How to write the best wedding speech ever

Feeling a Bit Tongue-Tied as You Plan Your Big Day?

The thought of giving a speech at a wedding should not be as daunting as you are making it out to be. If you’re feeling like calling off the wedding altogether, here’s a speech outline to help you get through it.

Few people take pleasure in having to speak in public. The most dreaded aspect of any wedding is the speech given by either the bride’s or groom’s parents, so we’ve provided some tips on how to make it memorable. So long as this is helpful, we’ll consider it a success. Too busy with life to really plan your wedding in detail? Have someone else do it for you and check out our list of Wedding Planners in Melbourne to help take the stress away.

FAQs About Weddings Speeches

What Is the Goal of a Wedding Speech?

The wedding speeches are usually the bridge between the formal wedding ceremony and the onset of the reception. The wedding speech is usually seen as an opportunity for the speech maker to wish, on behalf of himself and his family, all happiness to the newly married couple.

What Order Should Speeches Be Made at a Wedding?

You can do whatever works for you with your wedding speeches, but the traditional order of wedding speeches is as follows: father of the bride, groom, best man and then other toasts. It’s becoming increasingly popular for brides and maids of honour to make speeches too!

How Do You End a Wedding Speech?

“The end of a wedding speech should summarize the feeling of the speech and the occasion,” Chertoff says. “The speaker may want to ask everyone to raise a glass to toast the couple – or they may want to end by saying how much they love the newlyweds.” It’s really that simple.

Who Speaks First at Weddings?

Whoever is hosting the event should speak first and should take the microphone as soon as guests have found their seats. This first toast is most often made by the parents (or father) of the bride and should combine both a toast to the happy couple and a welcome message to the guests.

How Do You Start an Opening Speech for an Event?

Start with something like this: “Good morning/afternoon/evening. Thank you to each and every one of you for being here with us today. We are pleased to be able to welcome those of you that have been with us for years now as well as those of you who are new to the (group/community/association/etc.).”

 

Who Makes a Speech?

The best man isn’t the only person expected to stand up and deliver at a wedding reception; traditionally, the groom and the bride’s father also make a speech. The talks are open to both sexes. It’s not uncommon for multiple bridal party members to make speeches, including the bride, the mother of the bride, and the head bridesmaid.

There are no hard and fast guidelines for delivering an effective speech.

However, there is a set protocol that wedding speakers are expected to follow:

• The groom’s father speaks first.
• After the bride comes to the husband.
• After that, the top candidate

Although toasts are typically given after the wedding reception meal, you may find it more convenient to have them before dinner. Nerves can be a bit of a downer at mealtime, so this will be a hit with the more uneasy public speakers.

If you go the more conventional way, the lunch will help set the mood for your guests to be more receptive to your jokes, especially during the best man’s speech.

Start Preparing Early

If you want to say something at the reception, it’s important that you put some thought into what you want to say and spend time drafting it. Preparation is the key to a successful speech, and writing a few lines down the night before the wedding is not going to cut it. You should begin working on your speech at least a few weeks before the wedding if you want it to go over well. When it comes to your special day, Vines of the Yarra Valley has proven itself to be an iconic wedding venue and function centre in Melbourne

Think Who Your Audience Is.

You may be the life of the party on a Friday night at the local bar, but this is a wedding. Keep in mind that there may be younger listeners or older listeners who aren’t into the boy banter. The best speeches I’ve ever heard were delivered by people who weren’t aiming to be the next Jimmy Carr, but were instead really passionate about the subject at hand.

Create the address for the group as well. If you must joke, try not to utilise too many inside jokes that only a select few people in the room will get. The rest of the party-goers will soon stop paying attention to you.

Make Sure Everyone Can Hear You.

Nothing is more embarrassing than giving a speech to a large crowd and having just 20% of the people there really hear what you have to say. The guests’ attention will wander, and the noise of their conversations will soon drown out what’s left of your speech.

