Celebrities are known to have a way with words, especially at weddings. They are thoughtful, charismatic, and insightful. We set particular expectations for celebrities. When they go above and beyond, we take note. These 10 celebrity speeches represent a variety of content categories, styles, and approaches. They demonstrate how to work a crowd, and how to talk candidly to the couple and the entire audience simultaneously.
If you are preparing to speak at a wedding and wondering how the stars do it, we’re about to show you exactly how.
Most Famous Celebrity Speeches
There is something to learn from each of these celebrity speeches. Keep track of which ones you like and try to identify why. This will help you structure your thoughts and develop your style.
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Trump wedding speech
Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that Donald Trump captivates and energizes his audience. He certainly has a distinctive style, and that’s exactly where you should start to develop your skills.
If you listen to the Trump wedding speech, you’ll notice that he simplifies his terms, moderates his pace, and takes little pauses in between thoughts. He also pays very close attention to what the audience is responding to.
Although he works with a basic script, either written or memorized, he allows some room for some adlib a few lines. The result is something that comes off as very natural. The audience does not feel talked at. Instead, they feel involved. They feel connected.
His father of the bride speech to Ivanka and new Jared Kushner is a great example to all dads. Donald Trump is constantly in the spotlight but this was not his day, and he knew it. He kept his speech short and sweet, finishing with “be happy and enjoy your life”.
Regardless of which celebrity speech you attempt to emulate, keep this lesson in mind.
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Angelina wedding speech
In one of the most infamous celebrity speeches of 2020, the women of Jersey Shore delivered Angelina’s wedding speech with style.
We didn’t say the style is good.
Dubbed as “The speech heard ‘round the world’, Snooki, JWoww, and Deena took turns absolutely roasting the bride. After stumbling over chairs and tables as they made their way to the stage, humor was attempted.
Comments like “you are the lice to my hair” and “you are the throw up to our hangover” may have been well intended, but bad writing and way too much wine ended in disaster. The crowd actually booed and the trio responded in kind by shouting through the microphone.
When preparing your performance, it’s important to learn from these inspirational celebrity speeches so that you understand what not to do. It only lasted a few moments but it managed to put a damper on the entire rest of the evening.
Do not drink too much. Consider the couple and the guests. These two rules will ensure that your wedding speech will connect with both the couple and the audience, and make sure that your words are clear and focused.
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Michael Scott wedding speech
There are many wedding speeches throughout The Office’s 9 Season run. None are as quintessential to Steve Carell’s character, Michael Scott, as Phyllis’ Wedding in season 3. Starting with “Webster’s Dictionary defines “wedding” as the fusing of two metals with a hot torch. Well, you know something? I think you guys are two metals… gold medals.” Michael Scott immediately demonstrates one of his many awkward quirks. It only gets worse (or better?) from there. Michael goes on to quote “The Princess Bride” with a ridiculous impersonation, takes credit where no credit is due, and insult both the bride and the groom.
In under a minute and a half Michael manages to break almost every rule in the book. However, it’s almost impossible to be angry with him. He just means so well.
As funny as it is, the Michael Scott wedding speech is a masterclass in what not to do. There are two exceptions to this statement.
- Your wedding theme is The Office
- You are Steve Carell
Otherwise, it’s best to steer clear of breaking so many rules.
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Moira Rose wedding speech
Moira Rose earned a massive following through the Canadian hit Schitt’s Creek. Catherine O’Hara’s Moira Rose wedding speech has all of the hallmarks of her quirky talking pattern, but underneath is nothing but love.
Good evening everybody! Welcome to the wedding of Patrick Brewer and David Rose! We are gathered here today to celebrate the love of two people whose lives were ostensively brought together by fateful butterfly wings. It’s hard to understand why things happen the way that they do? Our lives are like little bebe crows carried upon a curious wind and all we can wish is for that wind place us on solid ground. And it has done this for our family in this small town in the middle of nowhere?”
