Writing Wedding Speeches 101

So, you’ve been chosen to deliver a speech at an upcoming wedding. Congratulations! Speeches are one of the most memorable rites of passage of any wedding celebration, and you will become a part of those memories forever.

Understandably, you may be nervous about giving a wedding speech. We’ve all heard the horror stories about wedding toasts gone wrong: guests sitting in shocked silence at inappropriately bawdy stories, jokes that sound more insulting than funny, and the slackjawed looks of boredom at droning, monotone wedding speeches that never seem to end. And now it’s your turn—gulp! What should you write? Should you be funny or serious? Irreverent or sincere? A great deal depends on your personality and how comfortable you feel speaking in front of an audience.

Here are a few rules to keep in mind that will help you write a successful wedding speech:

1. Be personal. While many of the guests may not know you personally, they will certainly know either the bride or the groom (or both). By focusing your speech on the newlyweds, you will capture the audience with a subject they care about and can relate to personally. Give examples of the wonderful qualities of the couple, happy times you have passed with them, and why they will surely be joyful together. Everyone will nod their heads in agreement and smile, thinking, “I couldn’t have said it better myself!”
2. Be sincere. Rattling off a bunch of generic platitudes may sound pretty on the surface, but if there is no real message, your audience (including the bride and groom) will feel let down. Truly take some time to reflect on your feelings about the couple, and write your words from the heart. If the groom is the best friend you’ve ever had, and you don’t know a better way to say it than that, then just say it like that. Sincerity trumps glibness every time.
3. Watch your tone. Remember: True + Tasteful = Terrific, but True + Tactless = Traumatic! If you decide to include a funny story from personal experience, it’s a good idea to test it out first. Tell the story to a few people who know the couple, and ask them to judge whether the story is appropriate and appealing. The same applies for jokes; if you wouldn’t tell it to your grandmother, don’t tell it at the wedding! And if you don’t feel comfortable telling jokes at all, then simply don’t. Just stick with what you know, and you’ll be fine.
4. Watch the time. When in doubt, brief is better. Before writing your speech, ask the person planning the event how long your speech should be. Then, practice your speech aloud and tape record yourself. That way, you’ll know exactly how long the speech took, and whether you were rushing or not speaking clearly.
5. If you’re really stuck in writing your speech, get help. Beyond friends who can help you, there are dozens of model wedding speeches online, professional wedding speech writers for hire, and even fill-in-the-blank templates that let you create a custom wedding speech with ease. Don’t feel like you have to do it all yourself.

Follow these simple rules, and you’ll be sure to leave both the couple and the audience with happy memories and warm feelings. Good luck, and enjoy the big event!

Keywords: Wedding Speeches, Weddingblog, Wedding Toasts
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