Test Your Speech

See what a friend or partner thinks of the speech before you give it. The advice of another person could reveal useful insights you had overlooked.
They may also be able to point out the parts that they found unconvincing or unnecessary.

Time Your Speech

A speech that is too short may come across as unpleasant or impersonal, while one that is too long runs the danger of boring the audience. You should also estimate how long the other speakers will speak. Because the father will likely go on and on, you may want to keep your speech brief; nevertheless, if you’re a natural orator, they’ll be looking to you to set the tone and lead the celebration.

The average presentation length is five minutes, which is more than enough time to make your point and leave the audience satisfied. Exceeding 10 minutes is not recommended unless you plan to use devices such as a video, quiz, or “surprise” to keep the audience engaged.

To avoid rambling on for too long when delivering your prepared speech, pacing yourself while you practise is a good idea. The guests have probably been sitting for the better part of 90 minutes by this point in the wedding breakfast, despite your best efforts to keep things on schedule, and the sweet cart outside is calling their names.

What to Say

Speeches are governed by a set of established norms and customs. Speeches should generally adhere to traditions so everyone knows what to expect and that repeated expressions of gratitude are avoided.

Another factor is the speaker’s attitude. It is customary for the father of the bride to provide a heartfelt toast, the groom to express his gratitude and candour, and the best man to provide some lighthearted entertainment throughout his speech. The trick is to add to what others will say. Therefore, if the father is well-known for his humour, it is best not to attempt and out-joke him. Try playing a more heartfelt part instead. Alternatively, if the best man is rather serious, you may try to lighten the mood with some humour in your speech.

Make use of humour, especially at the outset of your presentation. The mood will lighten, and the laughter should also calm your worries. The following are a few suggestions:

• Talk about how wonderful today has been.
• We appreciate the efforts of everyone who has contributed to this event’s preparations.
• Tell the bride and groom that they look beautiful.
• Acknowledge the maids of honour
• Enjoy hearing greeting cards, texts, and notes from faraway pals.
• Conclude with a toast to the newlyweds.
• Put a stop to talking about your exes.
• Avoid talking about past separations.
• Discourage talk of excessive intoxication, drug use, or physical altercations.
• Avoid talking about politics and religion.
• Don’t cuss; don’t bring up the fact that some guests bowed out; and don’t bring up the fact that there were rumours of a last-minute cancellation.

Wedding Speech Etiquette

Father Of The Bride Speech Etiquette

The father of the bride will be introduced by the best man or toastmaster and will offer a toast of “health and happiness to the bride and bridegroom.” Before he raised his glass, he would usually give a speech in which he thanked the guests for arriving, welcomed the groom into the family, and said a few personal words about his daughter.

Groom Speech Etiquette

The groom, who often speaks second, should begin by thanking the bride’s father for his speech. The groom should take this time to express his gratitude to his parents for all the help and guidance they’ve provided him throughout his life, as well as to the bride’s mother and the bridegroom’s mother for their roles in planning the wedding.

Flowers might be presented to both moms now for their efforts. After that, the groom should express his gratitude to the guests for attending and for the presents they have given. Last but not least, he must say something thoughtful about his new bride. At the end of his speech, the groom can raise a glass to the bridesmaids, salute their hard work, and present each of them with a modest token of appreciation.

Best Man Speech Etiquette

The best man’s speech should be humorous and upbeat, but before telling hilarious anecdotes about the groom, he must first reflect on what a wonderful day it has been, express gratitude to those who have contributed to the wedding’s success, and praise the beauty of the bride, groom, and bridesmaids.

After dinner, the guests can be entertained with tales from the groom’s history. The groom and the wedding party will likely welcome some light ridicule, but you shouldn’t go it so far as to make him feel bad about himself. When in doubt, don’t include it.

Use Cue Cards

Never trust your memories. It’s one thing to practise your speech in front of the mirror at home, but it’s another thing entirely to deliver it before a live audience.

The cue cards should first feature large writing to make them more legible. This way, you won’t get flustered or wander off course when you get an unexpected round of applause.

