The speech was completed by Brayden's mother who wanted him to be a part of the big day.
From organizing the bachelor party to coordinating the wedding arrangements and serving as a point of contact between the groom and his bride, the best man plays a crucial role. A man named Brayden, who was supposed to be the best man at his friend’s wedding, delivered his speech even thought he passed away before the big day. The video of Brayden’s speech was recently posted by u/copitamenstrual in the r/MadeMeCry group.
The poem recited by Brayden left all the guests emotional and reduced the groom to tears. The couple in question were Zane and Eliza Galway from Shellharbour, New South Wales, who got married in April 2024 in the NSW South Coast. Brayden signed up for the speech as “Your Best Man from Above.” According to Bristol Live. The tender moment when Zane received Brayden’s special poem, was captured by their wedding photographer Mitch Hickman, who posted it on his Instagram account, from where it started making rounds on the internet.
Mitch revealed on the Instagram post that this poem was specially crafted by Brayden’s mom who wanted to make sure that her son was still a part of Zane’s wedding. The message was delivered in the best man's voice through the use of AI. As Zane and Eliza sat there, with a wood-paneled backdrop, hand in hand, Brayden’s speech resonated through the wedding hall, “Hey mate, Brayden here. Just thought I would send a few words for your big day. I was to stand beside you as your best man and take the p*** as I only can,” Brayden’s AI voice said.
The best man continued reciting his poem, “We met at St John’s like our mums in 82, our mums became friends and luckily we did too. I was the brains, you were a bit slow, you repeated kindy three years in a row. We both played footy, some said it was dumb, me a Canary, you for red scum.” As the atmosphere became warmer with nostalgia, Brayden’s speech continued, “Then we got older and stayed great mates, we went down the Van and you got people thrown out the gates. We would get on the drink and bare our cute bums, and then all of a sudden there’d be nudie runs.”
The speech included more moments that the two best friends had spent together. “We’d run as fast as we could, trying not to hurl. People saw our bits and thought you were a girl. Enjoy this moment, it’s your big day, a surprise to us all, we thought you were gay.” Concluding the heartfelt speech, Brayden’s AI voice said, “And Eliza for you, please touch his hair ‘cause look at his dad, there’s not much there. I know you can’t see me, hope you’re feeling my love. Enjoy your night, your best man from above.” According to Bristol Live, Brayden passed away suddenly due to Meningococcal B.
View this post on Instagram
On Reddit, the tearjerker clip has received 7,000 upvotes. People said that the phrase “your best man from above” in Brayden’s speech hit hard. Others are reflecting on how Brayden’s AI speech reflected what “true friendship” means. u/unclewombie commented, “I would have been a mess hearing that.” u/brownmundey, who seemed to be deeply impacted by the speech, said, “Losing friendships while you grow is the worst feeling. Called my best friends after watching this.”