For many members of the bridal party these are something to be feared, the thought of standing up in front of everyone fills them with dread.
Who makes the first speech is a hotly debated topic, traditionally it is the father of the bride, bit nowadays many brides like to give the first speech and indeed those of us breaking tradition can have anyone we like giving a speech. In my case, the uncle of the bride will be giving the first speech, this owing to the fact that there is not a father of the bride due to a rather messy divorce case.
The father of the bride speech is mainly just a chance to say how wonderful the bride is, how proud her parents are of her and to welcome their new son in law into the family, pass on a few words of wisdom and to toast to the happy couple. Many fathers like to add some anecdotes from the bride’s childhood, tell a few funny stories to get laughter flowing and to loosen everyone up.
The next speech is traditionally the groom’s speech. Here the groom has to thank various people: the bridesmaids, noting how wonderful they look, both sets of parents, his best man, the guests for coming and for their generosity, and most importantly his bride.
Groom's Speech advice on Wedding Chaos
The best man’s speech is said to be the best speech of the day as this one is usually loaded with jokes and stories of the groom’s past escapades. Note of warning though, it is often an idea to have a word with the best man beforehand to make sure there is nothing in his speech that is likely to shock the elderly guests, or even your own parents!! There’s nothing worse than the best man brining up tales of nights out that will make them all blush, or worse speaking about an ex girlfriend of the groom. Set out the boundaries early on to avoid tears.
Many modern brides are opting to give a speech at the wedding reception, using this opportunity to thank her bridesmaids and other important people that have helped in the lead up to the day, and for their help on the day. It is also a nice touch to thank any guests for early wedding presents and to mention a special tribute to your own parents.
For the people worrying about speeches there are various helpful tools out there to use. There are some great books available in the shops and on the internet with useful tips on how to write your speech and techniques for giving it. But don’t forget your good friend the internet, there are an endless source of sample speeches available on the internet, just remember to change the names and details to make them suit.
The best tip I can give about writing a speech is to sit and think about what you really want to say and take it from there.
If you were to ask me to write a speech for a friend’s wedding right now, I would pick my dear friend Jac (you’ll be fed up of her soon!) and her husband Simon.
As for what I would want to say to them….well I know that I would want to congratulate them on their marriage, on their love and also on their strength as a couple. I would want to wish them all the best for their married life and I would also want to throw in a few laughs and a toast, so here goes!
To Jaclyn and Simon, or as they’re now known – Mr & Mrs J-B. Who would have thought you both would survive the bickering and squabbling to make it down the aisle?! From Simon’s attempt at turning you into a slave – yes Simon the Jaffa Cakes in the proposal were really just a ploy to get her running after you from the start…..we all know what you’re like!!
But all joking aside, on a serious note for once, I just want to take a few minutes to say how proud and privileged I am to call you my friends, having not known you both as long as some people have, I already know that you both share something special and seeing the way that you are together really does make you realise that true love does exist. Seeing how Jac supported Simon over the last year, being there for each other and working as a team. If you ever needed clarification of what makes a good team, then just look to this pair, they truly love one another, to death at times, but no one can deny what a fantastic couple you both make and we wish you all the best in your future and for the rest of your lives together.
And if everyone could join me in a toast to the happy couple.
See that’s not too hard, purely off the top of my head at 08:15 on a Friday morning! It’s all about knowing what you want to say and of course having a good enough grasp on the English language to be able to manipulate it well.
Good luck!!