That’s the entirety of the speech. It’s short but it’s poetic. Rather than saying “our family is very close” she illustrates the fact in a way that any person listening can interpret it in their own way.
This is why many celebrity speeches are so powerful. They paint a picture that is remarkably personal to almost anyone. Try to replicate this technique when crafting your wedding speech.
Nick Jonas’ Groom Speech
Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra both delivered powerful celebrity speeches at their 2018 wedding in India. Nick’s groom speech expertly told a story. It takes us on a journey through their relationship and their families coming together at the traditional Mehendi celebration with a coed twist. The entire 5 day event was very focused on culture and tradition, finished off with glamorous fireworks.
Although both bride and groom are objectively attractive people, their wedding speeches focused on deep-seated personality traits. “I love your ambition” and “I love the way you look at the world” demonstrate this.
This is a great speech strategy for traditional weddings. Although humor is a great ingredient to some speeches, dropping the jokes allows for a deeper appreciation for tradition and what people truly love about each other.
Nick’s gesture is even more significant in this case. Traditional Punjabi vows (saath pheras) promise that the bride and groom will stay committed to each other for the next seven lifetimes.
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Prince Charles and Prince William’s Father of the Groom and Best Man’s Speech
There is nothing that pulls on the heartstrings harder than a proud parent. If that parent just happens to be royalty, it’s a good bet that there won’t be a dry eye in the crowd.
Both Prince Charles and Prince William spoke at Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s wedding at Windsor Castle. In his best man’s speech, Prince Harry cleverly leans into the sibling rivalry trope with the, very successful, goal of welcoming the new Duchess to the family.
At first glance, references to “wet knickers” seem quite insulting. In reality, it demonstrates a bond between the brothers that can never be severed. This also plays into a familiar “you’re more part of the family than he is” joke. Speaking of these two topics in tandem draw the conclusion that Kate is already part of the family which Harry proves by saying:
“William didn’t have a romantic bone in his body before he met Kate, so I knew it was serious when William suddenly started cooing down the phone at Kate.”
Prince William then ends with the promise that their late mother, Princess Diana, would be extremely proud of him.
His father Prince Charles follows a similar format by starting with comments about “changing his nappy” and ending with statements about what a fine man he’s turned out to be.
The celebrity speech strategy brings the audience on an emotional journey. The ups and downs of humor, pride, bond, and solemnity can stay with people for a very long time.
Taylor Swift’s Maid of Honour Speech
She may be famous for breakup stories, but Taylor Swift can surely speak to love when given the opportunity. The love she speaks of in this case is lifelong friendship. Taylor’s inspiring celebrity speech is the perfect blueprint for anyone who has known the bride or groom for a long time.
Taylor’s natural vocabulary and lyrical talent describes their experiences with the drama of a Hollywood screenplay. Each anecdote is instantly imaginable. You can see yourself there. By the end, there is no doubt in the world about how close they are.
To use this celebrity speech technique for yourself, describe your experience. When describing your time at camp together, for example, be visceral. What were the smells? What was the weather like? What kind of mood were you in?
Taylor also references the familiar. A comparison to a fairytale or romantic scene in a movie allows the guests to fill in the emotional blanks to your story with information they already connect with.
These are the details that we all subconsciously connect with, making your wedding speech much more memorable and impactful.
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Kanye West’s Groom Speech
Kanye West breaks the “short and sweet” rule by a mile, but we’re going to forgive him. His 20 minute epic alone qualifies this as a famous celebrity speech for the history books.
Perhaps the most infamous portion of the Kimye speech is the leaked portion where he described that not even Leonardo Da Vinci could create art as meaningful as Kim. As complimentary as some of Kanye’s words are, he doesn’t pull any punches when addressing the darker sides of life. With 20 minutes of real talk, no one on the planet would question his sincerity.
When Kanye gushes about the good fortune of spending “every day of my life with Kim” he may not have realized how things would turn out, but he certainly was honest.
