Wedding Speech

There can be nothing that strikes fear into more people than making a speech, especially at a wedding. Will the guests be laughing or squirming with embarrassment?


Stick to the K.I.S.S formula - keep it simple and short and hold back on the more raunchy stories. Those can last for another day.


No matter how untraditional the wedding, it seems speeches are still something dictated by convention. And although often these days the bride says something, there are generally three wedding speeches - the father of the bride speech, the groom speech, and the best man speech. Remember your audience is friendly so do not get too nervous.

The Father of the Bride
  • Welcome all the guests to the wedding and thank them for coming.
  • Tell them a little bit about your daughter – some gentle teasing is generally called for but don’t forget to mention her achievements and successes.
  • Tell them a little bit about your son-in-law, this is the opportunity for more robust teasing but also include something about his character and skills.
  • End with a toast to the bride and groom.
The Bridegroom
  • Responds to the father of the bride’s speech and includes a toast to the bridesmaids.
  • Remember to thank him for the wedding feast (if appropriate).
  • Thank the guests for coming, and thank everyone for their gifts
  • Comment on how beautiful the bridesmaids are and thank them for their hard work.
  • Most importantly thank your new wife for marrying you and add a few words about how you met, activities you share and plans for the future.
The Bestman
  • This is a response on behalf of the bridesmaids and should be light-hearted and humorous.
  • Toast the parents
  • Read out telegrams, cards and emails from people who were not able to attend.
The Bride
  • Thank everyone for coming
  • Mention any people who would like to have come, but were unable to come due to poor health/long distance or other commitments.
  • Tell the story of how you met the groom, but keep it appropriate.