The wedding speech is an extremely important part of any wedding. Therefore, it should be a partially prepared speech, because then it can be very uncomfortable if the one who gives the speech does not think of appropriate words and the wedding guests wait in awkward silence.
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Newlyweds should therefore make arrangements in advance with those they wish to give the wedding speech so that those concerned have plenty of time to prepare.
At the same time, the newlyweds themselves can also take the floor at the wedding reception to thank their family and friends for everything they have done for them in the previous years or in the months leading up to the wedding.
Sometimes this is the first time they have said something like this out loud, so it can be a touching moment, which can also greatly improve the relationships within the family. If the speech is delivered by an excellent speaker, the whole affair can be an extremely fun part of the wedding.
Wedding speech order:
- the father of the bride
- groom
- the bride
- bridesmaids (maid of honour)
- the officiant (priest)
- best man
Father of the Bride Wedding Speech
The father of the bride is usually the one who pays for his daughter’s wedding and therefore has the right to take the floor first. The father should welcome all the guests, he should highlight the qualities of his daughter of which he is rightly proud, or he may add a funny story from her childhood. As a rule, it is recommended to choose such stories that will not offend the bride in question and will not embarrass her too much.
At the same time, he should welcome the groom into the new family and wish both newlyweds all the best for their new union.
The wedding speech in should be interesting, funny and rather shorter so that the guests do not get bored.
Although the speech of the father of the bride is considered one of the most respected, it is certainly not necessary to be too mechanical and slick. It is even recommended to conceive it in a slightly amusing and humorous tone.
Still, fathers, from a position of experience, often assume their role as mentor and, by a given speech, impart their advice and life wisdom pertaining to marriage itself.
The groom’s wedding speech
The groom should use the speech to thank his parents for their upbringing and for the love they have given him, he should also not fail to thank his bride’s parents for her upbringing and for allowing him to marry this beautiful woman as his lawful wife.
The groom should also, on behalf of himself and his newlywed wife, thank all the wedding guests for coming and for giving them a wedding gift.
The groom will then usually make a toast to the bridesmaids and thank them for doing a good job, he may also present them with a small gift. It is also appropriate to introduce your witnesses and say a little about what binds the groom and bride to the witnesses. He can then pass the floor to his best man or his father.
OUR TIP: Read our article on what the toast at a wedding should look like.
The best man’s wedding speech
One of the most popular speeches at a wedding is the best man’s speech. He should first thank the groom for the trust placed in him. Often, therefore, the best friends, or siblings and other members of the immediate family circle, simply someone who has known both newlyweds long and well and can thus spice up their speech with an interesting story they have lived together with the newlyweds.
As a rule, the speeches of the witnesses are considered to be the best, the most relaxed and the most entertaining.
The bride’s speech
If the bride decides to take the floor, then she should thank all the wedding guests for attending her big day and then she can tell about how she and the groom met. She should also thank her parents for their upbringing.
What does etiquette demand?
Once the hors d’oeuvres are served on the table, a predetermined speaker should stand up, tap the empty glass with a knife, and demand the attention of those present. He should then make his toast standing up, along with his prepared text. Etiquette states that the father of the bride should begin his speech, followed by the father of the groom, the best man, and any other speakers.
Nervous? Practice your wedding speech
If the dad or best man speaks naturally and has no inhibitions about expressing his feelings and thoughts in front of other people, then the bride and groom don’t need much help with this. But if he suffers from stage fright, it is better if he practices his speech in advance and if his family helps him prepare it.
Everyone can be attacked by a tremor, so there is no need to look for complicated phrases. Everything can be said with a bit of exaggeration and wit. But if the speaker does not feel like jokes, then he should definitely not force himself to do so. Words that spring from the heart will carry more weight than two hilarious, unrelated, jokes.
OUR TIP: Hold a glass of champagne in your hand during your speech for a toast. This takes away the stress of what to do with your hands free.
Whether you’re a speech therapist or not, I definitely don’t recommend memorizing your speech. Under the weight of the circumstances, you might drop parts of the speech, and remembering parts of the text will only make your stage fright worse. Believe me, unfortunately I speak from experience :-).
It is even possible to admit your stage fright in person and apologize, saying that you have prepared the help papers with the text for this case. Then, when you take out a stack of papers on the table (from the other – visible – side, drawn with cheerful pictures), believe it, all expectations will fall from all present and you will reap many admirations for your speech.
Wedding speech pattern
There is no general pattern for a wedding speech. Speakers in their speech, as a rule, highlight the qualities of one or both newlyweds, recall how long the newlyweds have known each other, how they met, or how they got acquainted with the speaker in question. Interesting stories connected with the bride or groom are very popular. At the end should come a wish for good luck, health and of course love on their journey through married life together.
And since I know that many would be most helped anyway if I showed some examples, here I bring them to you:
A moderate speech by the father of the bride
Dear newlyweds, dear wedding guests. I would like to welcome you to the wedding of my daughter (fill in the name), who has filled me with joy and happiness all my life.
As life happens, it is time to move on and hand my little girl over to someone who will love her as much as I love her.
Therefore, I would like to introduce you all to my soon-to-be son-in-law, (fill in name), whom I would like to welcome into our family and ceremoniously hand over my beautiful daughter to him.
I hope that together you will enjoy a harmonious and loving relationship that will produce the grandchildren that my future grandmother and I are already looking forward to.
Whether or not this wish comes true, I wish you to be happy together, at least as I am with my beloved wife (fill in her name).
I ask everyone present to rise and raise a toast to the happiness of the newlyweds together.
The best man’s speech, with a little exaggeration
About the groom, who was more of the “flighty type”.
Dear wedding guests, my name is Pepa and I am the groom’s (fill in the name) childhood friend. When the groom approached me with a request for a speech, I was surprised, as I am generally known for my cut mouth and for not taking lip service.
So I figured I’d get a little revenge on the groom and make his wedding a little sweeter. But in the end, I decided to just praise him, because that’s all he deserves.
The groom has always been a rather quiet boy, who showed no interest in girls, one might even say that he has a career as a priest. The turning point came when he first saw the bride (give her name). It was immediately clear to all that it was “love at first sight”.
Unfortunately for me and my other friends, that was the moment we “lost” the groom for good. He stopped coming with us for entertainment and instead sat at home in front of the TV in nothing but warm socks. His friends seemed to not exist for him.
I suppose it’s not too obvious from the previous statement how much my other friends and I envy the groom, because that’s every man’s dream – to find a woman to settle down with for good. I just don’t like the idea of warm socks myself.
And the fact that the groom has stopped going to the pub and out for fun is an obvious and easily explained economic fact. After all, the classic himself says that if a man goes out with a woman, he is only “half the fun, twice the expense.”
I know that now the bride will bitch that she is not like that, but bride (substitute name-calling), you know me and you know what a dullard I am. Don’t take my false words seriously, I’m glad the groom found you and is saving his crowns at home in front of the TV…
To make a long story short, so that we can all get on with the wedding merriment and I can get on with the bridesmaid who has been looking at me so beautifully all this time, please stand up and let’s toast together to the bright future of the bride and groom (or give their names).
Hi,