Top 12 Tips To Perfecting Your Wedding Speech

Top 12 Tips To Perfecting Your Wedding Speech

The day you and your spouse say "I do" is likely to rank high on your list of most memorable events. Because of this, it is traditional for a dear friend or family member to give a speech congratulating the couple on their marriage. If you find yourself in the position of having to make a public speech in front of a large, attentive audience, the notion can be nerve-wracking. Being well-prepared in terms of organisation, brevity, and rehearsal will pay dividends as the speechwriter.

Identify Your Strengths

Consider your advantages before you even start writing. Who are you, the class clown? The humour is missing. Who is the truth-teller? Don't be too flippant. What's with all the talk about the sap? Get some tissues.

It's fine to switch gears throughout the speech, but you should focus on the moments where your strengths will shine most. It's important that the speaker's personality shines through in the speech. Your speech will have more credibility if you remain authentic.

Present Yourself To The Audience.

Introduce yourself to the bridesmaids and the crowd first. Introduce yourself, your involvement in the wedding, and your relationship to the couple getting married. Some people in the audience may not know you, so it's important to explain your relationship to the couple and why you've been asked to speak at the wedding.

For the most part, the best man and maid of honour are expected to give speeches on behalf of the bridal party. At that point, the floor is sometimes opened up to whoever would like to make a brief statement.

You can just introduce yourself and quickly describe your relationship with the couple. Don't make it all about you. Never lose sight of the fact that the married couple is the intended audience for your speech.

Your Speech Tells A Story

Your speech should be viewed as a story. For something to be considered a story, it must have beginning, middle, and end elements. The introductory paragraph should introduce the topic, the body should provide supporting details, and the concluding paragraph should draw everything together. In speeches, bookends make for the best finishes. Speech magic happens when you make a clever, unexpected reference back to your initial phrase.

Begin With A Joke.

To break the ice and put everybody at ease (including yourself), start with a joke or funny story. In order to alleviate some of the anxiety associated with public speaking, it can be helpful to lighten the mood with humour right from the start. Having a good time while giving a speech is a surefire way to win over your audience and leave a lasting impression. Jokes should be used sparingly but effectively to ease the mood of the audience and keep them from becoming tense. Avoid making your speech into a stand-up routine.

Please don't make inappropriate jokes or comments. Your audience will consist of people of all ages, including kids. You may tell an amusing story about how the bride and groom first met, or share a childhood reminiscence about the groom.

Stay On Topic

It's tempting to throw every conceivable example into your talk. Don't give in! Choose an overarching concept and run with it. You should keep in mind that not everyone in the room is good at picking up new information through listening, and that everyone in the room has short attention spans. The use of a consistent theme can keep an audience interested since it serves to both direct and foreshadow the content that will be presented.

And if you really, truly, need to share that humiliating anecdote or list that laundry list of irrelevant qualities, put it in a card!

Share Your Thoughts About The Bride And Groom.

Spend the next hour thinking about some of the best times you've had with a special someone. It's safe to assume that you and the bride or groom go back a long way if you've been selected as best man or maid of honour. Explaining a poignant experience or sharing a humorous inside joke is a surefire way to make your audience feel something.

In order to make a more lasting impression on the bride and groom, guests should share personal anecdotes or recollections rather than generic compliments.

Identify Your Audience

Be aware of who is present. You never give a speech to just one person, save maybe at the end of the year or in a romantic comedy. There could be hundreds of people in the room, most of whom you've never seen before and who are only as well-known as the bride or groom. If you're having trouble coming up with a speech, just picture all those total strangers in the room. 

Neither "you probably don't remember that night where..." nor "and then you vomited on a cop's shoes" is ever a good way to start a sentence. It's okay to cross the line beyond "play-it-safe," but don't go too far into the territory of being embarrassing. Keep in mind that granny is bound to show up, and her gaze is hotter than the spotlight.

Remember Why You're There.

The traditional wedding has been mostly replaced by a more casual affair. Sometimes there aren't even chapels for a wedding to take place in, and when there are, the bride and husband traditionally stand on opposite sides. Don't make the speech all about the groom, even if he's the one who asked you to give it. Both of them can count on you since you care. Remember the bride as well, even if you remember the groom more vividly. Your role at the wedding is not that of best friend or fraternity brother to the groom, but rather that of an ambassador.

Keep It Short

Seriously.

Provide Advice Or Best Wishes For The Future.

Turn the attention of your speech back on the happy couple and their future together. Don't be shy about talking to the bride and groom. I hope they find success in life and are blessed with good health. Include a short story or quote to help illustrate the advice you're delivering if you like. A quote may be used at this point in the speech, but it should be concise, pertinent, and free of cliches.

Thank You To Everyone Who Came.

End the speech by expressing gratitude to the wedding party, including the bride and groom, the parents of the couple, the parents of the groom, the wedding party, and the wedding party's friends and family. Maintain a polite demeanour and make everyone feel like they are contributing to something truly exceptional. Request that everyone have a good time and share in the delight of the newlyweds. Humbleness shines through when you publicly thank those who made your wedding day possible. Say "thank you" in just a few words. There's no need to waste time naming everyone you appreciate.

You’ve Got This

That's the best advice Anybody can give you. Possess assurance. We've all heard the excuse, "I'm just not good at this," but the truth is that few people actually possess this ability. When performing, even Beyoncé has to channel her inner Sasha Fierce. Having said that, everyone is capable of channelling their inner Sasha; it's only a matter of finding it.  Those who have invited you to deliver this speech are confident in your abilities; it's time you realised it for yourself. Each of us has the potential to give a speech that is not just effective but also deeply moving and distinctive. Don't blow your chance to make a name for yourself.

