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Wedding Speeches

Wedding speeches are made during the reception, usually by the bride's father, the groom and the best man.

Wedding Speeches by the Father of the Bride

The father of the bride usually gives the first wedding speech. The MC or best man should request he give a toast to the health and happiness of the newlyweds.

The father of the bride should begin his speech by welcoming the groom's parents and all the wedding guests. Next, he should thank everyone for coming and helping to celebrate his daughter's wedding.

Then, he should tell everyone a little bit about his daughter - it's alright to brag a little and reminisce, and a little gentle teasing is common. He can draw on the memories of a lifetime to choose special moments and anecdotes.

Next, he should talk about his new son-in-law, mentioning highlights about his achievements and character. A bit of gentle teasing here is also not unusual. He should welcome the groom to his family.

Finally, the father of the bride should toast the newlyweds, to their health and happiness. He may use a quotation for his wedding toast.

Wedding Speeches by the Groom

After his father-in-law finishes his wedding speech, the groom takes the floor on behalf of his wife and himself. He thanks the bride's father for his toast, for the wedding itself (if he paid for it), for his friendship and kinship, and finally for the bride herself. The groom should be careful not to be too explicit in thanking his in-laws for the money they spent on the reception - rather, he should thank them for their love and support that made the day possible.

Then thanks his own parents for the happiness and support they've given him through his life. He thanks the guests for their good wishes and for attending, thanks everyone for their wedding gifts, thanks his new wife for marrying him (he may use a romantic quote for this toast), thanks the groomsmen and others for their help in planning and conducting the wedding.

The groom's speech should include an acknowledgement of any close family members who could not attend the wedding due to illness, and wish them well.

The groom's wedding speech concludes with a toast to the bridesmaids, thanking them for all they've done.

Best Man Wedding Speeches

The best man's wedding speech is the last one at the reception. He can draw on his history with the groom to include anecdotes about the groom and mention endearing and humorous stories.

The best man's speech is usually the main speech at the wedding, and should be upbeat and fun.

He may begin his wedding speech with a very brief account of how he met the groom, especially if there is a humorous or sentimental aspect to the story. But he must keep it short!

The best man begins his formal wedding speech by responding to the groom's toast on behalf of the bridesmaids, thanking the groom for his acknowledgement.

He can continue with some humorous stories about the groom, and perhaps mention how the bride and groom met.

The best man's speech should then toast the parents of the newlyweds.

If invited guests were unable to attend but sent correspondence that is appropriate, the best man may read some brief selections from their written congratulations and good wishes.

Many a best man feels a lot of pressure about giving a great wedding speech. It can help to be prepared with some humorous toasts and quotations. The best man need not try to memorize everything - it is perfectly acceptable to use index cards with toasts he can refer to during his wedding speech.

The best man's wedding speech must not be offensive in any way!

Avoid mentioning past relationships (old girl friends, ex-wives), and when there is even the slightest doubt about whether a comment might be acceptable, it can be best to leave it out.

The best man should keep in mind that the newlywed's families probably don't know every detail of their adult lives, and be extremely cautious not to shock anyone with his wedding speech.