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Best Tips for Maid Of Honor Speech 2024: Samples & Ideas

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Crafting a memorable maid of honor speech can be both an honor and a daunting task. It’s a chance to celebrate the bride in a heartfelt way while engaging the audience. Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or feeling the nerves, this guide will walk you through simple and effective steps to create a speech that will leave everyone touched and smiling. Remember, the key to a great speech lies in authenticity and personal anecdotes – sharing genuine stories and emotions will make your words resonate with everyone present.

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Maid Of Honor Speech Examples

Best friend maid of honor speech.

After years of helping Maids of Honor deliver awesome speeches, founder of Speechy and author of ‘The Modern Couple’s Guide to Wedding Speeches’, Heidi Ellert-McDermott, shares her tips. The first three-fifths of the speech should include revealing, entertaining stories that give an insight into the bride and your relationship with her. Don’t be shy of some affectionate teasing. 

We’ve made a research and after surveying over 50,000 brides, the maid of honor choice was crystal clear: more than 51% of them chose their best friend as their maid of honor. This role isn’t just about tradition—it’s about an unbreakable bond. A best friend’s speech resonates deeply, filled with shared memories and heartfelt wishes.

“If you haven’t had the chance to meet me yet, my name is X. (Bride) and I have been best friends for about 10 years. We met in high school gym class, and we couldn’t stand each other at first. As you can see, things eventually changed for the better. When (Bride) first asked me to be her Maid of Honor I felt flattered. But as the big day approached, she also told me to give a speech and a toast. I’m kind of the shy type and tried my best to get out of it. But, as (Groom) can tell you, it’s almost impossible to tell (Bride) No and get away with it. I wanted to tell you both how absolutely spectacular you look today. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better-looking couple (except for maybe my boyfriend and I). And I hope you’re all having a lovely evening and I’d like to I wish you two all the love and happiness in the world. How blessed you are to celebrate your love on this beautiful day. I know there are many happy years ahead for you. Let’s all raise our glasses to the bride and groom, and wish them a lifetime of love and happiness!”

“I never had a sister, but (Bride) has been like a sister to me for all these years. We have similar tastes, we like similar clothes… I knew (Bride) had found the one when (Groom) walked into her life. Well, I’m fine with that – she saw him first! Actually, you could see that it was love at first, second, and third sight. He is her Prince Charming and it seems to me he gives her all she needs – a strong arm, a sympathetic ear, and his credit card.”

“I met (Bride) 6 years ago, as we tried to survive in the concrete jungle of NY. To thrive there, your tribe is essential. We are quite protective of each other, so I was a bit skeptical of (Groom) when he first came into the picture. But as time goes by, I can’t imagine anyone else but him to be her one and only. They say that anyone can be passionate, but it takes a real pair of lovers to be silly. Well, together, (Bride) and (Groom) are two of the goofiest people I know.”

“Hello everyone, my name is X, and by my dress, you can tell that I am the Maid of Honor today. For many years, we have been through thick and thin, and we have shared many memories. Today is another great day to add to our collection of sweet memories, so I’m really looking forward to the cake! I know you will have challenges as all relationships do. But you know what’s great about love and relationships and marriages? It is learning to grow together. Caring and sharing, and lots of tenderness. And maybe a bit of patience, or maybe even a lot. So let’s raise our glasses to the power of love, that makes all these wonderful things happen! Today you start a completely new chapter of your lives. What can I say? Never forget the two most important replies: ‘you’re right, dear’ and ‘okay, buy it’. Love and cherish each other! These two are a rare find in today’s world. Here’s to the groom who has a bride so fair, and here’s to the bride with a groom who is so rare.”

How to write a maid of honor speech for best friend?

• Introduction: Begin by introducing yourself and expressing how honored you are to be the maid of honor for your best friend.
• Fond Memories: Share special and cherished memories you’ve shared together, highlighting the bond you both share.
• Praise and Qualities: Speak about your best friend’s wonderful qualities, accomplishments, and the ways they have positively impacted your life and the lives of others.
• The Friendship: Emphasize the strength and significance of your friendship, and how it has grown over the years.
• Love and Support: Show appreciation for the bride’s partner and express your excitement about their journey together.
• Gratitude: Thank the guests for being a part of this special day and acknowledge the couple’s families.
• Toast: Raise a toast to your best friend and their partner, wishing them a lifetime of love, joy, and happiness together.

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Sister maid of honor speech.

According to our research, the second most popular choice for the maid of honor role is the bride’s sister. While tradition often places the best friend in the spotlight, a sister brings a unique depth to the role. Their shared history, growing up together, and the intrinsic bond make a sister’s speech incredibly touching. With a wealth of childhood memories and a deep understanding of the bride, a sister’s words carry immense emotional weight. When delivering the speech, draw upon this shared journey, express genuine emotions, and celebrate the love that binds not only siblings but also the newlyweds.

“As you may know, I am the bride’s younger sister. As we were growing up, I always wanted to be like her. Do the things she did, have the things she had –  I was probably a bit annoying, I always wanted to tag along. She taught me how to care, how to share, and how to try to reach for the stars. And as I grew up I wanted to be just as beautiful, caring, smart, and successful as her. (Bride) has always set an example for me to follow. Over the years she has shown me how to love and care. Today she shows me how to find a best friend, a partner, and a true lover, all in one person. I hope that I am just as lucky someday. It’s a great happiness to find someone who loves you as much as (Groom) loves my sister. Today, I want to thank both of you for being a part of my life, and to celebrate the love you both share. Like many sisters, we weren’t always best friends. I remember fights, screaming, and door-slamming, but I couldn’t have picked a better sister and a friend. Now that we are older, I can finally admit how happy I am to have grown up with such a great sister. Having a sister is one of the greatest things in life. Having a little sister is even better because I liked to be bossy. (Bride) always wanted to be a bit more like me… But actually, there is so much that I admire about her! I have watched her grow into the gorgeous woman that she is. It is a great honor for me to be her big sister!”

“First of all, I want to thank you all for being here with us today. As most of you know I am (Bride’s) sister. As we grew, we were as close as can be. We were always in trouble and I remember wondering if there will be a guy brave enough for someone as wild as my sister is. Well, here he is!My sis has just tied the knot. And I do believe that (Groom) is her perfect match. And today I realize that all she needs is a guy who will love her just the way she is, with all her craziness. Their commitment to each other inspires all of us because that’s what we call true love. So let’s raise our glasses to this amazing couple!”

“I want you to know that it took me 3 weeks to write this speech over and over again. And I couldn’t think of anything perfect enough to describe just how much I love you. I couldn’t find words to define the kind of sister you are to me. This is your big day and there is so much I want to say… I Googled a lot of maid of honor speech examples. The one piece of advice I kept finding over and over again was to start off with a quote. I did some research and I think their love is best described by Dr. Seuss: “You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because the reality is finally better than your dreams.”

“Love, be true to her; Life, be dear to her; Health, stay close to her; Joy, draw near to her; Fortune, find what you can do for her, Search your treasure house through and through for her, Follow her footsteps the wide world over – And keep her husband always her lover. – By Anna Lewis, from “To the Bride”

How to write a maid of honor speech for sister?

• Introduction: Start by introducing yourself and your relationship with the bride, emphasizing your sisterly bond.
• Anecdotes: Share heartfelt and funny stories that highlight your sister’s qualities, achievements, or memorable moments you’ve shared together.
• Praise the bride: Compliment her personality, kindness, and the positive impact she has on others.
• Address the groom: Welcome him into the family and share a warm message about their relationship.
• Express gratitude: Thank the guests for attending and acknowledge your parents and other family members.
• Toast: Raise a glass and propose a heartfelt toast to the newlyweds and their future happiness together.

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Funny Maid Of Honor Speech

As a close friend of the bride, you would have a lot of material for wedding speeches bridesmaids, you just need to know how to put them all together. A few sample wedding speeches would give you the right kind of inspiration to get you on your way.

“Well, for those of you who I haven’t had the chance to meet yet, my name is [NAME]. [BRIDE] and I have been best friends for around the last 10 years. We first met at work one day, when she stole my carrot cake out of the fridge in the lunchroom and I threw away her pineapple yogurt cartons in revenge. I never had a sister, but [BRIDE] has been my stand-in sister for all these years. You could say we are even closer than sisters. We don’t fight like sisters, but we do wear each other’s clothes. Somehow she can still fit into my clothes but I can’t fit into hers anymore. I’m sure that is just because her dryer must be shrinking them. I knew [BRIDE] had found the one when [GROOM] walked into her life. Sure, she dated a few guys…after I was done torturing them. But [GROOM] was different. Unlike those jerks, he was kind and thoughtful. And he had a job. You could see that it was love at first, second, and third sight. Clearly [GROOM] is charming and it seems to me he offers her what she needs – a strong arm, a kind ear, and an American Express Black Card. I trust [BRIDE] and [GROOM] completely. I remember the time I asked them to watch my dog Benji when I went skiing in Europe. They were so nice to help out. I got back and Benji was so happy to see me. He was 40 pounds lighter and now he sees a therapist twice a week. Of course, we are having fun today. The test of this relationship will be over the long term. Will she still love [GROOM] when he leaves his underwear on the floor and cuts his toenails at the dinner table? The answer is no. God, please, disgusting. No, seriously, I know they will have challenges as all relationships do. And [GROOM] will learn what all men learn eventually. Keep your wife happy! Happy wife, happy life. No, really, what’s great about love and relationships and marriage is learning to grow together. The communication it takes to keep a marriage going is massive. But half the fun is working things out, talking, communicating, and launching kitchen appliances at each other – real love. Today has been a great day. Family and friends are here, the sun is shining and the champagne is flowing. And we’ll need it to get through this chicken dinner.”

