If you’re not used to public speaking it would be easy to get stuck on how to start a wedding speech. However, the good thing is once you start, once you get out that door, you are on a roll. So, as long as you can get that part out of the way, you can be sure to hit your home run.
Giving wedding speeches can be nerve-wracking sometimes, and if you find yourself fussed about your opening or closing lines. Or even a tad worried about the speech, we’re here to guide you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What goes first in a wedding speech?
The common opening line for wedding speeches is a greeting and introduction. So, something like, “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I’m (name) and delighted to welcome you all here tonight.”
Who speaks first in wedding speeches?
In the traditional wedding speech order, the father of the bride speaks first, followed by the groom, and then the best man before others.
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3 Ways How To Start A Speech For A Wedding
If you are thinking about how to start a speech for a wedding, well, it’s important to keep the type of event in mind. There are several factors that can determine the way you start your speech, the type of speech that you give, and how you close it. This would include:
- The general mood of the event (formal, informal, relaxed, etc).
- The time of the wedding event.
- The location.
- And, your part in the wedding.
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Start With An Introduction Of Yourself In A Usual Manner
Although how to start a wedding speech for father of the bride would be different from if you’re the best man. It is always great to start with an introduction. And so, no matter your part in the wedding, introducing yourself would be the polite way to start.
Smile as you do it and make a bit of a joke if you feel tense, or reference how important the day is if you don’t feel like joking.
Start With A Joke
Apart from introducing yourself, another great idea, whether you choose to do it before or after the introduction, would be a joke. You could make a joke about yourself and how anxious you feel, or even a joke about the weather. It’s important to choose something relaxing and normal to joke about.
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Start With A Quote
Whether you’re thinking about how to start a wedding speech for a sister or a friend, you cannot go wrong with a good quote. If you have a sentimental quote about love, or a favorite quote you both share, this will always be a good idea. And whether you choose to give a quote or a joke, always remember to smile.
Tips On How To Start A Speech At A Wedding
With the right tips on hand, you wouldn’t need to worry much about how to start a speech at a wedding. Use this guide to get your nerves in check. Start strong, and finish well. With the right guidance you’ll do well whether you’re making a speech for a friend, your child or the love of your life.
- Get ready beforehand: If you are worried about how to start a wedding speech as a maid of honor or best man, the last thing you want to do is wing it. To fail to prepare is to prepare to fail, so be sure to get ready well ahead of time.
- Don’t think you need to know your whole speech off by heart: While you might have a good memory, do not rely completely on it. Prepare your speech and write it out in handy notes. You don’t need to write all of it, you could just make cue cards to help with each point.
- Practice in advance including reading aloud: Whether you’re figuring out how to start a speech of best man at wedding or a bridesmaid, you need to rehearse. Practice as much as you can in advance.
- Record yourself to listen how you sound: Recording yourself in audio or videotape will help as well. While it might be a tad uncomfortable, you will get a better idea of any improvements you’d need to make as you practice more.
- When giving your speech – always make eye contact: When you’re wondering how to start a wedding speech for a brother or friend, remember about eye contact. Eye contact connects you to the audience.
- Be yourself: Try to relax, don’t fret and share your perspective on the couple. Just be yourself and the message will be passed across easily. If you are anxious, the guests will feel it too.
- Emotions are ok: It is okay to tell a story that means something to you, and if it does, it is also okay to show emotion. Be it tears or laughter, emotions add feeling to your words.
- Tears are ok: A wedding is a celebration of love, and happy tears are always welcome. So, don’t feel the need to hide those emotions if they rise to the surface.
- Improvisation is ok: You might consider improvising if your nerves threaten to get the best of you. In the end there is no hard and fast rule for giving your speech.
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Things to Avoid When Starting Your Wedding Speech
- Rambling or Going Off on Tangents: It’s important to stay focused and concise when delivering your wedding speech. Avoid rambling or going off on unrelated tangents that could lose the attention of your audience.
