12 Best Man Speech Ideas If You're the Groom's Brother
Are you standing up in your brother’s wedding as the best man? Aside from planning the bachelor party, you have one very public and important responsibility—giving a best man speech at his wedding.
When it comes to preparing a best man speech for your brother’s wedding, there’s a lot of pressure. It’s time for you to create a speech that will impress your brother and all of the guests.
As a professional wedding vow and speechwriter, I work with the best man to ghostwrite his speech and I’m here to provide my expert advice.
Here are 12 best man speech ideas when the groom is your brother.
Tip #1: Take a Walk Down Memory Lane
The best way to start a best man speech for your brother’s wedding is to remember memories from your childhood.
Unlike other close friends, your brother is the one person who you’ve known longer than any other friend.
Think back to your earliest memories together. What do you see?
Jot down a few notes. This can be used as potential material for your speech.
Tip #2: Remember How You Played Together
While reminiscing, consider what you and your brother did to have fun together.
What video games did you spend hours playing? How did you spend every summer during your elementary years? What was it like visiting each other at college?
Brainstorm story ideas and write down more notes for speech material.
Tip #3: Remember How You Fought Together
As brothers, you likely got into a few fights. What did you argue about? What caused you to wrestle in the living room?
Consider how these brotherly love moments could be worked into your best man speech and add these notes to your list of brainstorm ideas.
Meet Katelyn.
Your secret weapon for nailing your speech
You’ve been handed the mic for one of the biggest days of your brother’s friend’s life. No pressure, right?
If you're like most men I work with, you're smart, successful, and articulate. But when it comes to writing a best man speech, you're either stuck, second-guessing every joke, or Googling clichés that don’t sound like you.
That’s where I come in.
I help turn your shared history into a speech that’s memorable for all of the right reasons.
No cringey one-liners. No rambling stories.
Just the right mix of humor and heart that makes the whole room feel the bond you two share.
You only get one shot at this. Let’s make sure it lands.
Tip #4: Discover Themes
Now that you’ve completed a few brainstorming exercises for your speech, it’s time to determine which material will actually be useful.
To do this, recognize themes that can be used to tie the speech together and keep it flowing forward.
Review your notes. What themes stand out to you? Do most of your notes focus on how funny your brother is or how he was always there for you?
Decide on one theme that can be the focus of your speech.
Use this to drive the speech forward from specific story to specific story.
Then, you’ll transition from telling stories to talking about his new spouse and their marriage while still being focused on that theme.
Let’s look at an example to see how this would work.
Theme Example:
My brother, being the youngest, always lost at anything we did together.
Story Examples:
When Todd and I were kids, we played board games for countless hours. And it didn’t matter how many times I let him choose the game or how often he got to roll the dice first—Todd always lost.
At Christmas, we’d race to our chosen tree at the tree farm and the first one there received the honor of chopping down our family tree. No matter how much spirit and determination Todd had—his feet just weren’t fast enough and he always lost.
Tie the Theme to His New Spouse Example:
As I stand here today and see my little brother with his new wife, Cristina, I can clearly see that my brother has finally won. Cristina is the most outgoing, fun, and kind-hearted person. He doesn’t have to roll the dice—he’s a winner just by being with her.
Tie the Theme to Marriage Example:
Within your marriage, I wish you many more moments of winning together. From raising a beautiful family to traveling the world—congratulations on a new life and a beautiful wife of a true winner.
Tip #5: Follow an Outline
Once you’ve collected material for your speech and have chosen a theme, it can still be challenging to organize your speech.
I recommend following our best man speech outline to organize your thoughts into the format of a best man speech.
Best Man Speech Outline Example:
Introduce yourself and state your relationship to the groom
Detail out stories about your brother and what you admire about him
Detail out stories about his new spouse and what you admire about them
Note why their marriage excites you and makes you happy
Close with a wish for the couple
Tip #6: Hire Help to Write Your Best Man Speech
Are you still overwhelmed with how to write a killer best man speech for your brother or are you simply too busy to get it done in time?