Sometimes the hardest part of being a maid of honor to your bestie might be writing the wedding speech. Speaking with your friend face to face is always easy, however, making toasts or speeches in front of a group of people would be totally different and not as easy. This is why anecdotes and funny wedding speeches maid of honor could help you cruise through your speech while giving the wedding guests a laugh at the same time.

Funny Lines For Maid Of Honor Speech

• “I did some research on how to give the perfect maid of honor speech, and the first tip I found was to imagine everyone in their underwear. So, here we are, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my nightmare!”
• “Being the maid of honor is like being a ninja. You have to be quick on your feet, prepared for anything, and ready to attack at a moment’s notice. But instead of throwing shurikens, I’m armed with embarrassing stories about the bride.”
• “As the maid of honor, I’ve been given the responsibility of keeping the bride calm and relaxed throughout the wedding planning process. Which is why I’ve been slipping her Xanax in her coffee every morning.”
• “When the bride asked me to be her maid of honor, I was thrilled. But then I realized it meant I had to give a speech in front of all these people. So if I faint halfway through, just drag me off stage and make it look like part of the act.”

Bridesmaid Wedding Speech

A list of example wedding speeches maid of honor could act as a template of sorts, helping you figure out just how to structure your speech.

Some of the best wedding speeches maid of honor, shine a light on the friendship between the bride and her maid of honor, as well as the beautiful personality of the bride. Most introductions begin with the story of meeting the groom for the first time. The intro is usually a good time to inject a funny quote, poem, or actual occurrence.

“Hi everyone, I am one of the bridesmaids at this wedding and I just wanted to say how happy and lucky I am to be here to celebrate [bride] and [groom’s] wedding with everyone. Today, everything looks effortless. From the beautiful wedding ceremony to the food, music, and decorations at this venue, every little detail was planned by [bride] and [groom.] And lots of time was spent shopping for dresses and doing fittings. When you get to peek behind the scenes, you see how much work really gets put into planning a wedding. There were a lot of late nights and hours spent working on this wedding and I have to say that it all turned out quite beautifully. Let’s all give a round of applause for [bride] and [groom.] [Bride] and [groom,] thank you for such a wonderful day. I raise my glass to the two of you and wish you nothing but the best in your life together. May each day be full of love and laughter between the two of you.”

Speeches are generally not as difficult as we imagine. So, you can relax, go through these samples, and create one of the best wedding toast speeches made of honor.

Short Maid Of Honor Speech Examples

“Greetings to all of you. I’m [Name], the maid of honor. I would like to express a few words about the lovely bride and groom. [Bride] has always been a wonderful friend to me, and it’s an honor to be her maid of honor today. And [Groom], I am delighted that you are joining our family. You two are a perfect match, and I wish you all the happiness and love in the world. Let’s raise a glass to the happy couple!”

“Hello, everyone. I’m [Name], the maid of honor. [Bride], you look breathtakingly beautiful today, and I feel grateful to be a part of your extraordinary day. [Groom], you’re a fortunate man! [Bride] is intelligent, gorgeous, and has a heart of gold. I am confident that you both will have a lifetime of love and happiness together. Congratulations on your special day!”

“Good evening, all. I’m [Name], the maid of honor, and for those who don’t know me, it’s lovely to meet you. I have known [Bride] for several years, and I have never seen her as happy as she is with [Groom]. You two bring out the best in each other, and it’s evident that you are destined to be together. It’s an honor to stand here today as a witness to your love and commitment. Congratulations to the joyful couple!”

“Hello everyone, I’m [Name], the maid of honor. [Bride], you’re my best friend and I couldn’t be happier to see you marry [Groom]. You two are perfect for each other and I wish you a lifetime of love and happiness. Congratulations!”

“Good evening, all. I’m [Name], the maid of honor, and I’m honored to celebrate [Bride] and [Groom]’s special day. [Bride], you’re my best friend and I’m so happy to see you with someone as wonderful as [Groom]. Wishing you both a lifetime of love and happiness. Congratulations!”

“Hi everyone, I’m [Name], the maid of honor, and I’m thrilled to celebrate my best friend [Bride] and her groom [Groom]. [Bride], I’m so proud of you and I know that [Groom] is the perfect partner for you. Here’s to a lifetime of happiness and love. Congratulations!”

“Good evening, everyone! For those who don’t know me, I’m [Your Name], and I have the incredible honor of standing by [Bride’s Name]’s side today as her maid of honor. First and foremost, I want to say how breathtakingly beautiful she looks tonight. As I stand here, I can’t help but reflect on the journey that led us to this moment. [Bride’s Name] and I have been inseparable since childhood, and I am beyond grateful for the memories we’ve created together. We’ve laughed together, cried together, and supported each other through life’s ups and downs. And now, as I watch her embark on this new chapter with [Groom’s Name], my heart overflows with joy. I’ve witnessed the love between them grow and flourish, and it’s truly something special. [Groom’s Name], thank you for making my best friend the happiest she’s ever been. To [Bride’s Name] and [Groom’s Name], may your love continue to blossom and may your journey together be filled with laughter, love, and adventure. Here’s to a lifetime of happiness. Cheers!”

“Hello, everyone! I’m [Your Name], and I have the honor of being [Bride’s Name]’s slightly crazy, but totally awesome, maid of honor! When [Bride’s Name] asked me to take on this role, I knew it would be an adventure. From choosing the perfect dress to planning wild bachelorette parties, we’ve had our fair share of laughs and tears. And let’s not forget about all the emergency wedding dress fittings! But in all seriousness, I couldn’t have asked for a better friend. [Bride’s Name] is compassionate, hilarious, and always there to lend a helping hand. She lights up every room she enters, and I know that [Groom’s Name] feels incredibly lucky to have her as his partner in crime. [Groom’s Name], welcome to the family! We’ve all been waiting for someone to take on the challenge of dealing with [Bride’s Name]’s terrible dance moves, and it looks like you’re up for it. To the happy couple, may your love be as endless as the dance floor at the reception. Here’s to a lifetime of happiness, laughter, and love. Cheers!”

“Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, and most importantly, the beautiful couple of the day, [Bride’s Name] and [Groom’s Name]. I’m [Your Name], and I have the privilege of being [Bride’s Name]’s maid of honor. Today, I stand here with a heart full of emotions, for I’ve had the honor of witnessing the love between [Bride’s Name] and [Groom’s Name] blossom into something truly extraordinary. Their love is like a gentle breeze, calming our souls and reminding us of the beauty in life. [Bride’s Name], you’ve always been the ray of sunshine in my life. Your kindness, grace, and unwavering love inspire all who know you. And now, as you embark on this new journey with [Groom’s Name], I know that you’ll be a guiding light in his life as well. [Groom’s Name], thank you for cherishing and loving [Bride’s Name] with all your heart. Your dedication to making her happy is evident in every glance you share. Let us all raise our glasses to the newlyweds. May your love continue to grow, like the mighty oak standing tall through the changing seasons. May your days be filled with laughter, and your hearts forever intertwined. Congratulations, and here’s to a lifetime of happiness and love!”

When delivering a speech, remember to speak from the heart, keep it concise, and maintain a positive tone. Make sure to customize the speech to fit your relationship with the couple and the overall vibe of the wedding.

How to write a short wedding speech?

• Start by introducing yourself and briefly mentioning your relationship with the bride. This will help the audience understand your perspective and why you were chosen to be the maid of honor.
• Take a moment to express your gratitude for being a part of the special day and your well wishes for the newlyweds.
• Say a few words about the bride and groom, highlighting their qualities and how they complement each other. You can talk about their journey as a couple and your hopes for their future together.
• End your speech by raising a toast to the newlyweds.

Maid Of Honor Toasts

One of the tips for giving good wedding speeches – to use a good toast. A toast is basically well wished to the newlyweds and their family, followed by a signal for guests to raise their glasses.

If you are unsure what exactly to say, here are some beautiful maid of honor toast examples to inspire you.

• “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight. – Philippians 1:9”
• “Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. – Ephesians 4:32”
• “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Here’s to love, laughter and happily ever after. – Romans 12:10″
• “As (Groom) and (Bride) start their new life together, Let’s toast to the new husband and wife!”
• “Here’s to the husband And here’s to the wife; May they remain Lovers for life.”
• “Here’s to the health of the happy pair; may good luck follow them everywhere; And may each day of wedded bliss be always as sweet and joyous as this.”
• “May you grow old on one pillow. May their joy be as bright as the morning, and their sorrows be shadows that fade in the sunlight of love.”
• “Let’s drink to love, which is nothing—unless it’s divided into two with someone you love. May your joys be as sweet as spring flowers that grow.”
• “As bright as a fire when winter winds blow; As countless as leaves that float down in the fall; And as serene as the love that keeps watching over us all.”

As the maid of honor, you need to find the one speech, that is short and sweet, and resonates with you! Great Maid of Honor wedding speeches often includes great quotes . Famous quotes have a way of painting a picture that our own words can’t seem to do on their own.

The Maid Of Honor Speech Template

Infographic.

The biggest worry that most maids of honor have is freezing and forgetting the speech. A great solution is breaking your speech into sections and writing them down on cards that you carry with you. As you practice your speech it will be easier to memorize, and having all the words with you will keep you from panicking.

