Giving a wedding speech can seem like a daunting task for the Maid of Honor and the Best Man, especially if you are not comfortable speaking in front of an audience.
Even if public speaking comes easily, you may still feel anxious before you give a wedding speech since it is a memorable time for important people in your life.
The Best Man or Maid of Honor may worry about giving the wedding speech from the moment they say yes to your bridesmaid or groomsman proposal. They don’t want to mess it up!
In this post, I’ll show you exactly how to give a wedding speech that guests that is both fun and memorable.
How to Give a Wedding Speech
Firstly, go ahead and introduce yourself to the audience.
1. Introduce yourself.
If you’re first to speak during the wedding speeches segment, be sure to introduce yourself and your relation to the newlyweds.
Speaking after someone else? Mention the speaker (Maid of Honor or Best Man, Parents, etc.) who is delivering their speech immediately before yours. Go on, compliment them on what a fantastic speech they just gave!
Order of Speeches at a Wedding
Good to know: based on the traditional order of wedding speeches, the Best Man is the first to give a wedding speech during the reception.
2. Keep notes / cue cards.
Secondly, cue cards are your friend: use them to give hints of what comes next in your wedding toast.
Know your speech by heart, so you speak to the audience directly and not from a piece of paper.
A good booklet or set of cue cards give you confidence and keep those key talking points right on track.
You can get a toast booklet like this at BlushPrintables:
These booklets are hilarious: the maid of honor’s booklet mentions crying too much during the speech and the best man refers to how he only agreed to be sober. Ha! By EAMArtShop.
3. Slow down when you speak.
Thirdly, make sure you speak slowly during the wedding toast.
The two biggest pet peeves from guests during speeches are when they go on too long and/or when the Best Man or Maid of Honor talks too fast.
As a result, you’ll want to take a deep breath and speak slowly; try not to speed up too much and don’t mumble.
The best wedding speeches are short and sweet, rather than long and rambling.
4. Practice makes perfect.
Fake it ’til you make it!
Practice your speech in the mirror, in front of a friend, in front of a camera, tell it to your dog, or whatever it takes to get it picture-perfect before the big day.
Then, make edits if needed and practice until the words flow easily from memory.
5. Fun antecdotes are the key.
Everyone loves a good story or anecdote, especially during wedding speeches.
The Best Man and the Maid of Honor know things about the couple that others do not, so use it to your advantage when you give your wedding speech.
Tell your best “remember when” that will leave the crowd laughing or crying, or a mix of both. Make it memorable.
Of course, make sure your stories are appropriate in theme and tone, and keep them short so you don’t lose the audience in the details. Include how you met the bride or groom, a favorite memory from childhood together, how you knew he or she was “The One” for them, etc.
6. Don’t forget The Bride / The Groom.
You probably have a closer relationship with the bride or the groom, but be sure to mention the other in your speech.
Often, if the Best Man does not know The Bride very well, he can still make mention of how beautiful she looks tonight, or how happy she makes the groom. It makes a difference when you speak about both parties.
7. Keep it PG!
Stay away from overly inappropriate topics or references to exes, family drama, offensive remarks, politics, innuendos, etc.
Even if something is funny to you, it may be offensive to others and stir up trouble.
You’re not here to stir the pot: you’re here to deliver an awesome wedding speech. It’s a happy occasion, so focus on the couple. Exes or past situations that may not be inappropriate today are not the best content for wedding toasts.
When in doubt, just skip it! The Bride or The Groom will breathe a sigh of relief. :)
8. Ask guests to raise a glass to toast the couple.
Wedding speeches typically conclude by raising a glass to toast to the newlyweds.
So, you’ll say, “Please join me in raising a glass to _______ and ________ and let’s wish them happiness in their marriage. Cheers!” Or something along those lines.
The final part of your wedding speech wishes the couple well and toasts them to a wonderful life ahead.
And just like that: you’re done!
Where to Get Unique Wedding Speech Ideas
Now that you have some helpful tips and you’re as confident as ever, let’s show you where to get some unique speech ideas for the wedding toast.
o Wedding Speeches 101, by Pete Honsberger
This book offers helpful and unique wedding speech ideas that will give you adequate preparation for a toast. Highly rated. Get it here.
o Toasts: Over 1,500 of the Best Toasts, Sentiments, Blessings, and Graces, by Paul Dickson
This is a great book for finding exactly what you want to say and how to say it. Available here. It is also available in a Kindle version.
How to Get a Speech Written for You
If you’re not someone who has a way with words, it’s OK to get a little help writing your wedding speech as long as it has personal touches in it.
If you need help writing a wedding toast, you can get it written for you.
For instance, PersonalWordsmith will write a completely original and unique wedding speech for you under $35. The reviews are stellar; you can find out more here.
Or if you just need some ideas to help you get started writing your wedding speech, for a few bucks you can get these ideas to put ideas in motion. They offer unique speech ideas for the best man, maid of honor, mother of the bride, father of the bride, and more.
Wedding Speech Art
If you’d like, tie the amazing speech you’re giving into an art piece as a keepsake for the bride or groom. Here is an example of a canvas that incorporates the wedding speech you give, along with a favorite photo with the bride or the groom. By RoyalTreatCanvas. You can browse more here.
Toasting Flutes
Don’t forget a set of personalized toasting flutes. These are by StockingFactory.
In conclusion, now you know exactly how to give a wedding speech as well as some helpful places to get concrete ideas to begin writing your toast. Do you have any wedding speech tips to add? If so, please let us know in the comment box below.
Happy Planning!
xo
Emma
