The 411 on Wedding Speeches
If you’ve ever been to a wedding, or are perhaps newly engaged and currently thinking about what you’d like for your *own,* you’re probably somewhat familiar with the idea of people giving speeches.
However, the number of speeches given, when they’re given, and the specific people that do so, often varies from one wedding to the next.
In most cases, some of the more popular types of speeches include: thank you’s from the couple, a speech/toast from the couple’s parents or parental figures, a special message from the best man and maid/matron of honor, and sibling speeches.
We’ll go through each of these and provide a little insight as to when they’d be likely to occur at a wedding, and what all may be appropriate to incorporate into them.
Thank You’s from the Couple
This type of speech, in relation to the others, may be the most self-explanatory, and you may be thinking - okay so…we just get up and say thank you, right?
Well, while that is the crux of it, there are some things you could do, or add, to make these speeches a little more unique and personal to you as a couple.
In saying your thank you’s to the family/friends in attendance, you may want to thank the host of the event - or the person who paid - if it wasn’t all done by you and your partner. Also, sometimes people will thank guests for traveling there, and list out some of the places people traveled from.
Something else to add could be to provide a little backstory of your relationship, or a timeline of how you got to the day you say “I Do,” for anyone that may not know the exact details. You could also use this time, especially if you stuck to the more traditional vows during your ceremony, to share any personal thoughts/feelings you may have towards your partner in that moment.
In terms of when you may want to give this specific speech, you have some options. These include, but are not solely limited to: giving the speech closer to the beginning of the reception, once you and your wedding party have made your grand entrances, and after your first dance/before dinner is served, *or* you could also wait until a little bit later in the evening, when dinner is finishing up and before dancing starts.
Now for a lot of you who may be reading this and are the one(s) getting married, the next few speeches may not apply to you specifically.
However, there’s always a chance that those decided on to give a speech at your wedding will be coming to you for slight advice/tips/questions about said speech, and having information about these other types will surely prove beneficial in the long run :)
Parent Speeches
A speech given by one or multiple of the couple’s parents/parental figures is definitely something you see done at many weddings, and, for good reason. Their “babies,” who they love so much, are now grown up. They have married the love of their life and are now getting ready to begin a whole new chapter with their partner.
A lot to unpack there, huh?
Well, lucky for these select special people, that unpacking can be done line by line, word by word, in a lovingly written speech.
They may share, similar to the couple’s ‘thank you’ speech, an anecdote or two about their child’s younger years, or, how they met their new son/daughter-in-law, then publicly welcome them into the family. They also may thank everyone for being there, and of course, conclude by giving remarks to the lovely couple.
This type of speech, particularly if it’s leaning more towards being a toast, is often given right before the meal begins. In this regard, it can sometimes include a prayer over the meal as well.
Best Man ~ Maid/Matron of Honor Speeches
In most wedding parties, you’ll be likely to have at least one best man and one maid/matron of honor.
While we won’t go over all the details that go into those ‘roles,’ one of the main and widely understood responsibilities of these two people, is to give speeches in which they talk about the couple. Included may be a funny/sentimental story or fond memory they have with them as a focal point. A lot of times, they will talk about how the bride/groom changed for the better after meeting their partner.
It’s common nowadays for these speeches to take place after dinner has been served - when people are just finishing up their meals, with the dancing portion of the night (or any special dances) taking place shortly after.
Sibling Speeches
Yes, your sibling could be either the best man or maid/matron of honor, which would then sort of group the Best Man/MOH speech and the ‘sibling speech,’ together. However, if a sibling is giving a speech, it seems to have a little bit of a different feel.
If you have multiple siblings, for example, sometimes it’s nice to have them come up at the same time and kind of play off of each other.
Content-wise, sibling speeches are often very similar in structure to a best man/MOH speech - typically sharing a story or two about their sibling, their childhood together, and maybe incorporating some funny parts as well.
You’ll find with these speeches that they’re also often given after the dinner portion of the evening, right before special dances.
All things considered, the real beauty of wedding speeches is that they can have you in tears one minute and laughing uncontrollably the next! Some may even include a fun song or poem!
It can be a little scary for those who may not be super familiar with public speaking, however, sometimes being in a setting full of close family and friends can really help to bring a sense of comfortability.
For those who are currently engaged, in the planning process, and have just been a bit unsure about the who, what, and when of speech-giving at your wedding, we hope this was helpful and wish you the most amazing day!
