The Art of Crafting a Memorable Wedding Speech
Your wedding is a special occasion to bring together family, friends, and loved ones to celebrate your relationship. There will be so much love around you, but also a few nerves as you prepare to deliver your speech. Whether you’re the father of the bride, the groom, the best man, the maid of honour, or a friend of the couple’s, your speech is the perfect moment to deliver powerful words.
As a cinematic wedding videographer, I love the speeches. They are arguably my favourite part of the wedding day. My story-telling approach is all about the spoken words on the day, and a memorable speech can leave a lasting impression to all the guests, and turn the wedding film into a magical and inspiration piece. No pressure!
So, with the above in mind, here are 5 tips for you to prepare your wedding speech.
Think about the end-result.
Think about what you want guests at your wedding to remember from your speech:
As the Father Of The Bride: it’s a perfect opportunity to deliver a meaningful speech about the bride, stories about her growing up and the bond you have together. Don’t just focus on her achievements at school or uni. Help people understand as she makes you feel, and why she’s such an important part of everyone’s lives.
As the Groom: It’s about the emotions you want to evoke. You don’t want your speech to just be a series of ‘Thank Yous’ to everyone that contributed to the wedding day. It’s more than that – it’s also your chance to share how much everyone means to you. Take the time to think about the most important people in your lives, how important they are, and why you wanted them all here. And finally, always remember to address your bride (trust me, I’ve seen speeches where the groom forgot!). Avoid the clichés like your small contribution to the wedding day or how your bride has planned the whole day. You won’t always have the opportunity to tell your bride how much you care for her–this is your chance to sit down and think about personal anecdotes, how she makes you feel, and why you’re right for each other.
As the Best Man: it’s always tempting to want to gather facts and stories about the groom, and unleash dirt on your favourite person. As best man, you definitely want to inject a bit of humour. Just be mindful of avoiding jokes that may exclude some guests. But remember, you don’t need to always be funny. This is also your chance to share stories about the couple, well wishes, and how much they mean to each other, and to you.
Ultimately, think about what it is you want your guests, and the couple, to remember from your speech. And speak from the heart.
Make it genuine
The last thing you want for your wedding speech is for it to be from Google. You can look for inspiration and steal a few jokes, of course, but make it as personal as you can, and express genuine emotion; whether it's love, happiness, gratitude, or even a touch of nostalgia. Allow your words to convey the depth of your feelings.
Include personal experiences and memories you have shared with the couple, your wife, or the family. This adds a heartfelt touch and makes the speech more relatable. Authenticity and sincerity are key when delivering a heartfelt speech that resonates with the couple and the guests.
Plan your speech
I’ve seen speeches done multiple ways, but the best ones are clearly the ones that have been planned, written down, and prepared in advance. You can go off the cuff if you’re a confident speaker, but I’d recommend preparing a few bullet points for clarity, to make sure you’re not forgetting anything, and to keep the audience engaged.
Having a planned structure for your speech will also help if you’re not comfortable talking in front of a crowd.
If you’re a nervous speaker, see it as a strength as it’ll convey emotions that you didn’t know were possible. Remember that the bride, groom, and guests are all rooting for you.
When should I do my speech?
I always recommend the speeches be done before dinner. Visually, this will look better as the tables will still be set, and you won’t get venue staff clearing dinner as the speakers are trying to overcome their nerves!
But also, if you’re not a natural speaker, and you’re feeling anxious, you won’t enjoy your wedding breakfast. All you’ll think about is your speech, to ‘get it out of the way’.
Your speech is a special occasion, so I recommend you do it before the meal is served, where the audience is the most engaged. This also properly kicks off the festivity.
How long should my speech be?
I’ve seen and filmed a lot of speeches over the years and trust me: You do not want your speech to drag on. A well-planned speech should be no longer than 10mn per speaker. Remember: delivery and practice is key. If you rehearse your speech in advance, you’ll familiarise yourself with the timing and pace.
If you’re unsure about hiring a wedding videographer, and would like a chat to help with your decisions, then get in touch and I’d love to have a chat with you.