I’ve had the honour of attending a few weddings over the past few years. As I plan our wedding for August I can’t help but think about what I love about wedding speeches and hope for in our experience.
So I thought I’d write a fun post about 10 things that can really make a great wedding speech.
- Structure: Have a Beginning – Middle – End
- Introduce yourself with a fun story on how you know the bride or groom instead of just stating “I’ve known the Bride since 3rd grade”
- Share a positive quality about the bride or groom or both that will contribute to the success of the marriage
- Talk about them as a couple and why they are great together or share a funny story of them as a couple
- If you aren’t a comedian, don’t attempt a joke or roast for the first time. Be careful about not crossing the line or hurting anyone’s feelings. Leave out inside jokes, stories of drunken nights, exes and any sexual innuendos as well. If you have to ask yourself if it might upset someone it probably will.
- Including a meaningful quote is always a good idea
- Wait to do shots or get drunk until after the speech
- Remember less is more. 3 minutes seems to be the best to keep attention and wow a crowd.
- Offer encouraging words of advice about their future
- Don’t forget to raise your glass and end with “to the [Bride’s Name] and [Groom’s Name]”
Now if you can pull this off do it!
Happy Speech Writing!