Work with a best man speech writer to create a completely custom toast for your brother. You hire out your dry cleaning and your dinner. Why not hire someone to help alleviate you from the stress of writing a speech and the embarrassment of reciting an ill-prepared one?
At Wedding Words, I work with the best man to write personalized speeches that they feel excited to recite and that guests rave about.
Tip #7: Don’t Procrastinate Writing Your First Draft
Many best men procrastinate writing the speech. It can be intimidating. There’s pressure to sit down and to instantly write something amazing.
But understand this—your first draft is not your final draft.
Just write something. Get a completed draft completed.
It does not need to be perfect and it shouldn’t be. Progress over perfect is what we’re going for here.
Tip #8: Embrace Editing
Many writers will tell you—writing is really just editing and then more editing. Once you’ve completed the first draft, it’s time to review and revise.
Reread the speech. What areas could use more vivid detail? Which parts could be deleted entirely? Is there anything that’s not exactly appropriate for a wedding speech?
Rework your speech with an editor’s eye and you’ll start to see the speech being polished into something you’re proud of.
Tip #9: Phone a Friend
While you’ll likely want your speech to be a surprise for the couple and their guests, share what you’ve written with at least one other person. It’s helpful to gain an outside perspective.
Ask someone who you can trust to give you honest and valuable feedback like another groomsman or your dad.
Tip #10: Print Your Speech—Do Not Read it From Your Phone
I can’t tell you how many best men I’ve seen read their speech from their phone and how in that one instant all of their impact is gone.
It looks so tacky and it’s distracting.
This is a special moment and no one wants to see you staring at your phone to read the speech—especially when that moment will be rewatched on the wedding video.
Print your speech and bring three copies with you. Keep one on you, put one in a piece of luggage you’ll have with you that day, and give one to another groomsman to keep. You’ll want backup copies just in case something happens to your original.
Tip #11: Make Sure There’s a Microphone For You
You’d be surprised but often, venues do not have extra microphones for the wedding party. Talk to your brother in advance of the wedding date to confirm that there will be a microphone for you to use.
Even with the help of mic, you’ll still need to speak loudly to ensure that every guest hears you. Be conscious of how you hold the mic to make sure it’s not covering your face for video and photographs but that it’s also not so low that it’s not picking up your voice.
Tip #12: Practice Reciting Your Speech
The wedding day should not be the first time that you start practicing your speech. Read your toast out loud three to six times before the big day.
You’ll work out any nerves and sound more confident. Plus, you’ll start to semi-memorize the speech and you won’t have to rely on staring at your paper so much.
The key to reciting the best man speech is to appear as if you’re simply telling a story at a dinner party. Channel this level of calm confidence and you’ll have the greatest level of impact.
Why Being the Groom’s Brother Makes Your Speech Special
Being the groom’s brother is a unique position when it comes to delivering a best man speech.
You’re not just a close friend standing by his side. You’ve shared years of memories, growth, and experiences that no one else can match. This personal connection gives your speech a level of authenticity and emotional depth that others simply can’t replicate.
The key to making your speech special lies in highlighting these shared moments.
As a brother, you’ve seen the groom at his best, his worst, aaaaand his most awkward.
This gives you an unparalleled perspective on his character.
You can share heartfelt stories from childhood, high school antics, or family gatherings that many will relate to.
When you share these stories, you’ll illustrate qualities about your brother while also entertaining guests.
Consider incorporating the following into your speech:
Family Bonds
Share funny or touching memories from growing up together. Maybe it’s sibling rivalries, pranks, or moments when you had each other’s backs.
Brotherly Wisdom
It does not matter if you’re the older or younger brother. Either way, you have likely learned some life lessons from him. Now is the perfect time to reflect on those moments. And give him a bit of credit.
Your Unique Role
Reflect on what being his brother means to you. What has his friendship meant to you over the years? This deeper reflection will make your speech feel more genuine and meaningful. And you can fight that stereotype that best men speeches can’t be deep.
For example, you might share a story about when you were kids, and he got in trouble for something ridiculous, only for him to later prove himself as the dependable, responsible man standing before you. This juxtaposition of his past and present will highlight his growth in a memorable and entertaining way.