To get you started, stick to our basic Maid Of Honor Speech Outline:

• Introduce yourself (your name, your relationship to the bride, and how long you’ve known each other)
• Thank everyone involved in the wedding planning for their hard work
• Talk about the bride (why she’s a good person and friend, share a story to illustrate it)
• Tell the love story (The most romantic version of how the bride and groom met)
• Talk about the groom (Compliment him, why he’s great for your friend, what he does for her etc)
• Celebrate the couple (Why they’re so good together)
• Wish the newlyweds wonderful things for the future You could also insert a quote or a poem.
• Toast to the bride and groom – Raise your glass, say: “Here’s to the happy couple”, take and sip and voila! You’ve nailed it!

How To Write The Best Maid Of Honor Speech Ever

We’ve all seen when speeches go wrong, so how you do you get it right? After years of helping Maids of Honor deliver awesome speeches, founder of Speechy , Heidi Ellert-McDermott, shares her tips.

• Introduce yourself & explain how you know the bride.
• Include humor throughout. Yes, your speech should be a loving tribute to a true friend, but it’s also meant to entertain a crowd.
• Once you’ve written your speech, try to edit it in half. Promise, your speech will be better the punchier it is. No one ever wished a speech was longer!
• Pay tribute to the bride’s partner with than a cursory platitude. Prove you genuinely know and like them!
• Rehearse as often as you can but use notes on the day. Delivering the speech shouldn’t be a memory test.
• Remember to smile throughout your delivery. It’s a powerful (and infectious) communication tool.

Don’t

• Resort to cheesy cliches about love and friendship.
• Google gags.
• Thank anyone. It’s not your job.
• Take up more than 10 mins mic time.
• Pretend the bride is perfect. Instead cherish the crazy character she truly is, with all her quirks and eccentricities.
• Talk over laughter when you deliver your speech. If you’ve written a funny line, leave a pause after you’ve said it to allow your audience to get the joke and respond. Don’t start talking till the last giggle has died down.
• Drink more than a glass of bubbles prior to your speech. Alcohol actually increases the stress hormone.

How to Get Started Maid of Honor Wedding Speech

• Know Your Audience: Consider the bride and groom’s personalities, the formality of the event, and the sensibilities of the guests. Tailor your speech to the audience.
• Start Early: Begin writing your speech well in advance. This allows time for revisions and practice. Don’t wait until the last minute.
• Personalize It: Share anecdotes and stories that reflect your relationship with the bride. Highlight special moments and inside jokes.

Examples of How to Get Started:

• Opening with a Quote: Start with an inspiring or humorous quote related to love or marriage. For instance,

“Maya Angelou once said, ‘Love recognizes no barriers.’ Today, we’re here to celebrate a love that knows no bounds.”

• Anecdotal Introduction: Begin with a personal story about your friendship with the bride.

“As I stand here today, I can’t help but think back to the time we met in kindergarten. Who would’ve thought that our friendship would lead us to this beautiful wedding?”

• Express Your Gratitude: Begin by expressing your gratitude for being chosen as the maid of honor.

“First and foremost, I want to thank [bride’s name] for giving me the honor of standing by her side today as her maid of honor.” Remember, the key to a memorable maid of honor speech is sincerity and a touch of humor, sprinkled with personal anecdotes that capture the essence of your relationship with the bride.

How To End A Maid Of Honor Speech

When figuring out how to write a maid of honor speech, keep in mind that the latter part of the speech should be where you talk about the couple. In that vein, it’s also important to know how to end the speech flawlessly. Here are a few tips.

• Keep it short and sweet. While you might have a lot to say, there are time slots for each speech, so keeping things short would be best.
• Use sentimental wedding quotes. You might have a maid of honor speech template you follow but adding inspirational quotes to your speech is a great way to wrap things up.
• Finish with a toast. At the very end, it is customary to raise a toast to the happy couple.

10 Maid Of Honor Speech Tips

After years of helping Maids of Honor deliver awesome speeches, founder of Speechy and author of ‘The Modern Couple’s Guide to Wedding Speeches’, Heidi Ellert-McDermott, shares her tips.

Planning Your Speech

• Think of the speechwriting process as writing a dissertation (only this time, don’t leave it till the night before your deadline!).
• Firstly, jot down all your ideas and favourite stories and then construct a central idea (narrative theme) that you stick to through. It could be that your friend is always right, or maybe the newlyweds prove that opposites really do attract. Whatever it is, make sure your speech flows from one idea to the next, rather than being a list of random thoughts.

Speech Structure

• Remember to introduce yourself and how you know the bride at the start of the speech and try to include humor within the first 30 seconds. Resist the urge to include any of those tired googled-wedding-gags and ensure your line is original and relates to the couple themselves or the surroundings you find yourself in.
• The first three-fifths of the speech should include revealing, entertaining stories that give an insight into the bride and your relationship with her. Don’t be shy of some affectionate teasing.
• Towards the latter half of the speech, introduce her partner and explain why the couple are suited. Again, make sure to include some good-natured humour here.
• The final fifth of your speech could be a full-on love-bomb of a tribute to your friend. Make sure you avoid the usual cliches and platitudes about friendship and instead, try to nail the bride’s individual characteristics and quirks that make you love her.

Edit Your Speech

• When you’ve finished writing your speech, try to edit it in half. You may not achieve it but once you get editing, you’ll be surprised by the amount of needless waffle that’s in there.
• Remember, a speech is better punchy, so be brutal. A good maid of honour speech is generally between 700 and 1,100 words. No more than 10 minutes airtime!

Choosing Quotes for a Memorable Maid of Honor Speech

Talking about love and trying to sum up a friendship, can be hard. Luckily, some other clever people have already done it and we can all exploit their genius! Whilst plagiarism isn’t ever cool, finding the perfect quote to supercharge your speech is a great idea. Founder of Speechy (the bespoke speechwriting service), Heidi Ellert-McDermott, shares her tips for hunting the perfect quote to honour your bestie.

How to Use Quotes

• Don’t resort to a generic ‘marriage advice’ quote. They’re over-used.
• Don’t overload your speech with quotes. One, maximum two.
• Quote recognisable names – or at least provide some context. Don’t quote someone you need to Google or someone who’s a random ‘relationship coach’.
• Once you add the perfect quote to your speech, script a comedy back ref or put it into the context of the couple’s real-life relationship.
• Remember, quotes can be used to add the necessary humor, as well as the sentiment.

Where to Find Quotes

• Don’t just search for ‘wedding quotes’ on Pinterest.
• Quotes become more meaningful if they come from somewhere that means something to the couple. Could the quote come from the bride’s favourite book, her partner’s favourite film, or maybe it’s from that song you play when you’ve both had a few too many dirty martinis.
• Quotes can be found everywhere from children’s books to rom-coms, from hip-hop classics to the great philosophers, from historical icons to classic sitcoms so enjoy the search!

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the maid of honor have to give a speech.

It’s definitely customary for the maid of honor to give a toast to the newlyweds at the reception, but usually, she gave a sweet speech.

How long should a maid of honor speech be?

A maid of honor speech should ideally be around 3 to 5 minutes in length. This timeframe allows you to convey your message effectively without losing the audience’s attention or making other speeches feel rushed.

What should be avoided in a maid of honor speech?

When delivering a maid of honor speech, there are a few things to avoid to ensure it is memorable for the right reasons:

• Avoid embarrassing or offensive stories: You shouldn’t share anything that may make the bride uncomfortable or might be inappropriate for the audience.
• Steer clear of inside jokes: Inside jokes may exclude or confuse other guests who are not familiar with the context. Keep your speech inclusive and relatable for everyone present.
• Don’t overshadow the couple: Avoid making the speech all about yourself or unrelated topics that detract from the celebration of the couple’s special day.
• Avoid excessive alcohol consumption: Excessive alcohol consumption can impair your ability to deliver a coherent and meaningful message.
• Don’t go on for too long: Avoid rambling or dragging out the speech, as it may lose the interest of the audience.

Remember, the maid of honor speech is an opportunity to celebrate the couple and express your love and support for them.

We hope that now you have everything you need for your perfect maid of honor speech. So just keep all of this in mind as you prepare and deliver your maid of honor speech, and you will be amazing. Make the bride proud she chose you!

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How to Write a Maid of Honor Speech

A flawless maid of honor speech can't be hastily written on your phone at the reception—it takes time and a lot of practice. Here's how to write a maid of honor speech that will garner a standing ovation.

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As a maid of honor in your BFF’s upcoming wedding, you're likely pretty thrilled about all that's in store for you, from the awesome maid of honor duties , to the epic events to plan ( hey bachelorette party !) to that maid of honor speech — but it's also normal to be a bit nervous, too. As we said, the maid of honor has lots of responsibilities, which include writing and delivering the maid of honor speech. The maid of honor speech usually occurs during the wedding reception, but you might be asked to deliver it at the rehearsal dinner instead. If you’re comfortable speaking in front of a crowd or have a background in acting or performing, the maid of honor speech should be a breeze . But, considering that public speaking is a very common fear, you might be anxious . And even if giving the maid of honor speech doesn’t worry you, figuring out exactly how to write a maid of honor speech likely does. It’s an important moment for both you and the bride, and of course you want to make it special.

How do you prepare the most amazing maid of honor speech she’s ever heard and alleviate some of your anxieties? We’re here to help.

When to start writing a maid of honor speech.

Presuming you haven’t procrastinated too long, you should give yourself as much time as possible to prepare — start at least three weeks to a month before the wedding. This may seem like a lot of time to write a short maid of honor speech, but the longer you wait to write, the more stressed you’ll become.

Choose a time when you’re feeling inspired by your friendship with the bride and/or couple. If you’re feeling extra sentimental after the bachelorette party brought up a plethora of stories you had forgotten about, write them down. Don’t underestimate the power of free writing, during which you unleash all of the thoughts and anecdotes about your bestie that cross your mind onto the page. That way, you’ll be able to see all of your feelings and memories all together at once. From there, who knows? More likely than not, you’ll discover some sort of inspiration within these reflections.

