The speeches are an important part of any wedding day, but they can often leave brides and grooms feeling confused. Who should make the speeches? How long they should be? Who thanks who? Feel free to make the speeches personal to you, and tailor them to your individual preferences, but Guides for Brides are here to help with all the traditional wedding speech etiquette.
The father of the bride.
As the first speech of the wedding, this will set the tone for the day. Whilst some fathers go for tear-jerkers, some dads use this as an opportunity to tell some jokes and make everyone feel relaxed. Here are our top tips to make sure your dad gets it right.
- Remember to thank guests who have travelled a long way.
- Compliment the bride, and perhaps tell a funny story about her childhood.
- Welcome the groom and his family.
- Raise a toast to the bride and groom!
The groom.
According to tradition, the second speech should be made by the groom. He may want to take this as an opportunity to thank everybody for coming, and say a few heartfelt words about the bride. Here’s what he should cover:
- Thank the father of the bride for his toast
- Thank both sets of parents, and present both mothers with flowers.
- Mention the best man and thank him for the support.
- Toast to the bridesmaids and pageboys.
The best man.
This speech is expected to be funny and entertaining, so this is the one your guests will be looking forward to the most. Traditionally, the best man should reveal some funny or embarrassing anecdotes about the groom. Here’s our advice for what he should include in his speech:
- Read messages from any absent friends
- Tell a funny story or two about the groom
- Include a story about the newlywed couple
- Raise a toast to the newly weds!
The bride.
For the bride’s speech, there is little etiquette saying what she should or should not say, but lots of brides take the opportunity to say a few words. Remember to thank the guests for coming, and thank the groom’s family.
#TNWS x