The Do’s and Don’ts of Wedding Speeches

The usual list of things that you don’t want to go wrong, such as the flower arrangements matching the venue, the menu being on point, and making sure you have a bathroom buddy to help with your dress, but something we often forget to worry about is our speeches!

Speeches can be a very heartwarming part of your Wedding night, where all your closest friends or family members can say a few meaningful and funny words about you and your hubby, or it can be a disastrous and awkward part of the night if someone says the wrong thing.

If the Newlyweds have chosen you to speak at their Wedding it means you are special to them and can’t stuff it up … no pressure though! We’ve listed 7 Do’s and Don’ts for Wedding Speeches to help you out.

1. DO – Be prepared

Speeches can often be daunting and nerve-racking, so be prepared to avoid any long pauses, put some thought into what you’re going to say about the Newlyweds. Don’t be afraid to have speech cards to refer to.

2. Don’t – Google Your Speech

If you have been chosen to speak at the Wedding then chances are you mean a lot to the Bride and Groom and have a special bond with the Couple so they expect something meaningful and unique, so DO NOT google your speech

3. DO – Tell a story

If you really want to pull on everyone’s Heartstrings, then telling a short and sweet story about the couple will do the trick. Whether it’s how they met, a night out you had with them or just how beautiful they are together.

4. Don’t – Talk for too Long

Remember this is a party and everyone wants to be up partying and celebrating the happy couple. Don’t make your speech too long or too short, speaking for 5min should be enough time to say everything you want without going off track and boring people. Keep people interested by keeping it short and simple.

5. Do – Introduce yourself

Give Context to your connection whether it’s friendship, Parent or your love-hate sibling relationship of the Bride or Groom. It will give an emotional connection and be more meaningful if guests know just how close you are to the Bride or Groom, speak from your heart!

6. Don’t – Swear

Sometimes people can get carried away when giving a Wedding Speech forgetting about the families around them. Avoid swearing it can take the thoughtful meaning behind what is trying to be said.

Do and Don’t – Tell a Joke

Telling a joke can go on either end of the scale, it can either be a great starting point for your Wedding Speechmaking everyone excited for the rest of the speech about the newlyweds or, it can go terribly wrong and make the room silent which is an awkward situation I’m sure everyone wants to avoid. The best way to avoid this is to run the joke by someone close to the couple to make sure it’s suitable for the night!

Also a little extra tip – always remember to toast the couple at the end of the speech and thank everyone for coming on behalf of the Happy Couple.

Feature image Photography: Merve Togan