The maid of honor speech outline.

1. how to start the maid of honor speech..

First off, introduce yourself and mention your relationship with the bride, and the couple. Next, be sure you thank whomever you feel is important enough to mention, depending on the circumstances and who paid for or planned the wedding — parents, other family members, wedding party members, etc. Congrats! You have two lines of your speech out of the way.

2. Talk about the bride. 

Now things start to get more personal. If you were just going to express gratitude, it would be a toast, not a maid of honor speech. One crowd-pleasing story you might consider including is how you met the bride. If it’s not a particularly appealing or appropriate story, you might also consider a story about the two of you the really exemplifies your friendship, or a time when you knew you were going to be friends forever. If the two of you share a bond over food, maybe you could talk about that time the two of you tried (and failed) to make your own recipe from scratch. Maybe you were really frustrated at first when you were assigned to be partners in class because you didn’t think you were going to get along, but as fate would have it, you became inseparable. Get creative and get sentimental. And don’t be afraid to be funny .

3. Talk about her partner. 

After talking about you and the bride, it might be a good idea to include how you first met her almost-spouse in the maid of honor speech. I once witnessed a maid of honor that had been friends with the bride for many years, and during her speech she recalled that the bride actually had set her and the groom up on a blind date at first. The maid of honor and the future groom talked about their common friend for the entire date—and the rest was history. You’re the bride’s right hand woman, but a wedding is all about celebrating the couple, so it’s a nice transition from talking about you and the bride into talking about the bride and her partner. It also shows your solidarity and support for their relationship. No matter how you truly feel about her partner, keep a happy face on.

4. Talk about them as a couple. 

Speaking of which, after you explain how you met the bride’s new spouse, talk about the two of them as a couple. This works even better if you’ve known both of them for a long time. Maybe you were the bride’s roommate when they had their first date, and you witnessed her giddy nerves beforehand. Maybe you witnessed the very prolonged will-they-or-won’t-they period of their relationship. What did she tell you after they said "I love you," for the first time? At one wedding, the groom’s sister told a story that took place about three months before the groom and bride had gotten together. The sister was teasing her brother about his love life, when he said, “I’m in love with my best friend, but it will never happen, she’s not interested.” Her brother wouldn’t give any names — but three months later, she figured it out for herself when they started dating.

5. Keep it short and sweet.

In thinking about how to write a maid of honor speech, remember that it should only be about two to three minutes long. That’s just long enough to tell a few stories about the beloved couple and toast to a happy future. Everyone will probably be anxious to start dancing (or eating!) at this point, so there’s no need to drag on. We tend to talk more quickly when we’re nervous, so be extra aware to speak slowly. 

6. Practice.

Be sure to practice your speech in advance — whether it’s in front of a mirror, your cat, or a family member or friend. You can even time yourself to make sure the speech is an appropriate length.

7. End with a toast.

Don't forget to toast to the happy couple at the end! Raising your glass is a great natural finisher to your maid of honor speech, and a guaranteed crowd pleaser. You can add a few words, like "Now, let's all raise a glass to the newlyweds!" or something similarly concise and to the point.

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What to NOT say in a maid of honor speech

Here's what to avoid when writing your maid of honor speech.

1. Exes, drunken nights or anything else remotely inappropriate. 

It should go without saying, but exes or drunken debauchery should not be included in a maid of honor speech. A wedding is a family event, after all. Don’t talk about anything the bride wouldn’t mind her grandmother hearing. 

2. Anything that could even potentially cause tension.

Don’t mention the high divorce rate — even jokingly. It will not be received well.

3. Don’t feel pressured to be anything but yourself.

If humor isn’t your strong suit, it doesn’t have to be a hilarious maid of honor speech. You can be nostalgic, sweet, or sentimental — but not drunk. Wait to drink until after your maid of honor speech .

Whatever you write in your maid of honor speech, the most important thing is that your words come from the heart. Even if you’re not a natural-born performer , speak with feeling and emotion — not like you’re reading a classroom assignment—and talk directly to the couple, rather than focusing on the many other faces in the crowd. Your bestie may not remember the exact words you said during your maid of honor speech, but she’ll remember the care and love behind it.

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The bridesmaid speech

What must your maid of honor speech include.

By:  Susan Dugdale  | Last modified: 08-31-2022

Your best friend, or your sister, is getting married and you've been asked to be the principal bridesmaid or maid of honor.

It's exciting and a privilege.

Once the euphoria settles, you realize there's also a bridesmaid speech or maid of honor speech to prepare.

What you'll find on this page:

• a 4 step outline or template to follow to ensure your speech is well structured and covers the expected content 
• content suggestions, with examples
• links to bridesmaid speech examples, wedding poems and readings
• guidelines on how to best to prepare to deliver your speech

Here's a basic 4 step outline to follow

Don't worry that through using it your speech will be the same as every other bridesmaid. Because you are "you" and your relationship to the bride is unique, what you bring to the essential content list will make your speech original.

The guide is only here to give your speech structure - a logical easily followed format, and to help you cover off what's expected. How you do that is up to you!

Be yourself, honest, and, ready!

Aim to keep it real, sincere and to be original!

Do try to steer away from lashings of stereotypical saccharine sweetness to describe the bride: "the most beautiful", "my best friend for ever", "the kindest, most adorable girl in the universe", "the cutest", "the funniest", "totally angelic",  ...

And to avoid a last minute panic stricken rush, allow yourself approximately three weeks to write and then, practice, practice, practice.

Read an example maid of honor speech for a sister

How do you begin to write a bridesmaid or maid of honor speech when it's for your sister?

The same way as you would for a very dear friend. Do check this example speech out.

I've written it following the guidelines here but with one significant extra step: an explanation and example of the beginning brainstorming process. 

Read more: an example maid of honor speech for a sister .

Read MOH speech examples from a best friend's point of view

Both these speeches use a similar outline to the one featured on this page. Reading them will help you begin the process of deciding what to put in the speech you need to prepare.

Go to: maid of honor speech examples

1. Introduction

In the opening segment of your bridesmaid speech include a greeting to welcome all the guests. Mention any special ones by name, your name and your relationship to the bride.

If your speech follows the best man's you may like to reference that too.

Here's an example of an introduction:

“Good evening! It's fabulous to see you all here including one very special lady, Teri's extra-mother Sally. Not even flight delays on the other side of the world could keep her away!

My name is Joan, and I have been best friends with Teri, our bride, since the second grade.

Thank you Mike ( the best man ) for your very gracious, and expected, compliments on the beauty of the bride and bridesmaids. What can a woman do but agree? We are indeed exceptionally gorgeous!

The bride is already spoken for. However let's see if your actions speak as well as your words. I'll be in the bar later. Mine's a double!”

2. History of the your relationship & a story 

Your introduction should segue nicely into the next part of your bridesmaid speech: a brief history of your relationship to the bride, followed by a short anecdote or story.

This is essential content as it puts your relationship with the bride into context for the guests.

Avoid stories mentioning any of the bride’s ex-boyfriends or incidents she would find too embarrassing. Your goal is to honor the bride, not humiliate her.

Stories that would be suitable here are those that illustrate the qualities you admire about her, the shared experiences at the heart of your relationship that keep it ongoing.

These are your classic childhood/school/work-life tales, the ones suitable for and understood by everybody. They are the "feel-good" stories, making people smile regardless of their age.

(To see an example of a suitable story to share read my  bridesmaid speech for a sister  or either of these maid of honor speech examples .)

The final touch in this segment is to thank the bride for the honor of being her bridesmaid.

3. History of the couple's relationship & story

This is the part of your bridesmaid speech where you discuss the relationship of the bride and the groom.

If you knew the groom before they began dating, you might have a funny story about how he was before he met the bride. Or this could be the part where you tell how you helped them get together, or how you knew the bride was in love with the groom.

Again, avoid any mention of previous relationships, leave out stories that are overly embarrassing or that highlight any problems the couple may have had in the past, and stay away from anything too risque or off-color.

Your role is to positively present the relationship and the commitment they have jointly made.

(You can see examples of this step in these MOH speeches: a  maid of honor speech for a sister sample  and 2 maid of honor speech examples from a best friend's point of view. )

4. Conclusion

This section should include your best wishes for the couple and your hopes for their future. You could express that with a well-chosen quote, a brief poem, or even a song. Whether it is funny and playful or serious and sentimental, whatever you do needs to match the tone or mood of what has gone before.

Your final remark should be a definitive statement indicating to the guests that you've finished. You could achieve that by simply raising your glass and saying "To Susie and Bill!"

For more go to: How to end a maid of honor speech You'll find twenty example endings of varying sorts. Some are funny. Some use quotations...Find a conclusion you like, and adapt it to make it your own.

More pages to help you prepare:

Here's a diverse collection of c lassic wedding poems and readings drawn from many cultures and eras to help you find just the right words to express what you want to say.  

Reading other MOH speeches is a good way to jumpstart  ideas for your own speech. Here are two maid of honor speech examples  written from a best friend's point of view. One is heartfelt and the other more light-hearted. Both are rich with personal stories!

Use cue cards to help you deliver your speech well

Do not be that woman who stands up to speak and tries to hold a mike plus several pieces of paper with her speech on them, and then read, speak and gesture at the same time.

It's a very public juggling act that could go sideways quite quickly. And it doesn't have to be like that.

Find out how to make and use cue cards .  Save yourself from potential stress.

The importance of rehearsal: practice, practice and more practice

Please  don't skimp on rehearsa l . You need to practice your speech aloud (a lot) to find out if it flows well, fits the time allowance you've been given and to build your confidence before you deliver it at the reception. 

