Wedding speeches are a staple part of the wedding reception following the ceremony. As a result, it is traditional for a close friend or loved one to give a speech to the newlyweds to express their congratulations.
For most people, their wedding day is the most important day of their lives. So, delivering a perfect speech is a big deal to them.
Thinking about what makes the couple special and worth celebrating is a great way to start writing your speech. Jot down some thoughts about their relationship journey and what their love means to you.
Ending on a strong note will leave everyone wanting more, so take some time to craft a powerful conclusion that wraps up your message nicely. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to craft a great speech.
Basic Steps To Follow When Writing A Wedding Speech
There are three basic steps that apply to an excellent wedding speech. They are: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion.
The Introduction
Every speech begins with an introduction. Below are some principles you should apply in your introduction.
Start By Introducing Yourself
Take a moment to introduce yourself. This will help put your audience at ease and let them know who you are and your relationship with the couple. Plus, it’ll allow you to take a deep breath and calm your nerves before diving into the meat of your speech.
Crack Some Jokes to Make The Audience Feel Lively and Expectant
Opening with a joke or a funny story is a great way to break the ice and get the audience on your side. Just make sure your jokes are appropriate for the occasion! Otherwise, you could end up offending someone.
If you’re unsure where to start, look at some classic wedding jokes online – there are plenty of websites dedicated to helping you find the perfect ones.
Thanking The Couple for Having You As A Part of Their Big Day
This simple gesture sets the tone for the rest of the speech and shows that you’re genuinely honored to be there. From there, you can move on to sharing your favorite memories of the couple, offering advice for their future together, or simply expressing your best wishes.
Whatever you choose to say, starting with a sincere thank you, will help make your wedding speech one to remember.
The Body
The body should contain something memorable about the couple and yourself. It could also be about some things that make them unique and special such as those stated below.
Talk About How You Know The Bride or Groom
When you’re talking about how you met the bride or groom, there are vital things to remember when writing about how you met the happy couple.
First, try to focus on the positive. This is a moment for celebrating love, so even if your story starts with some awkwardness or misfortune, try to end on a high note.
Second, focus on the details that will paint a picture for the audience. They want to feel like they’re right there with you, so transport them back to that moment in time with vivid descriptions.
Share a Meaningful Memory About The Couple
When thinking of memories or stories about the couple, try focusing on moments that showcase their relationship dynamics or individual personality traits.
Perfect wedding speeches are typically relatively short, so you’ll want to choose one story or memory you can share in just a few sentences.
Toast The Couple and Wish Them the Best In Their Future Together
At this point, you have created an emotional and warm atmosphere for everyone to get into a deep feeling of love.
Then, focus your toast on all the good things about the couple and their future together. And finally, end with a sincere wish for their happiness.
The Conclusion
Thank Everyone Again for Coming and Offer To Answer Any Questions
The wedding speech concludes by thanking everyone again for coming and offering to answer any questions. It is etiquette to thank guests at the end of the wedding speech.
By concluding your wedding speech with a sincere thank you, you will show your appreciation to your guests and leave them with a lasting impression of yourself and the couple.
Common Mistakes To Avoid When Writing A Wedding Speech
Writing a perfect wedding speech means your speech is free of mistakes. It is important you know the mistakes so as to avoid them. Here are some.
Don’t Make Too Many Jokes
Avoid using lots of clichés or too many funny anecdotes. This can come across as trying too hard or being insincere. Instead, focus on speaking from the heart and letting your words flow naturally by telling some good and memorable stories about the couples.
Avoid Mentioning The Bride Or Groom’s Exes
This is a big no-no. No matter how close you are to the couple, avoid mentioning their exes at all costs. It’s just inappropriate. Don’t make this mistake in an attempt to tell an entertaining story about either of the couples.
Don’t Go Overboard With The Compliments
While it’s important to compliment the couple on their relationship, don’t go overboard with the compliments. A few well-chosen words about the beautiful bride and some other special people among the wedding guests will suffice.
Stay Away From the Riff
Prepare your speech in a way that you will be able to remember your strong points, or better still, use notecards to jot them down. This will help you to avoid ranting or repeating words unnecessarily and prepare your comedy routine.
Too Long Speech Can be Boring
Keep your speech short, sweet, and to the point. No one wants to listen to a long-winded speech that goes on forever.
A good rule of thumb is to keep your speech under five minutes. This way, you’ll be able to say everything you want to without boring the guests.
Frequently Asked Questions
A wedding speech should be heartfelt, personal, and unique to the couple. Start by brainstorming ideas or a personal story that is special to the couple, focus on writing a speech that is sincere and relatable to the audience, and practice your delivery so you can feel confident and prepared on the big day.
Examples of a wedding speech include a toast to the couple, sharing a memory about the couple, or wishing the couple well in their future together.
A wedding speech should be short, sweet, and to the point. 4 to 5 minutes is a perfect time, enough to deliver a heartwarming speech.
When writing a wedding speech, try not to make too many jokes, or mention the bride or groom’s exes. Another thing common mistake is going overboard with compliments, or getting drunk before the speech, or riffing. All these will likely throw you off course
First, make sure you prepare your speech early enough. Make sure you don’t sound repitive and boring. You can Include some humor, but make sure nothing is offensive.
Appreciate the couple for choosing you to make the speech and share some valuable memories that the couple and the entire audience will appreciate. Make sure your conclusion is brief and punchy, something that will catch the entire room unawares and they can remember you for.
Final Thought
It is important to keep in mind that the couple are the center of your speech. The day is about them. Make it a point of duty to keep their love story alive in the heart of people through your speech, be humorous but not offensive, be lively and sincere in your emotions.
Following these steps promises an excellent speech, a perfect delivery, and will guarantee you a lot of respect from the couple and their guests.