Some people (for sure himself) consider Kanye the voice of a generation. It may seem like he has an unfair advantage but you don’t have to be a lyrical visionary to replicate his speech style. The key to this is unapologetic authenticity. Dig deep to find your authentic truth. Speak your heart without a filter.
Prince Harry’s Best Man’s Speech
Prince Harry laid the groundwork for a few jabs from Prince William and Prince Charles’ cheeky jabs at William’s and Cate Middleton’s wedding in 2011. The Queen was in attendance so there were a few taboo topics, but he did manage to make mention of Prince William’s balding, mocking the couple’s talking patterns, and referring to his brother as “dude” rather than something more appropriate like “his Royal Highness”.
Harry quickly redeems himself by revealing his true feelings by stating “William didn’t have a romantic bone in his body before he met Kate, so I knew it was serious when William suddenly started cooing down the phone at Kate.” and referring to Kate as his “sister”.
Starting with humor and ending on a sweet note is a formal part of this celebrity speech structure. More importantly, the speech structure works best when the nature of relationships are harnessed and expressed.
Regardless of your relationship with the subjects of your speech, embellish it. Speak to each other as you usually do for an authentic speech that displays your sentiment.
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David Beckham’s speech at son Brooklyn Beckham’s wedding
David Beckham is best known for his football (let’s be honest, it’s soccer) skills. What’s not as well-known is his way with words.
As he delivered his celebrity speech to his son and new daughter, David truly made it a family affair. Rather than talk exclusively about the couple, David speaks about the entire family and offers some sage advice.
“The most important thing is to make each other happy. And treat your Mrs like gold.”
It’s rumored that other guests followed suit with their own kind words and advice on how to succeed in life and love. Styles varied (short and sweet, funny, serious) but the theme was established. Each speaker showed some love.
What makes this more powerful? David cried.
As he delivered his words of wisdom and love David, who is normally a stoic, reserved man, shed a few tears. If you happen to be a father speaking at a wedding, allow yourself to drop the walls as David did. Allow yourself to be vulnerable. The audience will relate to this and your words will be better received.
How To Write A Celebrity Inspired Speech
Writing a wedding toast inspired by notable celebrity speeches is probably easier than you think. All it takes is a little structure and self-reflection. It’s a good idea to practice your speech out loud a few times nail down your delivery, but to transfer your thoughts onto paper follow this process:
- Timing Is Everything
The target wedding speech length should target 3 to 5 minutes. However, don’t rush it and don’t cut it short. Depending on your style and what you have to say, you may get through it quicker or it may take a little longer.
Once you have your thoughts on paper, read it out at a natural pace. If you zip through everything in barely 2 minutes, try adding to your original thoughts.
If you take way longer than expected, ask yourself if each section is absolutely necessary and cut anything that doesn’t add to the story. When possible, find more concise ways to relay your message. - Structure Your Thoughts
To make sure that you are saying the right things, take your cue from the celebrity speeches mentioned above.
Consider your relationship with the couple and start making note of significant events in your life. In point form, write down the memories that come to mind when you think about the bride or groom. Use the same process to list out any advice you may have and how you personally feel about the union.
Once you have all of your talking points established you will be able to start putting them together in a way that tells a story. Before you can really dig into this process, there’s one more thing you must do: establish your style. - Find Your Style
One mistake that people commonly make is trying to adopt a character when delivering a speech, but natural is always better.
The first step of determining your speech style is to acknowledge the nature of your relationship. If you are always serious with each other, your speech should be serious. If you always joke around, make a few jokes!
Then you must acknowledge that you have an entire audience to consider. With the guests in mind, establish a few rules of engagement so that you don’t bore onlookers with inside jokes or wind up breaking taboos.
It’s natural to want to exceed your own expectations when performing, and celebrity speeches are a great source of inspiration. It’s always wise to listen to a variety of speeches to help hone your personal style and enhance your soft skills.
Rather than try to emulate a specific celebrity speech, borrow some lessons from all of them. Make note of things you like and why you like them. Try to incorporate the spirit into your wedding speech.
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