How to Write a Wedding Speech
Writing a wedding speech or a toast isn’t as hard as it may look. There are a number of basic steps to follow when constructing a good speech. Start by doing a little brainstorming on your own. Think about your past experience with the bride, groom or them as a couple. You will need to think about whether your speech should be humorous, sentimental or perhaps a combination. Stories are the best way to create a speech because you are intimately familiar with the storyline. You just need to make sure you emphasize the part that highlights something favorable. Also, make sure you focus the story on the couple (or bride/groom) rather than on yourself. At the end of the story, make a profound statement about the couples’ virtues that were recounted in the story.
- Introduce yourself – Tell the audience who you are and how it is that you know the newlyweds.
- Reason you are speaking – Indicate why you are speaking. It could be that you want to tell a story about the couple or relate a memorable experience.
- Why you were chosen to speak and how thrilled you are to speak.
- Thank the parents for their support as well as those who prepared the food, venue, gowns, etc.
- Tell a story about the couple that highlights the couple and their relationship with each other
- Share good points about the bride and groom and how lucky they are to have found each other
- Offer encouraging words of advice for their future together. Use an appropriate quote
- Propose a toast with well wishes for the newlyweds as a couple
- Keep it short, sweet and simple
- Practice and practice, again and again
- Know the schedule of when you will be speaking
- Be creative – You can do anything from performing a dance, to singing a song or reading a poem but don’t get too outlandish unless you first check with the bride.
SAMPLE SPEECHES
QUOTES
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