- Prolonged Stories or Anecdotes: While sharing a brief and meaningful story can enhance your speech, be cautious not to go into excessive detail or share prolonged anecdotes. Keep your speech engaging and to the point, ensuring that it doesn’t drag on for too long.
- Mentioning Past Relationships or Exes: It’s best to avoid bringing up past relationships or mentioning exes in your wedding speech. Focus on celebrating the love and joy of the couple’s present relationship, rather than delving into the past.
- Overindulging in Alcohol before the Speech: It’s essential to maintain a clear and coherent delivery during your wedding speech. Avoid overindulging in alcohol before your speech to ensure that you speak confidently and coherently.
- Insults or Negative Remarks: Steer clear of making any negative or insulting remarks during your wedding speech. It’s a time to celebrate and uplift the couple, so focus on expressing your love, support, and well wishes for their future.
Remember, a well-crafted and heartfelt wedding speech will be appreciated by the couple and their guests, so it’s important to avoid these common pitfalls to ensure a memorable and positive experience for everyone involved.
Important Questions To Answer Before You Start
Knowing the answers to a few questions can be helpful if you’re struggling with how to start a wedding speech for a groom or bride. The answers to these simple questions could as well help you create your speech. For instance:
- Who will speak before you? This could influence the content of your speech or toast. You might want to pick up where they left off, say a few words about them, or thank them for introducing you.
- When will you speak? The timing of your speech could also decide the type of speech that you give. If it’s early in the day, you might consider something more formal and quick. If it’s late in the day during dinner, a more relaxed, fun and cheerful speech would be nice.
- Is there a memory the couple would want to share? If there is anything specific the couple would like you to mention, it would be a good idea to find that out beforehand and include it in your speech.
- How much time do you have? Most speeches don’t go above 5 mins. Being aware of how much time you have to speak, will also help you in drafting your speech and deciding what should be said and what should be left out.
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How To Start A Wedding Speech: Examples To Find Inspiration
How To Start A Wedding Speech For Mother
There are several ways to start your wedding speech as the mother of the bride or groom. If you are worried about how to start a wedding speech for your daughter or son, the examples below can inspire you.
Hi everybody! I am the mother of our wonderful bride. I am very happy that so many people joined the celebration of our special day today!
Good evening! Who does not know me yet, I am the mother of the bride, _. It’s hard for me to hide my emotions on this wonderful day and I would like to thank all our guests for being with us today!
My name is _. Who does not know – I am the mother of the groom. I am glad to welcome you all here tonight.
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How To Start A Wedding Speech For Father Of The Bride
A wedding celebration is not just about the couple, but also about their loved ones. As father of the bride or groom, you would be feeling a lot of emotions on such a big day. You can start your wedding speech by introducing yourself, expressing those emotions, and telling everyone how much this day means to you.
You should probably all know who I am, and if you don’t – I _, the bride’s dad. Welcome to our celebration!
The highest happiness on earth is the happiness of marriage. And today we are all here to congratulate our beautiful newlyweds.
Wedding is the most important day in every girl’s life, welcome to my beautiful daughter’s wedding. If someone does not know me, I am the father of the bride, _.
How To Start A Wedding Speech Maid Of Honor
As maid of honor you would have lots of material for a wedding speech. Just deciding how to start your wedding speech and how to organize all of the words can get you on your way.
Hi all! I am _, a bridesmaid. I am so happy that _ got married today. It is such a joyous event for all of us.
You probably know me as a bridesmaid, _. But today you will also recognize me as the queen of the dance floor, because the bride warned that there would be dancing until the morning! Jo, I’m just kidding!
Today is a special day and we are here to celebrate with our newlyweds! We have been preparing for a long year and now this day has come!
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How To Start A Speech Of Best Man At Wedding
Whether you have a joke, a quote, or a story to share, as the best man everyone would be interested in what you have to say. So, try to be yourself and read out the words as you have planned and rehearsed.
