Your Complete Guide to the Wedding Speech
Writing a wedding speech can be one of the most daunting and stressful tasks for the members of a modern day wedding party. Whether you’re the father of the bride, the best man, a bridesmaid or the groom and have never had a problem cracking a few jokes or giving a decent presentation in work, the idea of the ‘wedding speech’ can leave you numb with panic. But before you throw your laptop out the window and pray for some cosmic intervention to save you from this nightmare, we’re here to tell you that writing a decent wedding speech isn’t as difficult as it seems. Remember wedding guests are positive listeners; they will be supportive, they don’t expect much, they want to laugh, and will, even if you’re not funny, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Groomsmen, the main thing you’ve to remember is that it’s a toast not a roast, keep that in mind and everyone will be happy it went smoothly. To help you on the right track to speech success we’ve put together these wedding speech tips…
The New Wedding Speech
Traditionally the father of the bride, best man and groom were the only people who formally toasted at a wedding, but nowadays we’re seeing the bride, maid of honour and bridesmaid say a few words, and in some occasions the ‘Toast Time’ opening up to the floor. Truth is, nothing is set in stone when it comes to weddings any more, and if you know your dad or best man will have their day ruined worrying about public speaking, you can let them off the hook and ask a friend or relative to say a few words instead. Your bridesmaid might sing a song or a wedding guest might have written a poem to celebrate your marriage – tailor your speeches to your day, and don’t let tradition dictate who gets their say on your Big Day.
Father of the Bride Speech
- Keep it short – You can let guests know you’ll be brief to take the pressure off you and them!
- Tell your daughter how beautiful she looks, how talented and wonderful she is and how proud you are of her.
- Keep jokes to a minimum – You don’t have to be a comedian. A short quip is fine but keep it polite and relevant!
- Say something (nice) about marriage and thank your wife [if relevant] – (now is not the time to take pot shots at her cooking by the way).
- Thank the guests for coming – If there’s one or two who have come from afar to be there, or some elderly guests you’d like to mention, thank them here.
- Finish by welcoming your son or daughter-in-law into the family and tell everyone to enjoy their night. Simple!