Making time for rehearsal is one of those things you will thank yourself for. Truly.

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How to Write a Maid of Honor Speech—Template Included

Wondering how to write a maid of honor speech? This guide covers everything you need to know and includes a template to help you get started.

Your best friend is getting married , and she’s asked you to be her maid of honor—one of the most meaningful and important roles in helping your best friend bring her wedding daydreams to life. With this honor comes a number of important duties, and at the top of that list is delivering the maid of honor speech.

The maid of honor speech traditionally takes place at the wedding reception , but it’s possible you might deliver it at the rehearsal dinner. Regardless of when the speech will take place, it’s best to get started writing it at least three weeks before the wedding day. After all, a meaningful maid of honor speech isn’t something you can write up on your phone the morning of the wedding—it requires some thought, preparation, and maybe a round of edits or two.

If the task of giving a moving speech to a room full of people feels a bit nerve-wracking, don’t panic. We’ve broken down everything you need to know to craft the perfect speech from start to finish, along with how to keep your nerves at bay when it comes time to deliver it.

6 Tips to Prepare for Your Maid of Honor Speech

You don’t need to be a professional writer or orator to create a meaningful maid of honor speech. Use the tips below to get an idea of what to include and get an idea of the overall structure of a solid speech.

1. Introduce Yourself and Express Thanks

Begin your speech by introducing yourself and your relationship with the bride. Then, share a word of thanks for those who had a hand in planning the wedding —the bride’s family, the groom’s family, and anyone else who you feel should be mentioned.

2. Talk About the Bride

Now it’s time to get personal about the bride and your history together. You might share an anecdote about how you two met, what her friendship has meant to you over the years, or any other endearing story that illustrates why she’s so special. It’s best to focus this section of the speech on the bride before her partner came into the picture, which you can lead into in the next section.

3. Talk About Her Partner

Now is a good time to discuss the bride’s spouse. While you’re certainly the designated right-hand woman to the bride, remember that the focus of a maid of honor speech should be on celebrating the couple , the beauty of their relationship and their future together as newlyweds.

When thinking about what to say about her partner, you can share any number of special sentiments that you feel illustrate who they are and what they mean to the bride. You also might decide to talk about what you love about her partner, mention their greatest characteristics, or share a story about how much he or she means to the bride.

4. Talk About the Couple

While the last section focuses on the bride’s partner as an individual, use this section to talk about who they are as a couple. If you’re close friends with both partners, you might have some special memories to share looking back on the journey of their relationship. If not, you might talk about the impact the bride’s partner has had on her and how you saw her grow as their bond grew over time. Whatever you choose to speak about, be sure to keep the focus on the beauty of their relationship.

5. Share Encouragement or Advice for the Newlyweds’ Future

As you near the end of your speech, try closing with a word of encouragement or advice for the couple and their future together as newlyweds. After all, the whole point of the maid of honor speech is to celebrate the couple! You might include an inspirational quote or poem if you feel like it fits, but be sure to keep it short and sweet to avoid a long-winded reading.

6. Closing Toast

The closing of your speech should be short and sweet—simply share a closing remark to commemorate the happy couple. Then, invite the guests to raise their glasses in a toast to the newlyweds.

How to Nail Your Maid of Honor Speech

While the steps above are helpful in nailing the structure of your speech, there are a few additional tips to keep in mind that will help you write a compelling and meaningful speech.

Set Aside Reflection Time

Before you even attempt to write your speech, it’s a good idea to carve out some time to simply think and reflect. This can help kick off the creative process and get you into the right headspace as you ideate what you might want to include. Spend this time reflecting on the memories you share with the bride, and try to pinpoint any ideas or emotions that come to mind when you think of her. This way, you come away with a road map of all the major points you want to touch on in your speech.

Define Your Objective

As you’re planning your speech, it’s helpful to define your overall objective before you dive into the nitty gritty details and stories you’ll share. Think about the goal you want your speech to accomplish: is it to make the wedding guests laugh, cry, maybe both? Is the couple known for their sense of humor? Perhaps you add some comedic flair to your speech.

If you’ve been through a lot with the bride or want to touch on some more serious memories, perhaps you craft your speech to be more emotionally moving. In the end, defining your objective will help you find the direction your speech will take.

Don’t Go Overboard with Anecdotes

If you have a ton of history with the bride, you might have a miles-long list of heartwarming stories you want to share. However, one key to a compelling speech is keeping it short and sweet. A standard maid of honor speech should only be three to four minutes long, and you don’t want to risk boring the guests or taking the focus off of the celebration. To avoid this, choose one or two must-have memories or anecdotes that you know you want to include, and nix the rest.

Develop Your Story

Along with keeping things short and sweet, another key to writing a compelling maid of honor speech is to tell it like a story. Any story worth hearing has a defined beginning, middle and end. While you’re in control of the details that fill the story, you want to ensure that every detail aligns with the main point of your speech. Whatever you talk about should clearly tie back to the overall focus of the speech, which is celebrating the bond the couple shares and wishing them well for their new future together.

Be Authentic

The bride chose you as her maid of honor for a reason, so you shouldn’t feel like you have to be anything but yourself when you give your speech. Throw off any pressure you might feel to sound a certain way if it doesn’t ring true to you and your connection with the bride. A great maid of honor speech is about speaking openly and honestly about the bride and her partner—remember to write in the same way you’d speak to avoid sounding stiff or robotic.

Practice, Don’t Memorize

If you feel like you need to memorize your speech word for word, don’t! Instead, focus on practicing your speech in the weeks leading up to the wedding day. This way, the main points will be well committed to your memory and you won’t need to memorize it line by line. However, it’s still helpful to use a bulleted list of the main points when it’s time to give your speech—this way you don’t have to worry about losing track mid-speech.

When you’re practicing your speech, make sure you’re practicing out loud so you can get a feel for the overall flow and rhythm of what you plan to say. It’s also helpful to read it aloud to a friend or the other bridesmaids to get some outside perspective on how your speech sounds and any tweaks that might help it shine.

Maid of Honor Speech Template

Your maid of honor speech should be authentic and personal, and there’s a number of directions you might choose to take your speech in. If you’re stuck on where to begin, the template below is a great starting point to give you an idea of the general structure and flow of a maid of honor speech. Fill it in with your own words to personalize it according to you and your unique relationship with the bride!

“Hello everyone, I’m [name] and [bride’s name] maid of honor. I met [bride’s name] X years ago when [how you met]. When [bride] and I became friends, it was [personal anecdote about your relationship with the bride]. I’ll never forget [personal memory between you and the bride].

When [partner’s name] came into the picture, [personal anecdote about how you met their partner]. [Partner’s name] was [personal anecdote about the partner’s characteristics or favorite memory].

Watching their relationship grow over time has been [personal sentiments about the couple’s bond. I’ll always remember how [personal anecdote about the journey of their relationship]. Ever since then, I’ve seen [bride’s name] [sentiment about the impact of the couple’s relationship].

It’s a privilege to join with you all in honoring the marriage of [bride] and [partner], and I know I speak for everyone when I say we’re thrilled to stand by your side today and support you both as you enter your new life together. If there’s one piece of advice I’d share, it’s [word of advice or encouragement for the newlyweds]. Thank you both for showing us what it means to love unconditionally. Please raise a glass to [bride] and [partner]! May you two never stop loving each other, growing together, and showing up for each other today and every day. Cheers!”

Whether this is your first wedding speech or your 20th, feelings of nervousness are normal! With some dedicated time and practice (and a few deep breaths beforehand) you’ll be more than ready to nail your maid of honor speech. All that really matters is that your words come from the heart. After all, the couple might not remember every single word you share, but they’ll always remember the love and care that went into it.

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Public Speaking Tips & Speech Topics

Maid of Honor Speech [What to Say + Outline + Template]

Jim Peterson has over 20 years experience on speech writing. He wrote over 300 free speech topic ideas and how-to guides for any kind of public speaking and speech writing assignments at My Speech Class.

Giving a maid of honor speech is an honor – and also a responsibility.

If you’re invited to be maid of honor at a family member or friend’s wedding, you have a huge role in the wedding ceremony. Writing the perfect wedding toast or speech can often seem like the hardest part.

Coming up with the perfect toast for this special day is much easier when you have sample speeches to be inspired by. We’ve compiled an essential list of maid of honor speech examples, from roast to religious.

Read on for our step-by-step guide to writing a maid of honor speech, and then watch the examples below. Now you’re ready to prepare a great speech with confidence.

In this article:

How to Write a Maid of Honor Speech

Maid of honor speech topics blueprint, maid of honor speech outline, maid of honor speech examples.

Can We Write Your Speech?

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The Maid of Honor, sometimes also called the Bridesmaid or even the Matron of Honor, speaks after the Best Man. Remember, the audience has to listen to lots of speeches before and after you.

So, my tip number one is: Keep it brief and simple; for your own utility and the convenience of the guests.

Maid of honor speeches can take many different forms. They might be funny or sweet, creative or traditional . Often, the speech will incorporate different elements, like humor and nostalgia, to hit all the right notes. Most speeches are 5 to 10 minutes long, but wedding speeches can also take many shapes, from short toasts to extended performances.

These simple tips will help you write a maid of honor speech that’s a perfect fit for the wedding day.

Begin Early

When you need to write a maid of honor speech, you’ll want to start early.

Begin the brainstorming process as soon as you’re asked to be maid of honor or bridesmaid. This might involve jotting down fun memories or an embarrassing story you’ve shared with the bride. You can also consider talking about the groom, the bride and groom’s relationship, or how they met.