Conclusion

Being asked to give a speech at a wedding can be nerve-wracking. Being well-prepared in terms of organisation, brevity, and rehearsal will pay dividends as the speechwriter. Having a good time while giving a speech is a surefire way to win over your audience. Jokes should be used sparingly but effectively to ease the mood of the audience. Remember that not everyone in the room is good at picking up new information through listening.

It's okay to cross the line beyond "play-it-safe," but don't go too far into the territory of being embarrassing. Your role at the wedding is not that of best friend or fraternity brother to the groom, but rather that of ambassador. Say "thank you" to everyone who made your wedding day possible. Maintain a polite demeanour and make everyone feel like they are contributing to something truly exceptional. Each of us has the potential to give a speech that is not just effective but also deeply moving and distinctive.

Content Summary

  1. As a result, it is customary for a close relative or friend to give a speech congratulating the newlyweds.
  2. As the speechwriter, it pays to be well-prepared in terms of organisation, brevity, and practise.
  3. Figure out what you're good at Don't just sit down and start writing without first weighing your advantages.
  4. The speech can shift focus at various points, but you should give special attention to the sections in which you can shine brightest.
  5. The speech should reflect the speaker's unique character.
  6. Make Yourself Known To The Viewers.
  7. Start by making your way through the crowd and introducing yourself to the bridesmaids.
  8. Be sure to introduce yourself, your role in the wedding, and your relationship to the happy couple.
  9. Since not everyone in attendance will be familiar with you, you should begin by introducing yourself to the guests and discussing your connection to the happy couple and the reason you were invited to deliver the wedding toast.
  10. Avoid making everything about you.
  11. Remember that your speech will be heard by a married pair.
  12. Your Words Have Meaning. Consider your talk as a narrative.
  13. Using humour at the outset of a speech can make the speaker feel more at ease and put them in a better frame of mind to deliver an effective presentation.
  14. One of the best ways to win over your audience and create an indelible impression is to enjoy yourself while delivering your speech.
  15. Don't try to make your speech into a comedy act.
  16. Please refrain from making any offensive comments or jokes.
  17. Refuse to cave!
  18. Pick a theme to build your argument around.
  19. As it guides and foreshadows the presentation's content, a continuous theme can help keep an audience engaged.
  20. Find Out Who You're Talking To Keep an eye on the company you keep.
  21. You shouldn't ever begin a statement with "you probably don't remember that night where..." or "and then you vomited on a cop's shoes."
  22. Even if the groom has asked you to give a speech, you shouldn't make it all about him.
  23. Keep the bride in mind, even if the groom stands out more in your mind.
  24. Instead of being the best man or fraternity brother of the groom, you'll be acting as an ambassador for the couple.
  25. Refocus your speech on the newlyweds and their plans for the future.
  26. Talk to the bride and groom, they won't mind.
  27. If you'd like, you can provide an example of the advise in action by telling a story or quoting an expert.
  28. Finish your speech by thanking everyone involved in the wedding: the bride and groom, the bride's and groom's families, the wedding party, and the guests.
  29. Invite everyone to celebrate the happy couple and enjoy themselves.
  30. Publicly acknowledging the contributions of others to your wedding day demonstrates true humility.
  31. Simply express your gratitude using a few words.
  32. There's no point in wasting time listing your gratitudes to individual people.
  33. Keep your chin up and be confident.
  34. Beyoncé, like the rest of us, has to get in the zone to perform.
  35. The people who asked you to give this speech are obviously confidence in you, and now it's time for you to believe it, too.
  36. We all have the ability to deliver a speech that is not only powerful, but also memorable and original.
  37. Don't squander this golden opportunity.

FAQs About Wedding Speech

If one set of parents is hosting the wedding, it is customary for them to deliver a speech or toast during the reception. Additionally, the parents are obligated to greet visitors and express gratitude for their presence at the wedding. There is also the option for all parents to stand up for a toast and say a few things individually or for one person to speak on their behalf.

To keep things concise and stick to your wedding timeline, Imberman recommends limiting speeches to just the VIPs, which includes the best man speech, the maid of honour speech, and the parent speeches. And, as a bonus, some couples also opt to give a bride's and groom's speeches, but that's up to you.

It is required that no more than six persons speak during each speech. After you've finished the appetiser:

  • Have three people speak.
  • Serve the main course and after that.
  • Have another three people speak.

You want your presentations to be engaging and get right to the point, rather than going on and on about irrelevant details, because otherwise your audience may become disinterested.

The last thing you want is for the speeches to go on for too long and cut into other things that are scheduled on the agenda, such as eating dinner and cutting the cake.

They suggest that a decent rule of thumb is to limit the total amount of time spent on the reception's speech section to a maximum of twenty minutes. From that point on, you will be able to allocate those minutes to each of the individual speakers.

The speeches given at weddings are a crucial component of any wedding. They encouraged everyone in the wedding party and the guests to talk about the tremendous feelings the upcoming event was giving them. The most memorable speeches from weddings live on in our minds, and we are constantly reminded of the importance of that special day for everyone involved.

About The Author

Google Rating
4.6
Based on 480 reviews
js_loader
Google Rating
4.6
Based on 480 reviews
js_loader
Scroll to Top