How To Write a Great Wedding Speech
Writing a great wedding speech is not a fine art! As a wedding photographer I have the privilege of hearing some of the best wedding speeches! Some are downright hilarious, and others are a blend of funny and tear jerking. It’s always best if you can meet somewhere in the middle. Often, people get very anxious about writing their speeches (so we’ve heard!) so we decided to put together a few tips for your speech debut! After all, a great wedding speech makes for amazing photographs!
Before You Start Writing Your Wedding Speech
Start off by writing down thoughts freely about the bride and groom and your relationship to them. Don’t worry about having an exact plan or idea, just start with jot notes. Your wedding speech won’t be great right off the bat, it will evolve if you take the time.
- How do you know the couple?
- Why did they choose you as best man or maid or honour? Not applicable if you are a parent.
- How would you describe each of them? Write down the first few adjectives that come to your mind.
- What was the groom like before he met the bride? How has he changed knowing her?
- How did they meet? How did the groom tell you about her?
- If you are married, you may wish to think about marriage advice you’ve received or have learned.
- Are there any particularly amusing anecdotes that illustrate who the bride and/or groom is?
- Read through this gallery of sample classic wedding toasts and highlight any that seem particularly appropriate to you.
- Once you’ve done that, it’s time to craft those ideas into a heartfelt and entertaining toast.
The Beginning to Writing a Great Wedding Speech
You should start off by introducing yourself since not everyone will know who you are. You might say “Excuse me everyone, if I could have your attention for a moment. I’d like to take a few moments to say a few words about our bride and groom. I’m John Doe, Ryan’s best man and longtime good friend (or brother, son, etc.)” To get people’s attention, you might insert a quick joke here or a quote about marriage. Before you get too far into your speech, you should thank the people hosting, traditionally the parents of the bride. If the bride and groom are paying for the wedding themselves, simply say, “We’re all delighted to be here today on this joyous occasion.”
The Middle of the Wedding Speech
This is a good time to use those notes you wrote down initially. Tell a funny (not humiliating) story about the bride and/or groom, give your thoughts on love and marriage, tell the story of how they met, or talk about how you’ve seen them change for the better through their relationship. While you may know the groom or bride better, try to make your toast balanced, speaking about each of them. Try not to talk too long as nobody wants to hear you ramble, but do give some interesting details. At all costs, avoid ex-girlfriend stories and keep it rated PG for kids and grandmothers in the room! Most of all, if you are sincere about what you are saying, and your words come from the heart, it’s hard to go wrong.
The Closing of a Great Wedding Speech
It’s often good to finish a toast with a wish, traditional toast, or blessing for the bride and groom. Raise your glass with a resounding congratulations, cheers, and don’t forget to drink to your own toast! (It’s good luck to do so!)
Write your toast down on a notecard or two and practice it a few times in front of the mirror so that you’re not reading straight from the card. You may also wish to run your toast by a friend or spouse who can give you some feedback.
Now it’s time to relax, enjoy the wedding, and support your friends on this momentous occasion!
Additional Tips When Giving a Wedding Speech
Speak loud and clear, even if you’re nervous. The nerves will fade after a few moments. Hopefully you’ll have a microphone, but even if you don’t you’ll need to make sure to enunciate. Make sure your breath and strength of voice come from your stomach, and your speech will be audible and great!
Don’t drink too much before your speech! A drink or two might help loosen you up, but more than that and you’ll just look and sound silly. You don’t want to embarrass yourself or the happy couple.
Don’t read straight from the card. These are supposed to be heart-felt words, not a script. Of course, you can have your notes handy, just remember to make eye-contact with the people you are speaking to. A good tip is to look up from your note card after every important note, after every few sentences or whenever you mention a particular person’s name.
Stand nice and straight. This is an important day and moment—and your posture should reflect that. Plus: you want to look good in those wedding photos, right? Part of a great wedding speech doesn’t include slouching over.
If you lose your notes, get teary eyed, pause for a moment and then continue. It’s okay to apologize for taking a moment to compose yourself and continue reading!
Extra Resources to Help You Write a Great Wedding Speech
- Wikihow for a great step by step easy to follow guide.
- DailyMail for a professional viewpoint.
- The Knot for a maid of honour or bridesmaid perspective.
- Wikihow for a step by step best man or groomsmen perspective.
Hopefully this list is a helpful introduction in how to write a great wedding speech! Take a deep breath, and have fun writing. For more blogs about a variety of topics on planning your wedding visit my blog site.
xo,
Nicole Sarah
Need more inspiration? Check out this beautiful garden party wedding in Calgary!