Write down some ideas early on and then take a few days or weeks to let them percolate. When you come back to your ideas, the speech outline will start to become more clear.

Try a Quote

A great way to start or end your speech can be with a beautiful quote that has meaning for the wedding day. It can be funny, emotional, or poignant. Just make sure it’s something that has meaning for the newlyweds and that wedding guests can resonate with as well.

Tell Stories

The best speeches combine quotes or big ideas about love with real stories. Stories are fun for guests to listen to, and give your speech a solid foundation.

Choosing the right stories about the bride, or the bride and groom, is important. Do you want your speech to be funny, inspiring, or touching? The stories you tell will help set the tone. Think about details: the sights, sounds, or sensations you remember will keep the audience’s attention. Just don’t let it get too long – most speeches should be 10 minutes or less.

Be Prepared

Your speech will go much better if you’ve practiced ahead of time – more than once. The more you practice, the more confident you will feel when the big day comes.

Practice reading your speech, and time yourself to make sure it’s the length you want. Keep in mind that at the wedding ceremony or reception there will be pauses for laughter or applause, which will make your speech a few minutes longer.

You might want to videotape yourself practicing, or even practice in front of a friend or family member to get some feedback on your delivery. Just make sure not to give it to the bride ahead of time – your speech should come as a surprise on the wedding day.

Don’t forget to bring notes, too. Even if you never actually look at them, they will help you feel more comfortable when you take the microphone, and can save you if you draw a blank when it’s time to start.

A heartfelt speech is better than a perfect one.

Don’t be afraid that you’re going to stumble over a word or mess up somehow. If you’ve practiced ahead of time and drafted your speech early, you’ve done all the preparation you need.

Take the stage with confidence, knowing that little mistakes and imperfections can sometimes make a speech that much more meaningful because it’s genuine. If you laugh or cry, the wedding guests are probably going to laugh or cry with you. Keep your sense of humor if the mic cuts out or you stumble over a word. Enjoy the moment!

Here are our maid of honor speech tips in a sample template plus the speaking do’s and don’ts in a matrimonial ceremony based on their complimentary life styles. You are invited and do not know what to say?

Use our template for outlining thoughts, ideas and facts about the bridal couple. I will show you what you should mention and what the text should focus on. If you are not an experienced talker: relax, you do not have to say much, less is more is often said and well put!

But always: public speeches should be from the heart! Be enthusiastic and sincere, but do not exaggerate.

Maid Of Honor Speech Template

INTRODUCTION

• Tell who you are for the ones who don’t know.
• Thank your friend for asking you to be in this wedding.
• How long have you known the bride and groom?
• Why were you selected to accept the honor giving the oral?
• Why did you accept the invitation?
• How did the two of them met?
• What did you think when you saw their friendship became more serious? Reflect on their complimentary life styles. Approach this from the female side. Be tasteful. The best man is at the grooms’ side … so his job is to cover that part, not you 🙂
• Can you come up with a funny story that illustrates the personality of the wedding couple? Think about characterizing sweet, inspiring, exciting or just average daily events or moments.
• Can you come up with a hilarious anecdote based on a real life situation?
• Conclude this part of this special wedding address with letting them know that’s why you were so happy when they announced their wedding. As I said before: keep it short. Stick to one funny story. Ask others if they really like it, if it’s funny enough to share.

THE CEREMONY

• Stress the importance of the matrimonial ceremony. Give your personal view.
• Use a famous quote about marriage, love or the future.
• Relate a short poem to the couple. Quotes and poems are a good starting point for inspiration.
• Wish the bride and groom a long and happy life.
• Express your love and best wishes for the future.
• If they have had hard times, then mention it briefly in one poetic sentence. Not more. Focus on this happy day!
• You can thank and toast to the bride and groom on behalf of the bride, but only if she asked you to do so.

Do’s And Don’ts

• Bring notes, know what you want to say. Too much improvisation can lead to babbling, stumbling or a too long maid of honor speech.
• Do not get too personal. Ask others if the stories you want to tell will not embarrass the bride and groom or the guests. Check double check is the motto.
• Do not come up with negative or depressing speech topics. Kee it nice and friendly for all.
• Avoid sexual tinted expressions, political engagement or religion issues and hold back your horses when you want to mention actual news or political stories.
• Read a draft out loud in front of somenone else and ask for opinions. Alter with the recommendations in mind.

Although maid of honor speeches can take many forms, having a classic speech outline will help you get started. If you’re not sure what to write, follow these simple steps and you’ll be able to write a beautiful, traditional speech.

1. Introduce Yourself

You can’t count on all the wedding guests knowing who you are or how you know the bride. Make time early in your speech to mention your name, what your relationship to the bride is, and how long you’ve known each other.

2. Thank People

Weddings can be expensive, stressful, and difficult to plan. It’s good to take a moment in your speech to thank the parents and other notable guests who helped make the wedding day happen.

3. Tell Stories

Next, you can launch into a story of your choice. There are many different directions you can take this part of the speech. An embarrassing story you share with the bride can get guests laughing, while a touching anecdote about the newlywed couple’s relationship might make happy tears flow.

4. Add a Quote

You can add a meaningful quote anywhere in your speech. The quotes you choose should have meaning to both you and the bride (and maybe the groom as well), and also be relatable to the other guests in attendance. If it’s an inside joke or an obscure reference that not many people will get, you may want to leave it out.

5. Give Heartfelt Emotion

Even the funniest roasts of the bride often have a moment when the speech becomes touching. No matter what the tone of your speech is, it doesn’t hurt to take a moment and recognize the beauty of the day. The best speeches often aren’t all funny or all sentimental – they’re a mix of both.

6. Finish Strong

Your ending will be the part of the speech guests are most likely to remember. Give a strong ending, whether it’s a quote, a final story, or proposing a toast to the bride and groom.

Sister Maid of Honor Speech

This sister wedding speech celebrates all of the fun of watching your family get married. The bride’s sister starts out with humor, telling family memories through a funny lens. However, she quickly gets emotional as she recounts how much her sister means to her.

“You’ve been a great mentor. You’ve been a beautiful impact on my life, and you taught me that there’s beauty in everyone no matter what they do.”

Best Friend Matron of Honor Speech

The best friend of the bride for over 10 years, this matron of honor has nothing but praise for the bride. She recounts how she approved right away upon meeting the groom, and how excited she was upon learning of their engagement.

“You have really, truly become like my sister. I knew I’d be telling you how beautiful you looked, but seeing you next to your handsome groom, you really are absolutely breathtaking.”

Short Matron of Honor Speech

This short speech starts with a funny memory of the bride talking about the groom years before their engagement. In just a minute and a half, the matron of honor brings both laughter and heartfelt emotion to her speech.

“Speaking from experience, marriage is a wild ride. But when you find that right partner, you never want the ride to end.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRniSDMhWgM

Maid of Honor Toast

In a fun, beautiful toast to the bride, this bride’s sister thanks guests for coming, and then launches into memories of growing up together. She shouts out to both the bride and the groom for being important parts of her life.

“Katie is so much more than a big sister to me  – she’s my best friend, my mentor, and the unfailing reminder that sometimes being a sister is even better than being a princess.”

Matron of Honor Speech

This matron of honor gets guests laughing by pulling out a scroll to read from at the beginning of her speech. She recounts the embarrassing story of how the bride stole her spot on the varsity team when they first met. However, their friendship quickly blossomed, and the matron of honor touches on many of the fun things they did together as kids.

“I had the time of my life growing up with you.”

Funny Maid of Honor Speech

In a funny, lighthearted speech, this maid of honor recounts growing up with the bride, and even planning her wedding as little girls. The maid of honor also turns to the groom and thanks him for being the perfect partner for her friend. She fills the speech with memories, from embarrassing to sweet, and ends with a song for a truly memorable wedding moment.

“You’re all the things I hoped for my best friend and more, and I’m so grateful you found her and that you love her the way she really deserves.”

Roast Speech

This maid of honor kept guests laughing with her deadpan delivery of jokes in this short speech. Her stand-up comedy is perfect for the occasion, and she pokes fun at everyone from the bride to the groom to herself.

“When I first sat down and started thinking about what I want to say here tonight, I kept thinking to myself, ‘I can’t believe Erin’s getting married…in less than an hour. No, I’m kidding, I had it written before breakfast.”

Christian Maid of Honor Speech

A sweet speech from the bride’s best friend hits the right notes in a short amount of time. She compares the couple’s love to being like the love of Christ because it is so strong and so beautiful.

“The love that these two share is so strong, it doesn’t need a thousand stories, it doesn’t need a thousand words; it just radiates from these two.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKKwOBW_8xY

Creative Maid of Honor Speech

This fun maid of honor speech starts with the bride’s sister recalling dancing to pop songs as a kid with her mom, who was pregnant with the bride. Then, she uses a musical interlude to tell the story of the bride’s life from a sister’s perspective. In a mashup of pop music covers, the maid of honor gives a great performance that gets the wedding guests clapping in time.

“[My mom and I] danced around the house to Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. And lo and behold, 9:30 am on day 9…DeeDee arrives. Apparently she also just wanted to have fun.”

Bridesmaid Speech

In this genuine, sweet speech, the bridesmaid’s excitement about the happy couple’s new marriage is truly evident. Her fun while holding the microphone is contagious to all the guests.

“I’m just so excited to be here, to witness the true love that is so evident between Taylor and Niko.”

Touching Maid of Honor Speech

This heartfelt, emotional maid of honor speech was given by a college friend of both the bride and the groom. She recounts the story of how she first met the bride, and then tells the bride and groom’s love story as she saw it unfold.

