The wedding speech - every best man's nightmare!

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The three obligatory wedding speeches are given by the father of the bride, the best man and the groom. However, you can have as many speeches as you would like, and it is not unusual to hear from the bride, the bride’s mother, the groom’s parents or the Maid or Honour. The object of the wedding speeches is usually to deliver a toast. The bare minimum required is the toast itself, but it is much more common nowadays to use the opportunity to include such things as anecdotes, well wishes, jokes and advice.

The first to speak is normally the bride’s father. His job is to welcome the guests, and propose a toast to the health and happiness of the newlyweds. The father of the bride often includes stories of the bride growing up, and it’s extremely common for him to become emotional when he talks about her leaving home and getting married. It is a good opportunity to welcome the groom into his family, and compliment the groom’s parents on helping to raise the person his daughter has fallen in love with.

Traditionally, the groom responds to the toast given by the father of the bride. On behalf of himself and his new wife, the groom thanks everyone for their best wishes and kind gifts. He may also wish to thank his parents for the love and support they gave him, and the continued important role they have in his life. Sometimes the groom also mentions relatives and friends who could not join the celebrations due to ill health, and wishes them a speedy recovery. The final part of the groom’s speech is a toast to the bridesmaids. Thanks should be given to the bridesmaids for doing a wonderful job, and for looking beautiful! It is usual to then express your thanks with a token gift.

Responding on behalf of the bridesmaids, the best man then speaks. The expectation of the audience is that the best man will deliver a witty and amusing speech about the groom’s dubious past. This is often the speech with the most pressure, and guests speculate about the content. Certainly, the bride will often worry about what may be said, and it is a good idea to have someone on hand to check that the speech is appropriate for a mixed crowd including grandparents and young family members!

The most important thing to remember when giving a speech is to do it from the heart. There are many articles that can offer you instant humour for inclusion in the speech, but only opt for their offerings if they are truly relevant to your situation. If in doubt, stick to something sincere and short — and always remember to speak slowly and clearly.

© The Pink Fridge Online Magazine 2008 - Wedding Speeches