Having two best men doesn’t necessarily make the best man speech any easier. There are two opinions, two personalities (or egos!), and far more expectation from the groom and guests for a witty and memorable speech.
Here are some tips for making your joint best man speech one to remember for all the right reasons.
Don’t Write It As a Comic Script Delivered by a Double Act
Unless you are a professional script writer or stand-up comic this will be extremely difficult to write and even harder to deliver. Written and delivered badly it could easily appear awkward and contrived.
Keep It Concise
Just because there’s two of you speaking, it doesn’t mean the guests want to hear you speak for double the amount of time. I suggest a five minute cap for each of you.
Write Your Speech for All the Guests, Not Just the Boys on the Stag Do
This is a common trap and easier to fall fowl of when there’s two best men writing the speech. Whilst you may be in stitches recounting the story of you shaving the groom’s pubic hair off after he passed out in a Greek hotel room, the rest of the guests are unlikely to find it funny and you won’t get the laughs you’re hoping for.
Don’t Include Too Much Content
With a joint best man speech there’s a temptation to include all the best stories from both parties. However, a speech heavy in content can end up light in synergy and seem disjointed and irrelevant.
Try to Incorporate a Theme to Hold Your Speech Together
With two of you speaking, and therefore the use of different tones and styles, there is more need than ever to link stories and anecdotes together naturally. In fact, a theme can sometimes work better with two speakers. For example, if the groom has a split ‘Superman versus Clark Kent’ personality, one of you can talk about him being Superman and the other Clark Kent.
Split Up the Formalities Between the Two of You
For example, one of you can do the early ‘thank yous’ and the other can deliver the toasts at the end. For details on what these formalities are, read my advice on wedding speech etiquette.
Communicate and Collaborate with Each Other Regularly
This will ensure there is no embarrassing overlap. Your biggest risk is covering ground that the other best man will repeat later on in his section.
Try to Avoid Too Much Chronology
It is easy for two best men to split up the life story of the groom into sections that each can relate to. For example, the brother of the groom talks about the early years and the best mate talks about university and professional life. However, this can lead to a formulaic and unoriginal speech. It’s better to weave stories around a joint theme if you can.
Guest post by Lawrence Bernstein of Great Speech Writing
Image from Lee Maxwell Photography
