Wedding Speeches

Etiquette for Wedding Speeches

According to etiquette, the following members of the bridal party are required to say a few words; the bride’s father, the groom and the best man. Traditionally, the bride’s father is invited by the best man to the toast the health of the happy couple. Typically the bride’s father welcomes the groom’s family before beginning the formal portion of the wedding speech. When the bridegroom begins his wedding speech, he thanks friends and family for their attendance and good wishes. He then acknowledges the bridesmaids and thanks them for all of their hard work and concludes by presenting a small token of appreciation. In response, the best man acknowledges the groom’s toast to the bridesmaids and goes on to relate some amusing anecdotes about his relationship to the groom.

When it comes to speeches, there really are no set rules. Other members of the bridal party may be invited to speak besides the groom, bride’s father and the best man or you can dipense with speeches altogether. However, if you are a stickler for form, the aforementioned members of the bridal should be invited to speak.

Delivering Great Wedding Speeches

If you’ve spoken in public before, you know that wedding speeches are like any other speaking opportunity. Here are a few tips to help you deliver a great performance.

• Plan your wedding speech carefully. Decide beforehand what you’re going to say and check with the other speakers to make sure that your content isn’t going to be redundant.
• For wedding speeches to be successful, you need to stay true to your personality. For example, if you are not comfortable making jokes, don’t try to inject humor into your speech.
• Try to remember that although wedding speeches require preparation, they shouldn’t be pendantic.Type out your speech if you need to, but try not to read it verbatim. You may want to make note of just the key points to keep your speech moving along.
• Be conscious of body language and delivery during your wedding speech. Make eye contact, stand straight and be sure to project your voice clearly.

Wedding Speeches: What to Say

Again, there are not set rules for what to include in a wedding speech. Speeches can be funny, heartfelt, tongue in cheek or all of these things at once. However, one general rule of thumb regarding wedding speeches is to maintain a certain level of appropriateness. Suggestive or lewd comments can be offensive and detract from the occasion.

While a wedding speech should be unique, there are some basic elements that you can incorporate to get you started. Wedding speeches should contain a thank you to friends, family and guests, a summary of your relationship with the couple and wishes for their continued happiness and success. If you are really stuck for content, you can visit some bridal sites to see what others have said in similar situations and pattern your format accordingly. Try to look at sample wedding speeches as a template or blueprint that you can customize to your own specifications.

As a final note, while a little rehearsal and preparation can go a long way, truly great wedding speeches come from the heart. Your sincerity and affection for the couple will shine through and make all the difference.

Related Links

• Best Man Toasts
• Best Man Duty
• Bachelor Party Alternatives
• Maid of Honor Duties
• Bridal Party Roles