When have you two laughed the most?
How has she been there for you?
What do you bond over?
When did you first meet?
How have you changed since knowing her?
Tip #3: Talk About Her New Spouse
Even though your relationship is with the bride, include some mention about her new spouse.
If you’re close to them, share a story that will show a positive characteristic. If you don’t know them very well or don’t get along, focus on how they make the bride happy.
For example: Since Sarah has been with Jamie, I’ve seen her smile bigger, laugh more, and I’m no longer the only one she tries to convince to join her 5 a.m. runs.
Tip #4: Connect Ideas Using a Central Theme
What is a theme in a man of honor wedding speech? Think of the theme as the central idea that connects each story.
Theme examples:
Friendship
Thoughtfulness
Generosity
Sense of humor
Adventurous spirit
Kind heart
Every story you tell about the bride should carry undertones of your theme.
Then, use the theme to connect to the overall idea of marriage and their future together.
For example, if the theme of your speech is thoughtfulness, then each story about the bride should illustrate her thoughtfulness.
At the end of your man of honor speech, note how you see her thoughtfulness playing a role in her marriage and how it will positively affect their future together.
Tip #5: Balance Sentiment with Humor
To keep guests engaged and entertained throughout your entire man of honor speech, inject humor in between the more serious lines.
Just be sure to keep your jokes G-rated.
Avoid curse words and any stories that may be more suitable for the bachelorette party.
When in doubt, just remember this rule of thumb: if it will make grandma uncomfortable, delete…delete…delete.
Tip #6: Keep the Speech Moving
When we speak, we tend to naturally dawdle a bit. It can be difficult to articulate our point in a concise way. While your speech should mirror your natural speaking pattern, it shouldn’t include these long-winded details.
Unlike casual storytelling at a dinner party, with a speech, you have time to prepare and write it in advance. This means you can edit out anything that does not serve your overall point in the speech.
Remove the fluffy lines and unnecessary bits to achieve maximum impact.
The key is to keep flowing from one story to the next, only including details that serve the theme and removing any that distract from it.
Tip #7: Include a Strong Last Line
People may not remember everything you say in your speech but the one thing that will stick with them is the very last line. Make it strong.
My advice is to close with a call-back.
Do this by referencing something from earlier in your speech but within the tone of well wishes for their future.
Example: Earlier in your man of honor speech, you told a funny story about your trip to Cabo together and mentioned how the bride loves margaritas.
Consider this for your closing line: Cheers to a lifetime of unconditional love and unlimited margaritas!
Tip #8: Practice Reciting Your Speech
The key to nailing a man of honor speech is in practicing the delivery.
Here are some public speaking tips to keep in mind:
Avoid reading your speech from your phone. Instead, print it and be sure to keep an extra copy with you.
Read your speech louder and more slowly than you would normally speak.
Use a microphone and be sure that it does not cover your face but that it is close enough to pick up your voice.
Pause at pivotal points in the speech to achieve emotional impact.
Practice reciting your speech three to six times before the wedding day to become comfortable and confident.
Tip #9: Get Help to Write Your Man of Honor Speech
Do you feel like you could use some outside expertise to help write your wedding speech?
As a professional wedding speech writer, I work with the man of honor to craft a completely custom toast.
Get in touch to see how we can work together to write a man of honor speech that captures your voice, personality, and unique relationship with the bride.