Wedding speeches are a cultural tradition which is observed by almost all cultures throughout the world.
Content: Wedding speeches generally involve welcoming everyone to the reception and congratulating the bride and groom and their parents. Lengthier speeches involve telling funny stories relating to the newly wedded couple, possibly recounting the story of how the couple met and fell in love. It is also quite common to wish the couple well for the future.
Delivery: The delivery of wedding speeches tends to be quite fast-paced and relaxed. It is important not to deliver in a slow and excessively formal style as this may spoil the mood of the festivities. It is also important that the speech is not too lengthy or slow as there are many proceedings still to come; usually a wedding feast follows the speech as well as a photographing session for the bride, groom, their families and wedding guests. It is also important to bear in mind that the married couple is eager to get to their honeymoon, so a lengthy or drawn-out speech will only annoy them and, possibly, the rest of the guests.
Funny and Serious: Wedding speeches are light-hearted and should aim at setting the mood for the rest of the ceremony. It is normal, therefore, for the speech to have a blend of both humorous and serious moments. The humor sets the tone while the serious words remind everyone of the great step which the couple are taking in their lives. It is therefore vitally important that the speaker does not try too hard to turn the speech into a standup comedy session, but instead makes a point of emphasizing the well-wishes for the bride and groom while maintaining a heightened, light-hearted atmosphere.
Who are you: It is quite common for the speaker to feel the need to tell everyone who he or she is in relation to the couple. While it is recommended that the speaker informs everyone who he is so that the guests understand why he has been chosen to deliver the wedding speech, it is important that this is not overdone. The speaker should bear in mind that the speech is not about himself, it is about the couple and the start of their journey together as husband and wife, so three of four sentences are quite sufficient for self-introductions. Even a single sentence is sufficient in the form: “Hi I am Name and I am the brother of the bride.” Concise and simple and everyone will easily understand why the speaker has been chosen for the task of wedding speaker.
Do not include: Sometimes speakers decide that they do not need to write down or pre-formulate a speech, but that they will make it up as they go along. The problem with this is that it is quite common to just say the first thing that comes to mind, and often it may be something rather inappropriate for the occasion. In a wedding speech, it is important to be consciously aware not to bring up previous lovers or relationships of either bride or groom, things that may spoil the mood, things that may be distasteful to the families present, events or situations that may upset the bride, groom or their parents, and any things that may ruin the sense of happiness felt by everyone in attendance, such as talking about a negative event that took place early in the couple’s relationship.
More Speeches by Occasion Articles
Learn more about Speech & Communication
Watch Speech Videos
