Wedding Speeches
Wedding speeches are often the highlight of the wedding reception and here we look at how best to deliver a wedding speech.
Traditionally the bride's father speaks first and welcomes the groom into his family, he is followed by the best man whose speech is usually the most light hearted and should contain the most jokes and possibly wedding quotes from famous people.
The last person to make a speech is the groom who can reply to his best man and should thank everyone for coming and for their wedding gifts.
Sometimes the groom's father, the bride or even a chief bridesmaid will decide to say a few words. Each speaker should finish their speech by raising a toast to the happy couple. More information on wedding speech rules can be found on our wedding etiquette page.
Wedding Speech Tips
Below are a few simple rules to remember when writing or delivering a speech.
- Write your speech in plenty time before the wedding date and practice reading it aloud until you are comfortable with your delivery.
- Make sure the speech is light hearted as a wedding is a happy occasion.
- If you are the best man then do not tell too many risquι stories about the groom's life before he met his bride. He is embarking on a new chapter of his life and won't thank you for embarrassing him in front of his wife's family.
- Keep any jokes relatively clean as there will almost certainly be young children present.
- Try to write your speech with originality and your own style. Don't recycle speeches you have heard at other weddings. If you have heard it before there is a good chance that someone else has!
- Don't worry too much beforehand as you will have a friendly audience in front of you.
- Stay sober! Nobody wants to hear a drunken speaker rambling on or slurring their words.
- Avoid swearing and bad language. Nobody will approve!
- If you are unsure about your speech then get advice from someone you know who can make a good speech.
- Make sure that you can easily pronounce all of the words in your speech and avoid including tongue twisters.