Funny Best Man Speech Ideas for Your Brother
Humor is one of the most powerful ways to add impact to your best man speech. The trick is to balance humor with sentiment, ensuring that your jokes are light-hearted and non-cringey. Your goal is to celebrate your brother, not roast him to oblivion.
Here are some funny best man speech ideas to get you started.
The “How He Was as a Kid” Section
Share funny, somewhat embarrassing, or quirky stories from your childhood. Was he the troublemaker who blamed everything on you? Or was he always the shy one who had a secret love for something unusual like a unique obsession with collecting stamps?
The “Bro Code” Moment
Mention a moment when your bond as brothers was tested but came out stronger. Maybe he bailed you out of a situation you got yourself into, or perhaps you had each other’s backs during some kind of mischief. This can be funny when done right.
Mocking His Dance Moves
If your brother’s dancing skills are legendary (for being bad), make it a point to humorously mention it. Everyone loves a little lighthearted teasing, and it’s something the crowd can connect with, especially as the evening progresses.
The key is to make sure the humor is light-hearted and respectful. The goal is to get everyone laughing, but also to keep the tone warm and not too embarrassing.
Touching Moments to Include in Your Brother’s Wedding Speech
Many best men focus only on humor in their speech. And while humor is an important aspect of a best man speech, touching moments can elevate your speech and leave a lasting impact.
As the groom’s brother, you’re in a unique role to offer heartfelt words that showcase the deep emotional connection you share.
Here are some touching moments to weave into your speech.
Reflect on Your Relationship
Talk about your bond with your brother and how you’ve seen him grow into the man he is today. This is especially meaningful if you’re older and have watched him mature, or if you’ve supported each other through major life milestones.
If you’re the younger brother, talk about how you’ve looked up to him and how he’s inspired you.
Acknowledge His Growth
If your brother has gone through significant life changes or challenges, mention them in a discreet and appropriate way.
Note how they have helped to shape him into the man he’s become.
Whether it’s his career, overcoming adversity, or how he’s learned to become a great partner to his new spouse, this will show how proud you are of him while also honoring him.
Celebrate the Couple
You should not only talk about your brother but also about his relationship with his new spouse.
Share your admiration for how they complement each other, and acknowledge the love they’ve found.
This is a great way to show your support and express how excited you are for their future.
Touching moments like these add a layer of sincerity and depth to your speech, balancing out the humor with emotional resonance.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in a Best Man Speech
Delivering a best man speech is a big responsibility, and there are certain pitfalls that many speakers fall into.
Here are the most common mistakes to avoid.
Overloading on Inside Jokes
While it’s fun to share personal anecdotes, be mindful of the audience.
Not everyone will understand inside jokes or references that only you and the groom share. Keep it balanced by explaining the context of the joke or focusing on stories that everyone can appreciate.
You want to bring guests in on the joke so they can continue to be captivated and you get more laughs.
Embarrassing the Groom (or the new spouse)
A little light teasing is okay if if fits the vibe of the speaker, but avoid making the groom or his new spouse uncomfortable. Steer clear of overly embarrassing stories or anything that could be considered inappropriate.
If it isn’t something you’d comfortably say in front of grandma, leave it out.
Being Too Long-Winded
A good best man speech is typically two to five minutes long. If it drags on too long, you risk losing the audience's attention.
Be concise, stay focused on your main points, and avoid going off on tangents.
Thanking too many People
Unless no one else is speaking from your side of the family, it’s not typically your responsibility to thank any specific person in particular.
Skip the laundry list of thank yous and get to the good stuff: the stories.
Not Practicing Enough
No one is enthralled by a speech that’s read straight from a piece of paper without any emotion.
Practice reciting your speech in front of a mirror or with a friend until you feel confident and sound captivating.
The best way to do this is to vary your tone, acknowledge your speed, and lean into your unique voice and personality.
By avoiding these common mistakes, you’ll ensure your best man speech is one that’s memorable, respectful, and truly reflects the bond you share with your brother.
