Sienna's Idea Pulse: Tips for Bridal Party Toasts & Speeches

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               Are you chosen to be a Maid of Honor or Best Man? Are you excited and honored but dreading the speeches? Many people wonder what makes a toast or speech fantastic. They come in all shapes and sizes. The worst; you’ve got your very drawn out (lost interest 15 minutes ago) speeches, you’re talking so fast we can’t make out the words speeches, and we’ve all heard the drunken burst into song speeches. The best; tear jerker touching speeches, the beautiful how they met speeches, the funny witty speeches, and the classic when we were little speeches. Everyone is different and has different ideas as to what makes a speech good. Here are some points to keep in mind along the way…

1)   Always keep your audience in mind, your toast of course is to the Bride & Groom but consider and respect everyone in the room. (For Ex: if there are children present, or people who you know would not appreciate certain words keep it clean and respectful.)

2)   Start by introducing yourself and how you know the Bride & Groom. They know who you are but most likely not everyone at the wedding will know you.

3)  Tell why they chose you to be in the wedding party. Did you grow up together? How did you become so close? Etc…

4)   How would you describe each of them? Tell about what the Bride & Groom mean to you and something about their personalities.

5)    If you knew either the Bride or Groom before they met the other, tell about whom they were before and how they have changed since they met.

6)   How did the Bride & Groom meet? Maybe tell how the groom told you about the bride when they met, or visa versa.

7)   If you are married, you may have some advice you would like to give.

8)   You may want to share some kind of quote, scripture, or saying.

9)   End on a positive note and make sure that if you were telling a story you always draw attention back to the bride and groom.

It’s good to write your thoughts down but not word for word, doing so may cause you to get nervous if you lose your place while following along. It’s best to write down Ideas and somewhat of an outline and then speak from your memory and your heart, referring to the page if need be. Also, remember to thank the host whether it is the parents or the Bride & Groom themselves. Let them know you are happy to be there on the joyous occasion. Most importantly just be yourself, after all that’s why they picked you!


With love and care,
Sienna Forrester
Forest House Lodge, Wedding Journalist