Wedding Speeches
Tips on How to Write a Wedding
Speech
Wedding speeches are an essential part of any
wedding. However not all of us are used to making speeches
in our everyday
lives. It is quite normal to get stuck on what to say on this important day. The last thing you want is
to mess up your own or your best friend's wedding. So what should you say? How do you make
a toast? No matter if you are the bride, groom, bestman, bridesmaid or the parent of the new
couple, you are likely be required to make a speech. Therefore it is a good
idea to put in some thoughts into
the speech you are going to make. Here are some basic ideas to get you started:
1. Consider to
whom you are toasting.
You can toast to whomever you want, of course, but
if the wedding is formal or traditional, there might be some conventions you're not aware of. Ask around. Here are
some guidelines:
- best man toasts to the
bride
- maid of honor toasts to the
groom
- father of the bride toast to the
couple
- bride and groom toast to their parents and
guests
2. Clarify your relationship to the
couple
Some people at the wedding might not know who you
are, so making this clear at the beginning will avoid any confusion.
3. Give Thanks
Show gratitude to whoever is hosting the wedding,
whether it's the parents of the bride or the couple themselves. E.g. "Thank you for welcoming us to this happy
occasion, and sharing your joy with us today."
4. Share an Anecdote
Stories of how various parties met are
always popular, whether you talk about how the bride and groom met or your first time meeting either of them. Here
are more ideas:
- The first time the bride or groom told you
about meeting their partner.
- The first time you realized these people were
an important part of your life.
- A time you got through something together,
whether challenging or fun.
- The story you are looking forward to telling
their kids one day.
- The way you have seen the bride or groom
change for the better since they met.
- When you’re 90 and looking back, what would
you say of your friendship?
- Tell a story of some specific detail or action
that exemplifies why this person is special in this world, and to you in particular.
- If you were given three wishes for the couple,
what would they be? Be careful with the use of clichés here. Don’t use wishes you’ve heard
before.
- Tell about the time your friend saw you
through an embarrassing moment. (Careful. Consider the audience).
- If it’s a second marriage and there are
children involved, consider a toast referencing the newly created family.
5. Offer a Compliment
Say something nice about the person (or couple) you
are toasting to. Although your intentions might be good, don't go on and on about how great a person is; instead,
choose a few appreciate adjectives that go a long way (e.g. "he's generous, intelligent, and
kind").
6. End the toast on a positive
note
Offer a wish, a traditional toast, or a blessing.
Here are some ideas:
- Here's to the groom, a man who keeps his head
though he loses his heart.
- May she share everything with her husband,
including the housework.
- My greatest wish for the two of you is that
through the years your love for each other will so deepen and grow, that years from now you will look back on
this day, your wedding day, as the day you loved each other the least.
- May 'for better or worse' be far better than
worse.
- Here's to the groom with bride so fair, And
here's to the bride with groom so rare!
- May I see you grey, and combing your
grandchildren's hair.
- May you live each day like your last, and live
each night like your first.
- May you see each other through many dark days,
and make all the rest a little brighter.
- To keep your marriage brimming, with love in
the wedding cup, whenever you're wrong, admit it; whenever you're right, shut up.
- I would like to make a toast to lying,
stealing, cheating and drinking. If you're going to lie, lie for a friend. If you're going to steal, steal a
heart. If your going to cheat, cheat death. And if you're going to drink, drink with me.
6. Indicate The Ending Of The Toast
Finish off with a phrase that's to be repeated by
the guests. For example: "Let us now toast the happiness of Jill and Jack. To Jill and Jack!"
Sample Wedding Speech/Wedding Toast, Best Man to the
Bride
Good evening,
everybody. My name is Tim, and I've had the pleasure of having Kevin as my closest friend for seven years. I'm
honored to be his best man today, and I'd like to offer a toast to his beautiful bride, Alicia. I'm grateful for
the opportunity to be here to witness their union, and I'd like to thank her parents, John and Alison, for their
grace in welcoming us tonight.
The first time Kevin told me he was seeing
Alicia, he didn't even have to tell me anything about her--I knew this
girl was different. I could tell from the way his eyes lit up when his phone rang, and it was her. Till that point,
I'd never seen him get that excited about anything except football! Then...Kevin started
changing. All of a sudden, he had a bounce in his step, a twinkle in his
eye, and grin on his face--and he always offered me the last beer instead of hoarding it up for himself!
Since he started seeing Alicia, Kevin has been more considerate, thoughtful and motivated than
ever.
Alicia, you have
deepened Kevin's appreciation for life in way I never could've predicted. He is steadfast, honest and downright
good-looking, and you are his match in every way: dedicated, genuine, and beautiful, inside and out. Thanks to your
presence in his life, Kevin is not only a better friend; he's a better person all
around.
Let's toast to
the health, happiness and future of this amazing bride. To Alicia!
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