The best man’s toast should be meaningful to the groom and entertaining for guests, with jokes being an important part. The best man should write down funny observations about the groom and ask for childhood stories. Jokes about the groom’s relationship with the bride are suitable, but references to past relationships should be avoided. Audience participation jokes are popular, but jokes about the groom’s ex should be avoided.
When it comes to toasting the best man, the best man’s goal should be to deliver a speech that is meaningful to the groom and entertaining for the guests. As such, jokes are often an important part of the best man’s toast, because they can punctuate serious feelings with lighthearted comic relief, making for a well-balanced speech. Whether the best man is comedic or a natural public speaker, he can still easily incorporate humor into the best man’s toast by telling anecdotes about the groom.
The first thing a best man should do to prepare good jokes for his toast is to write down all the funny observations that come to mind when thinking about the groom. What was the groom like when they met? Did he have any funny quirks, like weird collections, hobo habits? Did he have any funny features, like a mullet, big glasses or dyed clothes? If the best man hasn’t known the groom since childhood, it would be a good idea for him to ask the groom’s family what he was like as a child and get hold of some old photographs or stories of family members. Virtually all of the stories and photos from the past have comedic potential and appeal to both young and old.
Jokes involving the groom’s relationship with the bride from the best man’s point of view are also suitable for a toast with the best man. The best man should ask: Was the groom nervous when he started dating the bride? Did he do something funny to impress her? How has he changed since he and his wife became a couple? Anecdotes about the groom’s vulnerability and sensitive side can be both romantic and funny, and also reveal a different side of the groom that the audience may not be aware of.
As a general rule, the best man’s toast should contain little or no reference to the groom’s past relationships. While this scenario is common fodder for TV shows and movies, jokes about the groom’s ex-girlfriend or ex-wife should be avoided, particularly if any of her exes are present at the wedding. One joke that is popular during the best man’s toast, however, involves audience participation from the female guests. Before his speech, the witness distributes the keys to various female guests. At one point during his toast, the best man confirms that the groom is now “out of business” and asks all “women who have his room keys” to please come over and return them.
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