Singaporebrides | Weddings 101
March 2023
8 Tips to Nail Your Maid of Honour or Best Man Wedding Speech
Get inspired to write a maid of honour or best man wedding speech that will bring the house down, with these top tips!
Have you been given the honour of making a wedding speech at a friend or sibling’s wedding? A wedding speech is a great opportunity to publicly express your love for the happy couple, and extol their virtues in front of their loved ones, as well as crack some jokes at their expense. It can be difficult to articulate all of your thoughts and emotions about this milestone, not to mention the pressure to drop some nuggets of wisdom about love and marriage into your wedding speech.
Fear not! We’re here with some tips and a whole lot of love quotes to kick that wedding speech writer’s block to the curb. With some practice and a whole lot of heart, you too can be a Ross and make your audience laugh and cry in equal measure.
Michelle and Juen’s Heartwarming Wedding at 1-Arden by Leslie Photography1. Be authentic
You were chosen to give a wedding speech because of the special part you play in the couple’s lives. Think about what the bride or groom means to you, connect with your deeper thoughts and feelings, and be raw and authentic. Your genuine emotion will move your audience and get the tears flowing, and your unique insight into what makes them who they are today will make your wedding speech memorable. Remember, you were chosen to do this because of the special part you play in the bride or groom’s life. The main thing is to make your wedding speech memorable for all the right reasons.
2. Focus on the couple
While you are probably closer to either the bride or the groom, your wedding speech should focus on celebrating the happy couple. Talk about how they met, what makes their relationship special, how the bride or groom has grown through the relationship, and what you admire about them and their relationship.
Katrina and Naresh’s Sunshine Yellow Wildflower Wedding at The Alkaff Mansion by Lydia K Photography3. Weave in anecdotes
Your wedding speech is your opportunity to share your unique insight into the bride or groom’s personality and life. Take your audience through their childhood or university years, and talk about the character traits or personality quirks that make them so endearing. Personal stories and anecdotes are a great way to add humour and warmth to your speech. Just make sure they’re appropriate and don’t embarrass anyone (especially the couple).
4. Include everyone in the audience
While you may be tempted to share inside jokes, such jokes will only get a rowdy response from one corner of the room, leaving the rest of the audience feeling alienated and left out. Keep everyone engaged by incorporating stories from different aspects of the bride or groom’s life, and by explaining them in detail.
Patricia and Martijn’s Island Luxe Wedding in Khayangan Estate, Bali by Terralogical5. Start and end with a bang
The opening line sets the tone for the rest of your speech, so try starting it with a story, a joke, or a quote about love or marriage to grab your audience’s attention. At the end of your wedding speech, circle back to your opening theme to conclude your speech and leave a lasting impression. Whether it’s the punch line to your opening joke, a follow up to your story, or a reiteration of the wisdom in the love quote, end your speech with a bang.
6. Avoid certain things like the plague
The goal of your wedding speech should be to celebrate the couple and make their day feel even more special. Make sure you avoid anything that could hamper this, such as drinking or swearing too much, bringing up any exes, making insulting remarks, sharing embarrassing stories, or saying anything that could make someone look or feel bad. Remember to stay positive and build up the bride or groom on their big day.
Eunice and Jeremy’s Lively Wedding at Monti at 1-Pavilion by Freddy Wong Photography7. Practice makes perfect
Remember to practise! Public speaking can be nerve-wracking, so make sure you’re prepared. Read through your speech out loud to catch any necessary edits and to remember when to pause or emphasise certain words. On the day, don’t be afraid to bring your notes, but use them as a prompt so you don’t sound like you’re simply reading a script.
8. Speak from the heart
Finally, the most important thing to remember is to speak from the heart. Don’t worry about being perfect or having the funniest or most touching speech. The couple will appreciate any words of love and support you have to offer, no matter how they’re delivered.
Still got writer’s block? One of the best ways to get over that is to borrow someone else’s words to start! Here are some of the best love quotes for your wedding speech, to get your emotional and creative juices flowing.
Feature image from Grace and David’s Dreamy Wedding at The Clifford Pier by Antelope Studios
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