After the initial joy fades the terror of writing a maid of honor speech kicks in. Have no fear, here are some simple wedding speech tips to get you going!
Bring your smile to the speech.
Apart from walking down the aisle, most girls dream of becoming a maid of honor! From planning out the bachelorette party to letting everyone know you’re this bride’s go to girl, there are a lot of benefits and glory to the title. However, if you’re not big on public speaking or writing a maid of honor speech then the infamous title might have you feeling uneasy. Don’t stress it though, there are a lot of ways you can make your wedding speech stand out without having to hire a professional to make it a hit.
Plan Ahead
You should never go into a wedding speech with the plan to wing it. Some people do have this amazing talent, but most of us tend to step up to the podium feeling like Tony the Tiger and end up cowering away like a wet kitten by the end of the speech. You should always take some time to write out what your friend really means to you. Bring in stories from your life that will make the crowd laugh as well as bring a tear to the eye. As the maid of honor you have the power to make your speech the best one of the night, so get to it! Make sure you practice the finishing piece as well, to ensure you have it timed to perfection.
Keep It Light & Funny
No one wants to hear a wedding speech that seems to go nowhere nor do they want a drawn out story that’s going to depress them for the rest of the night. Your maid of honor speech should be light so that it lifts spirits without making people reconsider their opinion of the couple. A touch of humor is always a bonus too. If you keep people laughing, your speech is going to go by a whole lot faster and will remain with the couple for years to come. However, be careful what humor you do decide to add in. Crudeness of any kind isn’t a go for wedding speeches. While some friendly jests might be okay between you and the bride, others may get defensive or feel as if you’re being insulting.
Skip the Ex Talk
Bring tears of joy, not dismay with your speech.
You and the bride may like to joke about her ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends, but keep this talk for when you’re hanging out. During your maid of honor speech leave out any talk about dating history. It might bring up unpleasant feelings for the new spouse—and no one deserves that on their wedding day. Additionally, it can also seem a bit tasteless. The best thing you can do is keep the stories you add into your speech about you and her, without tangling anyone else in. If you do have a story to tell where an ex can’t be completely cut out, change the title to make the person look like an acquaintance or friend.
Elaborate
Sometimes wedding speeches can drag on, but when you add comments as vague as “she’s funny” or “she’s so wonderful” to the speech, it’s going to seem like years have passed since you started talking. Instead of being simple about your reasons for thinking your number one is the bee’s knees, try adding in a story that confirms it. For instance, if you want to talk about her funny side then share a story about a time you couldn’t stop laughing because of her. Remember, it needs to be audience appropriate so you may have to dive into your friendship database, but once you get your example your speech will be good to go.
Make It About The Couple
Although you’re going to be a part of the maid of honor speech no matter what, don’t make the speech about you. Start it off with a few stories about her. It’s easy to get caught up in yourself here, but remember everything you say should be boosting her up, not you. When you’ve finished up here move on to talk about how her life changed for the better since she met her lover. This is usually a crowd-pleaser and will lead you right to the heartfelt well wishes to end your speech on a tender note.
Guests toast to the happy couple.
Your speech doesn’t have to be too long or over emotional so don’t sweat it if that’s not your style. I’ve been to weddings where the maid of honor’s speech was incredibly short, but the most memorable of the night, so remember quality over quantity. And as a last tip, you may want to take it easy as far as alcohol is concerned until after you give the speech—just to be safe! Good luck!
