When Does the Best Man Give His Speech?

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Wedding speeches and toasts are one of the most anticipated aspects of the wedding reception. They become emotional and touched by the kind words of the father of the bride and become fun awaiting to see just how the best man will behave through his interesting speech. But when does the best man give his speech? Continue reading to find out how you can properly plan for the speeches during your reception.

When Does the Best Man Give His Speech?

Most couples will follow this simple guideline when it comes to the order of reception speeches.

  • The father of the bride: Most often the father of the bride will be the first to give a speech which traditionally takes place before dinner is served. He will usually be the one who welcomes and thanks the guests for attending such a special day. He, of course, will talk about his daughter and then present a toast to the newlyweds.

  • Groom: After dinner, the groom will give a speech in response to the father of the bride’s speech. He will give special thanks to the host as well as all of those who took a special part in planning the big day and will present a toast to the bridesmaids.

  • Best Man: When does the best man give his speech? Now is his turn! Traditionally after the groom’s speech, the best man will stand for his speech. The speech typically focuses on the groom and how they know each other. This can include a few embarrassing memories for a few good laughs.

This is just a brief version of what the traditional order of speeches can look like. Most often, the speeches and toast will consist of a number of people. The longer version of the speeches can look more like this:

  • The MC: The Master of Ceremonies will be the person who welcomes the guests to the reception and will announce the bridal party. They will also be the person who introduces the newlyweds for the first time.

  • Toast to the Father of the Bride: Typically, someone will introduce the father of the bride and toast him before he gives his speech.

  • Father of the Bride: This can also be the host of the reception.

  • Groom's Toast

  • Best Man's Speech

  • Toast to the Bride’s Parents: This can be done by the best man or another person part of the bridal party.

  • Father of the Bride Response

  • Toast to the Groom’s Parents: Traditionally done by the father of the bride.

  • Father of the Groom Response

  • Reading of important messages

  • Additional comments

  • The MC will round off the speeches by thanking the musicians and other vendors.

When does the best man give his speech will be solely up to the bride and groom. You can even let the best man give his speech first, just make sure he is aware of when he needs to be ready and in place. The best man can give his speech during the cocktail reception once all the guests have a drink in hand or once everyone has taken their seats for dinner. You can have the MC get everyone’s attention or the best man can simply clink his glass to get everyone to quiet down.

Be considerate, however, if you best man is terribly shy, you might not want to torture him into giving a speech. Your maid of honor or bridesmaid can fill in for the best man and toast both the bridesmaids and groomsmen. What really matters is that everyone that you want to thank is thanked. The speeches are just a part of the reception to help fill the room with more cheer, laughter and to liven up the atmosphere if needed.