Guide to Giving a Great Wedding Speech Part 1

The speeches are a staple part of any wedding. There’s the father of the bride, the groom and, of course the one we all look forward to- the best man. Though it’s getting increasingly more popular for a bride to say a few words herself. Whilst some brides to be may shrink into the shadows of the corner at the mere thought of making a speech in front of a hundred guests, others are relishing the challenge and seizing the opportunity to declare her love for her new husband to the world.

So how do you go about it, and what exactly should you say? This guide will blast any doubts you may have and give some hints and tips on how to deliver a speech that won’t leave a dry eye in the house.

PlanningEven the shortest of speeches have a plan behind them. This is the most important part of any speech. You need to plan, plan, plan and when you think you can’t take any more planning, plan some more. Start by making a “mind map”- stick a photo of your husband to be in the middle of a large piece of paper, and draw spokes coming out of the photo. At the end of each spoke, right something you love about him. You can then produce spin-off spokes and link some ideas to others. This will get down all your thoughts in an easy, basic way and give you a valuable resource to return to throughout the speech writing process.

Next, take a second piece of paper and write down key moments in your life: when you met, when you realized you loved him, the proposal and so on. Write about what happened, how you felt at the time and how you feel about it now that you look back on the events.

Finally, write down a list of all your hopes for the future and anything you would love to tell your husband to be. This will help you include your hopes and dreams for your life together when it comes to making your speech.

WritingNow that you have all your resources together, give them a read over. Use three different colored highlighter pens and highlight your notes accordingly: things you definitely want to include in the speech, things you may add later if you have room and things that you can leave out of the speech.

Once this is done begin to write your first draft. Try to have a defined structure to the speech:IntroductionYour pastYour presentYour futureConclusion

For the introduction, sum up how much you love your groom and how thankful you are to have him in your life. Maybe mention a small anecdote or joke to make your guests smile. Then move on to your past. Use your key moments notes to explain how lucky you are and describe some of the great times you have had together. Go on to tell him how he has shaped who you are today and talk about how you feel about your day so far (this can’t be planned for- you will have to ad lib a little). Follow up with your hopes and dreams for the future, and finish off with a conclusion during which you sum up what you have said, thank him again and end on a positive note (be it emotional, funny or romantic).