Tips for Making a Wedding Day Speech: A Guide for Dummies

What would you do if a couple you hold dear decided to get married and asked you to give a wedding day speech on their big day? Would you refuse their request? Just imagine how happy they will be if you grant their simple wish.

Obviously, you would say yes. You might be saying to yourself, “It’s just a simple speech after all.” Well sorry to burst your bubble, but a wedding day speech is far from simple. Remember, for the couple, the wedding day will probably be the most important day of their lives. Everything has to be perfect. You would want them to be happy of course. Thus, your speech should be perfect as well. Furthermore, do not forget that you will be speaking in front of the families and friends of the newlyweds. Surely, they will be looking forward to your speech. Talk about pressure.

If you happen to be not so good in speaking in public or in making great speeches, you might be feeling discouraged already as you read these words. Take heart my friend! Giving a speech on the wedding day is really not that bad. In fact, your speech does not have to be elaborate and outstanding. You are not there to impress, but to express. If you were able to put a smile on lips of the couple, then you have done great.

Regardless of why, when and where you will be speaking, you will find the following tips helpful in giving the perfect speech for the newlyweds:

1. Prepare. Any task begins with planning and preparation. Think ahead of what you want to say, and write them down.

2. Study. It won’t hurt to read a few sample wedding speeches, especially if you have never delivered one before. Many of these samples are available on the internet. Gather some ideas based on these but remember that they will serve only as inspiration.

3. Joke. You want to make the couple happy, right? What could be a more effective way to do that than by using humor? Funny jokes and remarks are great additions to any speech, not just for weddings. Not only will you make the couple and the people listening laugh, but you will also find yourself more relaxed.

The Best Wedding Speeches Should Be Heartfelt

Whatever you do for anybody, it should be heartfelt, more so if it is a wedding speech. Wedding speeches are meant to be a heartfelt dedication of what you feel about the newlyweds. Given that fact, these speeches should be well prepared and done ahead of time to make sure that the bride and the groom will forever remember what you wished for them, thought of them or felt for them. A well-prepared speech would also be interesting and even entertaining.

When writing a speech for a wedding, make sure that you write the good things about the person you are talking about, whether the groom or the bride. You may include funny stories and anecdotes to make sure you get the attention of everybody. You may also add some jokes to bring the audience to laughter. Practice reading the speech days before you need to deliver it and try doing it in front of them mirror so that you will have an idea how you would look.

Make sure of what you are supposed to deliver during the reception, whether a speech or a toast. The two vary and you would not want people laughing at you if you made a mistake. A toast is just a short acknowledgement and can be delivered with just a few lines, mostly well wishes, done before drinking wine. Wedding speeches are longer in length and may be done by the immediate family and the relatives as well as the wedding entourage, i.e., maid of honor and the best man.

A good speech may be something that can bring people, especially the newlyweds, to tears, this is a sign that what you say comes from the heart and in turn touches the heart. Do not include embarrassing stories as it can make the concerned bride or groom uncomfortable. Do not make it too long unless it is full of interesting stories or you might end up boring the attendees. Make sure you wish the newlyweds well, thank them and lastly, toast them after your speech. If you will limit your speech along these lines, you will surely do well and enjoy a memorable wedding.

How Wedding Speeches Came To Be

The origin of wedding speeches may be traced back in Greece, during the time of Choricius, a Greek philosopher who was well known for the beautiful speeches he delivered to grooms and brides in their weddings. It has gone a long way since then. Today, wedding speeches has become a tradition in weddings especially in the United States. When at first this was delegated only to the men, particularly the fathers and sometimes the groom, now, many are asked to say something about the newlyweds, not only the immediate family but also the relatives and friends.

Before, women have not much roles when it comes to speeches and hosting. Even the bride and the groom are just there to listen and enjoy the addresses dedicated to them. Today however, a lot of changes have been done and many are asked to speak including the bride and the groom themselves. In fact, in most weddings, it is their speeches that are some of the most awaited parts. Even the Maid of Honor is now expected to give her own speech.

Truly, the history of speeches during weddings has greatly evolved through time. When before, the speeches involve good words, serious wishes for a good future and other matter of fact well wishes, today’s speeches have greatly changed. Of course there are still the usual good wishes for the future of the newlyweds. However, the wedding speeches of today are now injected with humor, funny anecdotes, green jokes and other interesting things that are delivered to make the occasion lively and entertaining. This is the way of the speakers to get the attention of everybody away from their meal and have them listen to him attentively.

Due to the fact that speeches are now a necessity during weddings, it is best to make sure that those who will be delivering it are ready with an interesting and effective speech that will make the occasion more memorable. It would be best to plan ahead and prepare a very good speech, practice in front of the mirror and read the speech several times before the actual delivery.

How to Use Wedding Speech Jokes to Entertain

A wedding ceremony is probably one of the most emotional events a person could ever witness. This is because the people there tend to cry after a touching speech or scene. The parents of the bride and groom also cannot help but be emotional during the ceremony. Since this is the case, most of the individuals who will be speaking during the wedding reception prepare their own wedding speech jokes. These jokes help lighten the mood of the emotional guests. It is also a great way to “break the ice” so people can have fun as well.

These jokes are also helpful in the sense that the formal wedding speech would not sound too serious. There are literally thousands of jokes that you can use for someone’s special day, or even your own. Make sure that the jokes that you would use are simple one-liners. Avoid making jokes that would eat up the time of the whole ceremony and use more than one joke throughout your whole speech.

So, how does one use a wedding speech joke? The following guidelines may be used to ensure that your joke will make the guests of the wedding smile:

1. Relate your humorous joke to the topic that you are currently talking about – this is very important in giving a speech. You might tell a story about the groom’s funny drunken night but it does not mean that you can share it with the whole audience. Keep in mind that the joke that you will tell is one that is related to the relationship or the wedding of the couple.

2. Be sure that the joke is appropriate – the couple’s family and friends will surely be attending the wedding. So if you want to tell a joke, do not go below the belt and do not reveal something confidential.

3. Do not talk about the bride or groom’s past relationships – never talk about “exes”, even if it was meant to be a joke. A wedding speech about an ex is probably the fastest way to ruin the mood of the couple and the guests as well. You might as well focus on the couple’s current relationship.

4. Last but not the least, ask other friends about their own opinions. Say the joke you have in mind to a friend and ask him if it is proper for the wedding.

You should remember that wedding speech jokes are not intended to embarrass the couple so you better say something good. To be chosen by the bride or groom to talk in front is already an honor, so you should try your best to not disappoint them.