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Speech examples

Best man speech template: fill in five blanks

A fill-in best man speech template with five blanks, live word count and minutes, and a rehearsal checklist. Copy it when done. Free to copy.

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Type the word count of your draft. We use 130 words per minute as our assumption for speaking pace.

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A best man speech has five parts: who you are, one story about the groom, how his partner changed things, what you have noticed in the two of them, and a toast. Fill in the five blanks above and you have a draft. The finished example below runs 263 words, about two minutes.

You do not need to be funny. You need one true story and a clear last line.

Template list of five fill-in sentences

Each sentence below has a blank, a word budget and an example answer. The budget is our suggestion, not a rule. The example speaker is Sam, the groom is Dan, and the partner is Priya.

  1. Who you are. “I’m [your name], and I’ve known [groom] since [when and where], when [one small thing he did].” Budget: about 40 words. Example answer: Sam met Dan in seventh grade, when Dan ate half his pretzels.
  2. The one story. “[Groom] is the most [trait] person I know, and I can prove it. When [specific moment], he [what he did].” Budget: about 80 words. Example answer: loyal, and a midnight flat tire two hours from campus.
  3. The partner. “Then [partner] showed up. [Three things you saw change.] [One thank-you to them].” Budget: about 55 words. Example answer: Dan cleaned his car, learned one recipe and now texts back within the hour.
  4. What you have noticed. “Here is what I have learned watching you two. [One true observation about how they treat each other].” Budget: about 55 words. Example answer: they argue about the thermostat and still leave each room better.
  5. The toast. “So please raise a glass. To [both names]: may [one wish], [one wish], and [one image from your story].” Budget: about 25 words. Example answer: lunches that run long and pretzels that are always shared.

The order matters more than the wording. The story sits second so the room is paying attention when you reach the part that counts. The toast comes last so people know when to stand.

Two hands clinking glasses of red wine against a soft green background, the toast that closes a best man speech
Photo: Manuel Alejandro Cayetano Ruiz, Unsplash

The finished speech these five answers make

Here are Sam’s answers joined into one speech. Paragraph word counts sit under each block, so you can see where the time goes.

Example: the finished speech, 263 words (estimate at 130 words per minute)

Good evening, everyone. I’m Sam, and I’ve known Dan since the first week of seventh grade, when he sat down next to me at lunch and ate half my pretzels without asking. Twenty years later, I’m still waiting to be repaid. (41 words, about 19 seconds)

Dan is the most loyal person I know, and I can prove it. In college, my car broke down two hours from campus at midnight. I called him because I had nobody else to call. He drove out in his pajamas, held a flashlight for an hour, and said nothing about the chemistry exam he had at eight. He failed it. He has never once brought it up. That is Dan. He shows up first and keeps the receipts to himself. (81 words, about 37 seconds)

Then Priya showed up. Dan started smiling at his phone. He cleaned his car, inside and out. He learned exactly one recipe and cooked it for everyone, asked or not. I have never seen him this happy, and honestly, it is a little annoying. Priya, thank you for that. He now returns my texts within the hour. (57 words, about 26 seconds)

Here is what I have learned watching you two. You argue about the thermostat, you laugh at the same terrible jokes, and you each leave the room better than you found it. Nobody taught you that. You just do it, every day, and it looks easy. It is not. That is why I’m proud to stand here. (57 words, about 26 seconds)

So please raise a glass. To Dan and Priya: may your lunches run long, your road trips stay short, and may the pretzels always be shared. Cheers. (27 words, about 12 seconds)

Total: 263 words, about 2 minutes at 130 words per minute.

Notice what is missing. There is no list of every trip, no inside joke the room cannot follow, and no advice about marriage. The story does the work. The pretzels come back at the end, which makes the toast feel earned.

What the minutes look like

You can write by words or by minutes. This table converts between them.

Table: Words and speaking time at 130 words per minute (our estimate, assumptions below)

MinutesWordsWhat fits
1130Blanks one and five only, a short toast
2260This template as written
3390Template plus a second short story
4520Two stories and a callback
5650The top of the published range

We assume 130 words per minute, a relaxed pace for a nervous speaker. A slower speaker matters here: virtualspeech.com reports a median of 111 words per minute for practice talks, and at 110 the 263-word example runs about 2.4 minutes. Zola says best man speeches run two to five minutes and that one minute or less can feel rushed. Bridebook puts the best man at about five. Our pick is three minutes or less. Your couple’s order of speeches may set a firmer cap.

The five-blank template as written fills two minutes, 260 words, and each extra minute buys 130 more.

Speech minutes against words for the best man template: 1 min 130 words; 2 min 260 words; 3 min 390 words; 4 min 520 words; 5 min 650 words.
Minutes to words for the template

Eight ways to write blank one

The opening is where most drafts stall. Pick the one closest to how you talk, then rewrite it in your own voice.

