It's not mandatory, but we recommend that you at least consider speaking at your own wedding. Guests love to hear from couples, and most couples report that they're glad they made the effort to speak on their own big day.
Who gives a toast at a wedding? Your parents/parent figures, wedding party members, best friends, or close relatives are generally the ones who give speeches or readings throughout your wedding celebration, but ultimately, you can ask whoever you want if it will mean something to you.
The Bride's Speech
Although it's not traditional, it is becoming popular for the bride to say a few words at her wedding. She will usually thank her own parents, the groom's parents, her bridesmaids and her friends. She will usually end by saying a few words about her new husband.
Socializing during the cocktail hour is a great way to make guests feel welcome and appreciated; however, making sure you speak to each guest can often get chaotic. People will likely be flocking to you for pictures and questions about your wedding hashtag.
Traditionally, if there is a bride and groom, the groom speaks and the bride does not, but this is completely up to preference.
Go it solo or together. You can do it alone or as a tag team with your new spouse. If you're appearing as a duo, you could toast each other, then the bridal party, your parents, and the guests and vendors, thanking them for being a part of your special day.
It's fine to ditch the speeches altogether if you and your bridal party are happy to sit them out, but it's still important to thank your guests for attending. A quick toast provides the perfect solution - you can ask a friend to lead it, and it can be as simple as a list of thank-yous and a call to raise a glass.
Wedding speeches traditionally provide the ideal way to thank guests. They also help your nearest and dearest to share the love and support they have for you. But you don't have to take to the stage to share your thoughts with the happy couple.
Unbreakable Rule #1: RSVP Promptly
If you're one of the chosen few to be invited, make sure you respond promptly. Many wedding invitations will include a deadline to reply. Prompt RSVPs are important because wedding venues and vendors require a firm headcount ahead of time.
While a few tears of joy during your wedding day are perfectly normal, even to be expected, let's be honest: No one wants to be that bride who bawled her eyes out the entire time she stood at the altar (yeah, you know the one).
Whoever is hosting the event should speak first and should take the microphone as soon as guests have found their seats. This first toast is most often made by the parents (or father) of the bride and should combine both a toast to the happy couple and a welcome message to the guests.
The Best Man's Speech
It's customarily the last wedding speech, and everyone expects it to be amusing. The best man's speech generally contains the following; — Thank you for the groom's toasts.
Wedding receptions often have a Master of Ceremonies (MC) to keep the day running smoothly. This role is sometimes handed to the best man, or another close friend of the groom. The role of MC is simple. It requires you to make a few announcements loudly and clearly as the day progresses.
According to Croce, tradition dictates that there be no more than four speeches during a wedding reception.
Is It OK to Read a Wedding Speech? The debate over whether it's OK to read your wedding speech ends here. Since not everyone is great at public speaking, experts say it's fine to bring notes with you, so long as you're familiar with your script. The important part is to show your love for the couple.
Keep it Short. The ideal length for a speech is three to five minutes, with five minutes being the absolute maximum you should speak for.
Whether you are a guest of honor, father of the bride, best man or bridesmaid, its a ceremonial must to make a toast for the newlyweds. The purpose of wedding speeches is to wish the married couple good luck for their future together.
Answer: It's customary to attend the ceremony if you are planning to be at the reception. Typically, it's OK to skip the reception in favor of going only to the ceremony and not vice versa. However, as long as you have a good reason for missing the ceremony and share that with the couple, it's permissible.
A wedding speech is a story, a personal reflection, or even an anecdote. A wedding toast is the actual blessing where guests are asked to raise their glasses in celebration of the honored couple.
Traditionally, the bride doesn't give a speech at the reception, but there's no reason why you shouldn't if you want to. We've got some great sample speeches for brides to inspire you.
Traditionally, the order of wedding reception toasts goes like this: The best man toasts the bride. The maid/matron of honor toasts the groom. The wedding host/financier (traditionally the father of the bride) toasts the couple.
Even if your primary role is to speak about the bride or the groom, your speeches should always mention both in some way. End With A Toast. The ending of a speech can be just as difficult to deliver as the introduction, which is why we suggest capping it off with a toast.