“It was obvious there was something truly amazing between the two of them. Four months of courting and a very, very, very confused Mark later, Mara finally accepted his proposal to be boyfriend and girlfriend – and the rest is history.”

Bridesmaid Toast

These bridesmaids toast the bride in song form. They celebrate the happy couple in their own words, and then shout out to notable wedding guests, keeping everyone entertained the entire time.

“Love is the reason we’re all here – that’s what you toasted for.”

Maid of Honor Speech

The maid of honor speech can be just as hilarious and emotional as the best man speech . Amusing, creative speeches like this one might get a standing ovation. The maid of honor uses a numerical countdown to format her speech, ending with the number one which is, of course, the bride.

“At the end of the day, you’re always gonna have that one person who’s in your corner, who’s your personal cheerleader.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX9Y6OhkH1s

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How to Write a Killer Maid of Honor Speech: The Ultimate Guide

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, meaning we earn commissions if you shop through the links below. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my  disclaimer  for more info.

To us here at Modern MOH, the writing and delivery of the maid of honor speech is the most sacred duty of them all. We feel this is your true time to shine and the greatest opportunity to show your bestie just how much her happiness means to you. By taking the time to construct a heartfelt and well-written speech, then delivering it to the best of your ability, you will help make your bride’s wedding day all the more perfect.

And while we doubt we were your first stop on the “ how to write a maid of honor speech ” search train, we do hope to be your final destination. You see, unlike most articles you’ll find on the subject of maid of honor speeches, we’re actually going to give it to you straight. No vaguely basic outlines or generically boring examples, just the cold hard facts.

Because we have some serious experience in the toast department, and if there’s one thing we’ve learned about writing a killer maid of honor speech, it’s this: there is no secret formula, no one best way . How could there be? Each and every relationship between a maid of honor and a bride is different from the next, just as each and every memory is uniquely yours. 

Lastly, we know the thought of having to give a wedding toast in front of a large group of people may be terrifying for most, that’s why we’re here to teach you a thing or two to ease those nerves. From start to finish, we have all the tips and tricks you need to know to bring the house down.

How to Write a Maid of Honor Speech in 5 Simple Steps

1. define your overall objective.

Before you begin writing your maid of honor speech, you must first define your objective. In other words, you need to have a goal you’re looking to accomplish. For example, are you hoping to make wedding guests laugh? Cry? Both? Do you want to talk about your history with the bride, about how you met the groom, or what their relationship as a couple means to you?

Knowing the answers to these questions will help you figure out the direction you should take when writing your wedding toast.

If you find yourself struggling to define your objective, simply think of your relationship with both the bride and groom. Do they have a great sense of humor? Is your time together spent mostly joking around and laughing? If so, try taking a comedic approach to your toast by cracking a few funny jokes along the way.

Or maybe you and your bride have been through some very serious times together that you want to share, in which case your speech may be much more emotionally moving. The great part about this objective is that it’s your own, so there is no one right or best way to go about it.

MODERN MOH TIP:  Touch on a little bit of everything. Start strong with a joke or two and finish out with a sentimental toast.  While there is no exact formula to it, a truly good maid of honor speech is both funny enough to get wedding guests laughing and moving enough to bring a tear to their eye. Secondly, don’t spend so much time talking about your history with the bride that you forget to talk about the groom. Even if you don’t have your own personal memories with your best friend’s new hubby, that doesn’t mean he should be left out of your speech. Instead, talk about their relationship as a couple and what it means to you, including your wishes for the bride and groom’s future together. 

2. Decide on Your Point of View

The key to writing a killer of maid of honor speech is to not think of it as a speech, but instead a story. And as the narrator of this particular story, it’s up to you to determine the point of view from which you tell it. While it may seem obvious that you’d write from the first-person POV, there are definitely some benefits to switching it up.

To begin with, writing from a third-person POV will give your toast a unique twist and a more story-like feel. For example, instead of saying “Taylor and I met on the school bus in the third grade and she’s been my best friend ever since” , you could say “When Taylor was in the third grade, she met a little girl on the school bus who remains her best friend to this day” .

Like the idea, but don’t think you can write an entire speech that way? No problem. Unlike what you were taught in grade school, you have the freedom to switch between differing points of view when telling your story. If you haven’t caught on yet, let us reiterate: there is no right or wrong when it comes to writing your speech.

MODERN MOH TIP: Take advantage of switching up points of view. Start with narrating from the first person point of view, especially if it’s easier for you to tell the history between you and the bride that way. When it comes time to talk about the couple, tell their story from an outsider’s perspective. If you do decide to go this route, don’t get so crazy with it that you start confusing your audience. The whole point of using different points of view is to enhance your maid of honor speech, not complicate it.

3. Determine Your Must-Haves

Now that you’ve defined your objective and decided on your POV, it’s time to determine your must-haves. By must-haves, we mean the anecdotes you absolutely want to include in your maid of honor speech. For instance, is there a particularly good memory you have with the bride that you definitely want to share with wedding guests? Or maybe you were there when the bride and groom met and you want to tell your side of the couple’s story?

Determining your must-haves before you begin writing your toast will guarantee you don’t forget to feature them. Not to mention, it will keep you from going off track when it comes time to put pen to paper. If you’re having trouble narrowing it down, keep this in mind: it’s much better to have one or two epic stories than a mix of mediocre ones.

MODERN MOH TIP: Don’t be that maid of honor that goes on and on about memories and “funny” inside jokes you have with the bride (no wedding guest wants to hear it, trust us). Instead, tell one or two really good stories that portray your friendship and then move on to her relationship with the groom and their history as a couple. Too many MOHs make the mistake of making their toast all about them and not enough about the couple whose wedding they are supposed to be celebrating. If you want to talk about yourself in front of a big audience, try Youtube.

4. Develop Your Story From Beginning to End

As we mentioned before, the key to writing a killer maid of honor speech is to tell it like a story. And just like any good story, you must develop it from beginning to middle to end (think along the lines of “ once upon a time ” to “ they lived happily ever after ”). While it’s entirely up to you to decide what constitutes the beginning, middle, and end of your particular story, you should avoid big jumps in time. In other words, do your best to develop it in chronological order so you don’t confuse wedding guests.

For instance: Start by telling the story of how you and the bride met, continue on with a memory you have of the bride and groom, and finish with a toast for the couple. Again, there is no magic formula when it comes to writing a maid of honor speech, but having a clear and concise storyline is highly suggested.

MODERN MOH TIP: Don’t be predictable. Chances are you and your best friend didn’t cross paths in some epic way (especially if you’re sisters), so skip the generic “this is how we met” story. Instead, dive right into a funny/crazy/holy s*$&! moment to get the crowd’s attention. And don’t be boring with your finale either. No generic “cheers to the Mr. & Mrs.” toast, we know you can do better than that. Your goal should be to receive a standing ovation from the couple and their wedding guests, not a polite golf clap.

5. Describe Your Characters in Detail

We can’t stress how important this final step is when it comes to writing your maid of honor speech. Seriously, taking the extra step to describe your characters in detail is what differentiates the bland from the bomb. And just so we’re clear, by characters we mean the bride and groom, and by detail we mean elaboration. For example, instead of saying “Taylor is such a great friend, she’s always been there for me whenever I needed her” , you should say “I’ve never met a more loving and loyal person than Taylor, she truly exemplifies what it means to be a best friend” .

These extra tweaks may seem insignificant to you, but they’re exactly the lines that will resonate with your audience and more importantly, the couple. And if writing isn’t your strong suit, don’t worry. Simply speak from the heart, you’ll be surprised at how well your final product turns out.

MODERN MOH TIP: Use a thesaurus (seriously, we do it all the time). It’s a good way to spice up your word choice and will stop you from repeating yourself. On the flip side, don’t feel like you have to use a ton of fancy words- you want to sound like yourself after all, not Shakespeare. Lastly, don’t be afraid to throw a bit of alliteration in there. It brings character to your writing and will make your toast much more memorable ( see what we did there? )

How to End a Maid of Honor Speech

Now that you’ve got the beginning and middle of your speech outlined, it’s time to work on your ending. As this will be your final moment with the mic, your goal should be to make it a memorable one.

One hard-fast rule on ending any maid of honor speech is to address both the bride and groom as a newlywed couple and offer your best wishes for a happy marriage. The easiest way to accomplish this is by raising a toast.

As far as the contents of your toast, it’s up to you if you want to use your own words or prefer to recite a heartfelt quote . To help you decide, ask yourself the following question:

If the answer is yes, by all means, write up your own personal toast. If the answer is no, start searching for the perfect quote.

MODERN MOH TIP:  Select a few possible endings for your maid of honor speech and do test runs through them all to see which flows the best. Oftentimes it’s easier to decide based on how you deliver the words than how they sound in your head.

Have you checked out all our tips and still need help writing the perfect Maid of Honor speech?

Not to worry, Bridesmaid for Hire can help you craft an amazing, personal speech instantly!

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21 Comments

Suggestions for the maid of honor when she’s the mother of the bride…? I don’t wanna get too mushy I want to keep it lighthearted and fun but I want it to be special.

What a super special time for you and your daughter!

I would definitely recommend starting with some funny childhood stories, especially if you they feature any family members or friends who are attending. Pulling the audience in is the best way to capture their attention!

I totally get not wanting to get too mushy, but as her mom, you definitely have the opportunity for an extra hard tug at the heartstrings (and I absolutely suggest doing so!) Whether you talk about how you’ve envisioned this day since she was a little girl, or how you felt when you realized your daughter had met ‘the one’, speaking from the heart as her mom will add the perfect sentimental touch to your speech.