Example: eight openers for blank one, with word counts

  1. “I’m Sam, and Dan asked me to speak tonight mostly because I am the only person who has seen him cry at a movie.” (24 words)
  2. “For anyone who does not know me, I’m Sam, Dan’s best friend since seventh grade. Dan will tell you I am the funny one. He is being generous.” (28 words)
  3. “Good evening. I’m Sam, and I have one job tonight: say nice things about Dan before the cake comes out.” (20 words)
  4. “Dan asked me to share a dorm room with him eleven years ago. I’m Sam, and I said yes without reading the form.” (23 words)
  5. “Hello, I’m Sam, Dan’s brother. I have known him longer than anyone here, including Priya, and I have the photos to prove it.” (23 words)
  6. “I’m Sam. Before I start, a quick note. Dan has approved this speech. He has not read it.” (18 words)
  7. “Good evening. I’m Sam, and Dan gave me three rules for tonight: be kind, be short, and do not mention Cancun.” (21 words)
  8. “Dan and Priya, family and friends, thank you for being here. I’m Sam, and this is the best seat I have had all year.” (24 words)

Pair a joke opener with a sincere closer. A sincere opener can end on a joke. Mixing the two keeps the room with you.

How to fill each blank with your own details

Blank one needs one fact only you know. Where you met is better than how long you have been friends. If you are his sibling, the brother version of this speech shows how to use stories only a sibling has.

Blank two is the hard one. Ask yourself which story shows his character without explaining it. If the story needs a paragraph of setup, pick a different one. For help choosing between shared stories, see how to tell a story you both lived.

Blank three should be generous and short. Name what you observed, not what you assume. “He cleaned his car” is an observation. “He is in love” is a conclusion the room already knows.

Blank four is a single true sentence about the two of them. Skip marriage advice. If you want a joke here, read the rules for jokes that land first.

Blank five is the toast. Say both names, keep it under two sentences, and finish on the glass. Insideweddings says a toast runs a minute or two at most, so it should be the shortest part.

What not to say

These are the lines that sink best man speeches. Each comes with the reason.

  • Stories about exes. The partner is in the room, and so are their parents.
  • Anything that needs “you had to be there.” Most of the room was not.
  • Bachelor party details. Even the funny ones. The couple’s grandparents are listening.
  • Jokes about the marriage failing. They land badly and get repeated for years.
  • A thank-you list. That is the hosts’ job, not yours.
  • Reading from your phone with the screen glowing. Print the draft. Paper does not run out of battery.
  • Going past your slot. Dinner is getting cold, and the next speaker is waiting.
  • Alcohol as a plan. One drink steadies some people. Three makes the speech longer and worse.

When in doubt, ask whether you would say it with the groom’s mother standing next to you. If not, cut it.

Rehearsal checklist

Tick these off in the week before the wedding. Each one takes minutes, and together they remove most of the stress of standing up.

  1. Read the draft aloud once, cold, with a timer running.
  2. Cut a story, not a sentence from every paragraph, if you run over.
  3. Read it a second time standing up, holding the paper.
  4. Ask one person who knows the groom to check names, dates and the facts of the story.
  5. Mark two pause points on the page, after the story and before the toast.
  6. Print a clean copy in large type, plus one spare in your jacket.
  7. Ask the couple for your slot and whether the microphone is handheld.
  8. Say the toast line three times until it comes without looking.

If you want a quicker format for the rehearsal dinner, the short toast formula fits into a minute. If you are unsure which template fits a different speaker, the role-neutral version covers anyone the couple asks.

Draft your vows
Best man speech template with five fill-in blanks on a tilted paper card, finished draft of 263 words and a speaking time of about 2 minutes

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Questions people ask

What is the format of a best man speech?

Most best man speeches run in this order. You introduce yourself, tell one story about the groom, turn to the couple, say what you have noticed about them together, and close with a toast. The five-blank template above follows that order, so each blank maps to one step.

How do I outline a best man speech?

Write one line per step before you write any full sentence. Who you are, the single story, how the partner changed things, one thing you admire in the two of them, and the toast. Then give each line a time budget. If the story is not clearly the longest line, shorten something else.

Can I use a template for a best man speech?

Yes, as long as the details are yours. A template gives you the order and the timing. It cannot supply the story about your friend, and guests can tell when that part is generic. Fill every blank with a real name, place or moment, and the result will sound like you.

How long should a best man speech be?

Published advice puts it between two and five minutes, and one minute or less can feel rushed. At 130 words per minute, our own assumption, that is roughly 260 to 650 words. For most rooms, aim near three minutes and stop while people are still smiling.

Who speaks first at a wedding reception?

Traditionally the best man goes first, shortly after guests are seated, then the maid of honor and the hosting parents. The couple sets the real order, so ask them for your slot, and ask whether you will have a handheld microphone before you decide how to hold your notes.

Sources

Updated by bigdaydesk editorial

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