If you insist on using your phone, remember to have a charger and plenty of juice.

Practice Makes Perfect!

In a broader sense, even after you’ve run the speech by a friend or colleague, you should practise it a couple more times to work out any kinks in your delivery before the big day. Be prepared for the worst.

It’s probably overkilled on my part to suggest making a backup set of cue cards and storing them in a different location. You can either hand them over to your spouse to take care of, or you can ask the venue to hold onto them for you.

Just before you were going to give your speech, you realised that when you reach into your pockets, you see that you left your speech on the table at home. That sounds terrible, doesn’t it?

Go Easy on the Dutch Courage.

Have a drink or two during the wedding breakfast, but don’t take any chances with being too tipsy before giving your speech.
It won’t help, even though your nerves make you think it would.

For the duration of tonight, the bar will remain open.

Look Up/Make Eye Contact.

You shouldn’t spend the whole time staring at your cue cards. Always make sure you’re making eye contact with people from all over the room. The audience will remain interested in what you have to say this way. Finding your perfect Wedding Make Up Artist doesn’t have to be difficult. Check out our ultimate list here.

Can You Involve the Guests?

The best speeches you could ever hear throughout the years were the ones that include the audience in some way. As a result, the audience is more engaged with the speeches. There is a plethora of options, such as games that involve humiliating the groom. If you google it, we’re sure you’ll get loads of suggestions.

Remember, the Guests Are on Your Side.

Finally, keep in mind that your guests are rooting for you. There is no pressure to make a sale; in fact, many of your visitors are likely to be supportive friends and family members who are eager to hear what you have to say.

Conclusion

The parents of the bride or groom’s speech is the most feared part of any wedding. Speaking effectively is not governed by a set of rules, but there is a procedure that all speakers should adhere to. At a wedding reception, not only does the best man give a speech, but so do the groom’s father and the bride’s mother. In the average five-minute presentation, you have plenty of time to establish your case and leave the audience wanting more. So that everyone knows what to expect and so that repeated statements of gratitude are avoided, speeches should normally stick to traditions.

It’s not a good idea to go beyond 10 minutes unless you have some kind of video, quiz, or “surprise” planned to keep them interested. Traditionally, the father of the bride gives a touching toast, the groom expresses his gratitude and candour, and the best man provides some humorous relief with his humorous speech. The key is to contribute to what other people will say, rather than trying to out-joke them. Even though the best man’s speech should be lighthearted and celebratory, he should not forget to thank those who helped make the wedding a success. Following dessert, the groom and his friends can tell his guests some interesting anecdotes from his life.

Gentle ribbing of the groom and his party is probably welcome, but you shouldn’t make him feel horrible about himself. You should enjoy a drink or two during the wedding breakfast, but you shouldn’t take any chances with your speech if you’ve been drinking. Over the years, the best speeches have been the ones that made use of the audience in some way. Game ideas involving the groom’s public shame abound.