My dear, _! I’m so happy that you found the girl of your dreams and today is your wedding, but I’m so sad that now you will stop hanging out with me like we did at the university. Okay, I’m kidding! I’m still very happy!
Hi everybody! I’m best man, my name is _, and who doesn’t know I’m a single – this is information for the table where the bridesmaids are. I would like to congratulate our dear newlyweds on this wonderful day!
Good evening everyone! When I was preparing this speech, I was thinking how I can fit my attitude towards _ and our 20 years of friendship into 7 minutes. But, I found a way out – we have the whole night ahead!
How To Start A Wedding Speech For Sister
As the sister of the groom or bride, you won’t need to worry about how to start a bride’s wedding speech. There are many paths to follow. After introducing yourself you could tell a joke about your sibling, tell a story about the couple, or talk about your joy at seeing them hitched finally.
My dear sister! You are so beautiful today! I am so glad that there are so many people here today, and we all gathered to congratulate you and _ on such a special day!
Hi everybody! I am the groom’s sister, _. I would like to say a few words about my brother and welcome his new wife to our family.
I’m _, the groom’s younger sister! All my life I wanted to have not only a brother, but also a sister. How happy I am that now my dreams have come true! _, welcome to our family.
How To Start A Wedding Speech For Brother
Sometimes you feel as if you cannot find the right words, or your nerves get the best of you. However, with preparation, there are more than enough words to express your joy for your brother on his wedding day.
As the brother of the groom, I would like to say a few words about him. I remember when I was 9 and he was 7, we promised each other never to mess with girls. And today we are at his wedding!
Today our family has become bigger! And I’m incredibly happy for these two so happy! I have always been protective of my little sister and only wanted her to date a nice guy. And it happened just like that!
Hello everyone, I’m _. According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. And I totally agree. So sorry, but I’ll be brief.
How to Start a Wedding Speech for a Best Friend
Starting a wedding speech for your best friend requires a heartfelt and personal approach. Here’s an example of how you could begin:
Good evening, everyone. For those who don’t know me, my name is [Your Name], and I have the incredible honor and privilege of standing here today as [Best Friend’s Name]’s best friend. First and foremost, I want to express my deepest gratitude to [Couple’s Names] for allowing me to share in this joyous celebration of their love. Today is not only a celebration of their union but also a testament to the unbreakable bond of friendship that [Best Friend’s Name] and I have shared throughout the years.
How To Start A Bride’s Wedding Speech
As a bride, you wouldn’t need to start your wedding speech with an introduction since everyone attending would no doubt know who you are. Your speech would mostly be one of thanks to your guests, love for your partner a story or two if you like, and an overall expression of joy for such a special day.
I’m so happy to welcome all of you here today to celebrate our wedding and thank you for choosing to spend the day with us!
I want to thank everyone who is with us today – thanks to you this day has become even more special. It will be such a pleasure to see all the photos and videos from our holiday as soon as possible, I’m sure they will be amazing!
I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston created just the best song. And I will always love you too, my dear husband.
How To Start A Wedding Speech For Groom
Just like the bride, the groom would not need any introduction. The groom’s speech could begin with supporting the words of the bride or be totally different.
I would like to join all the words of my wife! Thank you for being with us today on this special day.
If someone does not know me, I _, groom. Or already a husband. Haha, I’m kidding. Today was just the best day, I did not even imagine that everything would be like this.
Hi all! I‘d like to add a few words to my wife’s speech. Like most men, I don’t like attention, photo shooting, etc. But today it wasn’t stressful, it was so relaxed and easy-going thanks to everyone who was with us!
It’s quite common to fret about how to start a wedding speech. However, with some inspirational examples, banging tips and a strong start, you can tackle any wedding speech successfully whether you are the best man, groom, or even mother of the bride.
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