To Joke Or Not To Joke

Should you use jokes in your best man speech?

Toastmasters will recommend a joke in most public speaking engagements, but when it comes to weddings, it’s a bit of a murky subject. As far as best man speech tips are concerned, you’ll need to reflect on a few things. First, you need to know your audience and how they will react. Second, you should be someone with experience in telling a good joke. Lastly, ask yourself why you would be telling the joke. Consider these factors carefully before making your decision.

Weighing Best Man Speech Jokes for the Audience

There’s a time and a place for everything and that goes double for telling best man speech jokes. If you know most of the people in attendance, you probably have a good gauge of their sense of humor and what might be appropriate. Do your research and find something non offensive and short, preferably something that relates to the occasion. On the other hand, if you know only a handful of guests or in a worst case scenario just the groom and bride, you will want to stay away from anything even hinting at questionable humor. In this case, it’s wise to cut straight to the chase and skip the jokes.

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Experience is a Must

In the case where you don’t have much experience saying anything in front of a crowd of people, especially jokes, you may want to reconsider. A good joke relies not as much on the punch line as how it is delivered. Timing, stresses, and reacting to the audience all go into a well told joke. Not having the confidence to deliver these elements will only leave an uncomfortable silence in the room. If however you feel you have mastered the art of public humor and have an appropriate joke, feel free to write it in to your speech.

Why Are You Telling Best Man Speech Jokes?

Always remember that the best man speech is about the bride and groom and not about you. You are not the focal point of the evening, so if your decision to tell a joke highlights your attributes but has nothing to do with the occasion, leave them out. The humor in your best man speech should be toward the goal of celebrating the event, not to show how witty and funny you are. Take your time in this case and decide what the priorities are. You might like to also read our article about How To Give A Memorable Best Man Speech here.