How to Start a Groomsman Speech
A groomsman speech is a little tricky: you're at the mic, the best man has already gone (or is about to), and half the room is wondering who you are and why you're talking. Knowing how to start a groomsman speech is really about solving three problems in the first 20 seconds — introduce yourself, stake out a fresh angle, and hook the room without stepping on the best man's material.
This post runs through seven opener strategies specifically built for groomsmen, with example lines you can steal and adapt. We'll cover how to coordinate with the best man, what to do about length, and the openings that consistently backfire at weddings.
Table of Contents
- What Makes a Groomsman Opener Different
- 1. The Quick Intro + Specific Angle
- 2. Open With a Scene From the Group
- 3. The "Best Man Missed This One" Opener
- 4. A Short, Earned Roast
- 5. Lead With a Shared Era
- 6. The Callback Opener
- 7. One Sincere Line
- Coordinating With the Best Man
- Common Groomsman Speech Opening Mistakes
- FAQ
What Makes a Groomsman Opener Different
You're not the best man. That's not a downgrade — it's a different job. The best man usually does the big-picture arc of the groom's life. You get to zoom in on a specific slice: the roommate years, the college band, the rugby team, the coworker stretch. Your opener's job is to tell the room which slice you own.
The truth is: the groomsmen who nail this come off better than the best man in a lot of rooms. You're less scripted, less expected, and you have a shorter runway — which forces you to be sharper.
1. The Quick Intro + Specific Angle
The cleanest opener: one sentence to introduce yourself, one sentence to claim your angle.
Example: "I'm Marcus. Alex and I have been roommates, bandmates, and occasional adversaries since the fall of 2015 — which means I'm the one qualified to tell you what he's actually like before 9 a.m."
Why this works: guests now know exactly who you are, the angle is specific, and the last line promises something the best man probably didn't cover.
2. Open With a Scene From the Group
Drop the audience into a specific memory that involves the whole group of groomsmen or a shared experience.
Example: "There's a gas station outside of Asheville that has a security camera with nine years of footage of the five of us buying gummy worms at 2 a.m. on the way home from every road trip we've ever taken. I'm telling you that because Alex drove every single one of those trips, and never once complained about the playlist."
Here's the thing: this kind of scene immediately tells the room this is a real friendship, not a generic wedding speech.
3. The "Best Man Missed This One" Opener
If the best man has already spoken, you can call back to their speech — respectfully — and add something they didn't cover.
Example: "Dan gave a great speech, and he got most of the highlights. But he missed one — which I'm going to fix now, because it's the story that made me sign up to be a groomsman the second Alex asked."
Quick note: only do this if the best man has actually already gone. If you're before them, skip it.
4. A Short, Earned Roast
Groomsmen can usually get away with a slightly sharper joke than a best man, because you're not carrying the full emotional weight of the speech.
Example: "When Alex asked me to be a groomsman, he said, and I quote, 'I need someone who'll make sure I don't do anything stupid at the bachelor party.' Reader — he picked the wrong groomsman."
Keep it affectionate and short. One joke, then pivot to the sincere angle.
5. Lead With a Shared Era
If you know the groom from a specific chapter — college, first job, kids' soccer team, military — open by planting a flag in that era.
Example: "Alex and I met in a basement rehearsal room at Ohio State in 2016. He was the drummer. I was the guy nobody wanted to let near a drum kit. Somehow, that led to the next nine years of friendship — and I still haven't been allowed near his drum kit."
The era is the frame for the rest of the speech. It also tells the room exactly which stories are coming.
6. The Callback Opener
A callback opener works when there's a phrase, inside joke, or line the couple will instantly recognize — one the whole room will lean into once you explain it.
Example: "Alex — before I start, I want to say two words that will either make you laugh or make you walk out. Ready? 'Orange cones.' Good, you're still here. Let me explain to everyone else what that means."
Use this only if the callback is something you can explain in under 30 seconds. If it needs a long setup, it's not the right opener.
7. One Sincere Line
Sometimes the best groomsman opener is the shortest one. A single, sincere sentence about the groom.
Example: "Alex is the friend who shows up. Every time, on time, usually with coffee. That's the story I want to tell you about."
Short openers stand out at a wedding where every other speech is trying to be clever. If sincere is your lane, own it from the first sentence.
Coordinating With the Best Man
But wait — before you commit to your opener, send one text to the best man the week of the wedding. Ask two things:
- What's their opening angle?
- What one story are they definitely telling?
This 60-second conversation prevents the two of you from telling the same camping trip story back to back. If you want a fuller sense of how the whole groomsman speech should be structured around the best man's, groomsman speech outline and structure has a clear framework.
It also helps to check groomsman speech length: how long should it be? so your opener is proportional. A 40-second opener on a 2-minute speech is one-third of the runtime — way too long.
Common Groomsman Speech Opening Mistakes
A few openers that consistently underperform:
- Repeating the best man's joke — a sign you didn't check.
- "I'll keep this short…" followed by five minutes. Either keep it short or don't announce it.
- Apologizing for not being the best man. Guests do not care about the hierarchy. Don't plant that thought.
- Opening with a drink reference. Even casual weddings don't love it.
- A group introduction ("So, the groomsmen are…"). That's the MC's job, not yours.
If you're worried your material leans too harsh, groomsman speech dos and don'ts has a clear test for whether a joke will land or sting. And if the speech itself is giving you trouble beyond just the opener, funny groomsman speech ideas has material that tends to work in real rooms.
One more thing: a groomsman speech opener works best when it sounds like you — not like a wedding speech template. If your friends would laugh reading your first line out loud over text, you're in good shape. If the line sounds like something a wedding website would generate, rewrite it until it doesn't.
FAQ
Q: How is a groomsman speech opening different from a best man's?
A groomsman usually has less time (2 to 4 minutes vs. 5 to 8 for the best man) and shouldn't duplicate the best man's angles. Your opener should establish a different relationship to the groom — roommate, cousin, coworker, childhood friend — in the first line.
Q: Should I coordinate my opening with the best man?
Yes. A 60-second text the week before avoids the two of you opening with the same story or joke. It also helps you stake out a different angle so the speeches feel like a team, not a repeat.
Q: How long should a groomsman speech opening be?
20 to 30 seconds. Since the whole speech is shorter, the opening has to move fast — introduce yourself, establish your angle, hook the room, done.
Q: Is it okay to be funnier than the best man?
Absolutely. There's no rule that says the best man gets all the laughs. If humor is your natural lane, lean into it — just make sure the jokes are affectionate, not cutting.
Q: Do I need to introduce myself?
Short intro, yes. Most guests won't know who you are. One sentence: name, how you know the groom, and something specific enough to prove it. "I'm Marcus — Alex and I have been roommates, bandmates, and occasional adversaries since 2015."
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