Content Summary

• Do not overthink the prospect of making a toast at your friend’s wedding.
• If you’re having second thoughts about going through with the wedding, here’s a sample speech to get you through it.
• Public speaking is a daunting task that few people like.
• We know that the parents’ wedding speech is one of the most dreaded parts of the wedding, so we’ve included some helpful hints below.
• At a wedding celebration, the groom and the bride’s father are just as likely to take the podium as the best man.
• These discussions are open to all sexes.
• If you want to make an impression with your speech, there are no rules you must follow.
• Wedding speakers, however, are expected to adhere to a certain protocol: The speech begins with the father of the groom.
• Once the bride has arrived at the groom.
• If you opt for more traditional wedding fare, the lunch will help relax your guests, making them more receptive to your jokes, especially in the best man’s speech.
• You should consider what you want to say at the reception and spend some time crafting an appropriate speech.
• Writing a few words down the night before the wedding is not going to cut it if you want to give a good speech at the wedding.
• If you want your speech to be well received, you should start working on it at least a few weeks before the wedding.
• Make sure the group has an email address by making one yourself.
• If you must joke, avoid using references that only a small percentage of the audience will understand.
• Soon, nobody at the gathering will care what you have to say anymore.
• It is important that everyone hears you.
• Giving a speech to a huge audience and having only 20% of them pay attention is one of the most humiliating things that can happen.
• When the guests’ attention wanders, your speech is quickly overtaken by the din of their conversations.
• It’s a good idea to get feedback on your speech from a trusted friend or partner before delivering it.
• A speech that is too brief could be seen as rude or impersonal, while one that is too lengthy could bore the listeners to sleep.
• Estimating how long the other speakers will speak is also important.
• You should probably keep your speech short because the father will probably go on and on, but if you’re a talented orator, everyone will be looking to you to lead the festivities and set the tone.
• In the average five-minute presentation, you have plenty of time to establish your case and leave the audience wanting more.
• It’s not a good idea to go beyond 10 minutes unless you have some kind of video, quiz, or “surprise” planned to keep them interested.
• Pacing yourself when you practise will help you avoid going on for too long when you give your planned speech.
• Public addresses follow certain rules and conventions.
• The father of the bride traditionally gives a touching toast, the groom expresses his gratitude and candour, and the best man provides some humorous relief with his humorous speech.
• The key is to provide something new to the conversation.
• Consequently, if the dad is well-known for his wit, you shouldn’t try to out-joke him.
• Rather, you should try your hand at a more sincere performance.
• On the other hand, if the best man is rather solemn, you could try to lighten the tone with humour.
• Integrate some humour into your talk, particularly at the opening.
• The bride and groom will appreciate hearing your compliments.
• Toast the newlyweds as the event winds down.
• Stop bringing up your exes in every conversation.
• The best man or toastmaster will introduce the groom’s father, who will then give a toast wishing the couple “health and happiness.”
• Wedding Toast Protocol It is customary for the groom to speak second and he should begin by expressing his appreciation to the bride’s father for his address.
• If the groom wants to show his appreciation for the bridesmaids’ efforts, he can do so at the end of his speech by giving each of them a small gift.
• What to Say at the Best Man’s Speech The best man’s toast should be lighthearted and celebratory, but before he starts cracking jokes about the groom, he needs to take stock of the fantastic day they’ve all had, thank those who helped make the wedding possible, and heap compliments on the bride, groom, and bridesmaids.
• Following dessert, the groom and his friends can tell his guests some interesting anecdotes from his life.
• If it isn’t necessary, leave it out.
• You can never rely on your past recollections.
• When preparing to give a speech, it is one thing to do so in front of a mirror at home, but it is different when standing in front of an audience.
• The cue cards should initially have big fonts to make the text easier to read.
• Remember to bring a charger and lots of battery life if you insist on using your phone.
• It’s true what they say: “Practice Makes Perfect!”
• In a larger sense, you should practise the speech a few more times before the big day to iron out any bugs in your delivery after running it by a friend or colleague.
• The worst-case scenario is that you prepare for it.
• Making a second set of cue cards and keeping them in a separate area is definitely overkill on my side.
• You and your spouse can take care of them, or you can have the venue store them.
• The moment you reach into your pockets before giving your speech, you realise you left your speech on the table at home.
• Please don’t make me feel like a Dutch coward.
• You should enjoy a drink or two during the wedding breakfast, but you shouldn’t take any chances with your speech if you’ve been drinking.
• The bar will remain open all night long.
• Observe the sky and make direct eye contact with other people.
• Don’t look down at your cue cards the whole time.
• Always look around the room and make eye contact with people.
• If you do this, people will be interested in what you have to say for longer.
• Over the years, the best speeches have been the ones that made use of the audience in some way.
• People in the crowd pay more attention to the speakers as a result.
• Game ideas involving the groom’s public shame abound.
• It’s important to keep in mind that your guests are on your side.
• Finally, remember that your visitors are cheering for you.
• There is no need to worry about closing a deal, especially since many of your site visitors will likely be encouraging loved ones who are interested in what you have to offer.