Good luck with everything- I have total faith that you’ll knock it out of the park 🙂

What should I write when I’m the step daughter of the bride

Hi Charlotte,

That is so sweet of your stepmother to ask you to be her maid of honor! During your speech, I would be sure to tell her how much your relationship as stepmother and stepdaughter means to you, as well as what her relationship with your father means to your family.

You are in a unique position that you have been such a close part of their relationship, so I would use that to your advantage!

Good luck 🙂

What if I’m the maid of honor and need to write this speech, but really dislike the groom?

Unfortunately, this situation is more common than you may think and my advice is always the same- do not under any circumstances let your feelings about the groom be known during your speech.

Even if you can’t find it within yourself to say something nice specifically about the groom, this does not mean you should ignore him altogether. Simply include a few lines about the two as a couple, keeping it light and positive.

I’m the sister of the groom and barely know the bride! She and my brother live several states away and have visited a total of about 6 days (2 long weekends)- so there are no real stories or experiences about us. How do I pull this off?? Any tips would be wonderful!!

This is definitely a difficult position to be in, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still deliver a great speech!

My best recommendation would be to reach out to your brother and future SIL’s closest friends to ask for any stories they may have about them as a couple (e.g. how they met, a favorite memory, etc.) Just because you don’t have your own experiences to share doesn’t mean you can’t speak to their relationship through the voice of their loved ones.

Also, don’t make a point to say you don’t know the bride very well. Instead, say something along the lines of “I know that living far away from each other makes it difficult to spend time together, but I truly look forward to getting to know you better as not just a sister-in-law, but a friend.”

I hope this helps in some way! Good luck 🙂

Help! What if I’ve never met the groom? We’ve been long distance best friends for a while now.

For those MOHs who have never met/don’t know the groom very well, I always recommend that they talk to the bride for some insight. Start by asking your BFF about how they met, her favorite memories as a couple, and their hopes/dreams as husband and wife.

You can also reach out to the best man or other groomsmen to get their perspective of the groom and his relationship with your friend. Just because you don’t have your own experiences to share doesn’t mean you can’t speak to their relationship through the voice of their loved ones.

Hope this helps! Good luck 🙂

So, the bride and myself have only been friends for about a year and a half. We are so close though, it feels like we’ve known each other forever. How do I go about talking about our friendship when most of the suggestions are childhood memories or having known the bride for so long. Thanks!

Hi Brittany! I think the fact that you’ve only known each other for a year and a half, but are close enough to be playing such an important role in your friend’s wedding is so special. I would totally highlight that in your speech as a way to show the audience how welcoming and obviously lovable the bride is.

And just because you don’t have a long history together does not mean that you and your friend don’t have fun memories for you to reminisce on during your speech. You can also talk about your hopes and plans for the future of your friendship!

I hope this helps and good luck! 🙂

I feel like writing this speech for my sister’s wedding should be so easy, but I am struggling hard. I have so many funny stories but can’t figure out how to tie one or two of them together to create a wonderful speech. Please help!

Sometimes writing such an important speech for someone you love is the opposite of easy because you put so much pressure on yourself to make it perfect! I would recommend choosing stories that the audience can easily follow along with without feeling totally left out or lost. In other words, don’t rely on stories that feature an inside joke between you and your sister or you’ll be the only two laughing at the end.

I hope this helps! Good luck 🙂

Help!! My sister is getting married next September so I have some time but of course she asked me to be her MOH but her best friend had her as her MOH and I thought she was going to have her be hers in return since they are basically sisters and have known each other since they were very little. I love that I’m her MOH but is it possible to have two?? How should I go about bringing it up? I’m 6 years younger than my sister so her best friend knows more about her and her friends and the groom even since she was there watching them fall in love. I feel like I’m at a disadvantage. I don’t want to not be her MOH but I also rather share the title with her best friend that way we could make a killer speech??

Hi Kait, this is a tough position to be in! If you are simply worried about not making a great MOH speech, you could just let your sister know your fears and ask her if she would mind you bringing her friend in for some insight and inspiration.

On the other hand, if you truly feel that you could be a better MOH all around with your sister’s friend’s help, then I think it’s totally ok to let your sister know this. Just be sure to emphasize that it’s not because you don’t want to be her MOH at all, but that you really could use the support of her very close friend to make her wedding experience the best that it can be.

I hope this helps! If you have any more questions or concerns, feel free to let me know.

My big sister is getting married in September and she asked me to be here MOH. I’m struggling to write my speech for her because I dont have any fond memories with her, and we weren’t exactly the closest due to past occurrences. I’m very nervous with public speaking as is, so this is adding a lot more stress than I’d like. I’m lost of how to write a speech that’s short but meaningful.

Hi Beth, so sorry to hear that you’re stressing out about your speech! It can definitely be challenging to write a speech when you don’t have a lot of fond memories to touch on, but it’s certainly not impossible.

Since you and your sister have had a difficult past, my advice would be to instead focus the speech on the relationship she has with the groom. Keep it short by telling one good story about them as a couple, and wrap it up with your well wishes for their future as husband and wife. As long as you speak from the heart and sound sincere, your speech will be very meaningful!

Hi! I’m such a procrastinator and I’m the MOH of my best friend of 21 years and she is getting married this weekend! How do I make my speech a short and sweet one but also adding a few memories? I feel like there is just SO much to say lol

Hi Leslie, How lovely that you’ve been friends for so long! I can imagine that you must have a ton of stories that you can share, so your challenge will be sorting through all the memories! Maybe start by jotting down some of your top stories that you’d like to share, keeping in mind to avoid inside jokes.

If you’d like to keep things short, you can start with one of your funny childhood memories with your BFF to get the audience engaged. Perhaps then move on to discussing the bride and groom as a couple – think about how they met, perhaps? Then you can end things off with a toast for the future of the couple.

I hope this helps! Best of luck with the wedding!

Some great points, thank you! It could be good to edit the article to be open to bride-bride; groom-groom etc so the wording is more inclusive.

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How to Give A Perfect Maid of Honor Speech: A Step-by-Step Guide

• The Speaker Lab
• March 15, 2024

Table of Contents

Standing by the bride’s side on her wedding day comes with the duty of delivering a maid of honor speech . This toast is more than just words; it’s a celebration, an embodiment of sisterhood, and a gift to be remembered. As you embark on crafting this pivotal message, our guide offers practical steps for creating an address that echoes your unique connection with the bride and touches every heart in attendance.

Dive into tips that will help you share heartfelt stories about your bond, balance humor with sincerity for laughs without tears, and project confidence as you speak from the heart. Whether you’re best friends or siblings doesn’t matter—we’ve got insights tailored to make sure your maid of honor toast honors not only tradition but also personal style. Here are a few tips on turning your thoughts into an unforgettable tribute to love and friendship.

Crafting Your Maid of Honor Speech: A Step-by-Step Guide

When it’s time to craft your maid of honor speech, starting with the bride and ending with the couple sets a narrative that flows from personal affection to shared joy. Think about how you first met or a moment that embodies her spirit. Brainstorming ideas can help capture those perfect tidbits for your outline.

Mention the Couple in Your Speech

Your bond with the bride is unique, so let your speech reflect that. Kick things off by highlighting her quirks, strengths, and endearing traits. But remember, today marks not just another chapter in her life but also in their shared story as a couple. Transition smoothly from talking about just the bride to talking about her and her partner, celebrating their union. This shift will resonate well during any wedding reception.

Utilize Anecdotes

Anecdotes are like spices—they make good stories great. Weave these stories throughout your speech to paint an authentic picture of your relationship with memorable moments. If she’s always been there for you through thick and thin or if she has dance moves that could rival Beyoncé’s—now’s your chance to share these laugh-out-loud instances while crafting an unforgettable tribute.

Incorporating heartfelt anecdotes within speeches strengthens connections—not only between speakers but also among everyone gathered here today who came together thanks to true love blossoming between two amazing individuals.

End Positively

Aim high as you close out—a toast wishing future happiness for the couple brings smiles all around. Wish them laughter-filled days ahead because nothing beats seeing our loved ones happy.

Personalizing Your Speech with Heartfelt Stories

Your maid of honor speech is not just another wedding toast. It’s a narrative that weaves your life with the bride into an unforgettable tale. Personal anecdotes are the threads that turn this speech from ordinary to extraordinary, making every guest feel like they’ve been part of your journey.

Best Friend Memories That Shine

You’re her maid of honor for good reason: you have stories that span years and heartbeats. In your speech, reflect on those shared moments, whether it was spontaneous dance moves at concerts or hours spent plotting future happiness over coffee. Witnessing true love blossom between the couple has surely impacted you deeply too—share these observations by weaving their journey through your narrative seamlessly. It’s about showcasing the sisterly bond between best friends—one that will continue through marriage and beyond.

Sisterly Bonds That Last a Lifetime

If she’s not only your friend but also your sister, there’s even more depth to explore in your tribute. Growing up together means sharing everything: secrets, clothes (sometimes begrudgingly), and countless firsts—from steps to crushes to major milestones like graduating college. Mentioning experiences unique to siblings adds layers of emotion others can appreciate, because who hasn’t felt love tug sharply during family moments?

Talk about how being the bride’s younger sister has shaped both of you—how her strength inspired yours or how sibling antics paved the way for mutual respect and understanding today. Here’s where storytelling excels, painting pictures so vivid every listener feels part of those cherished childhood scenes.

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The Art of Humor in Maid of Honor Speeches

Injecting humor into a maid of honor speech is like adding the perfect amount of spice to a dish—it enhances the flavor without overpowering it. When you’re aiming to make the maid of honor speech funny and entertaining, remember that timing is everything. Adding humor to your maid of honor speech means striking a balance. You want guests chuckling with fondness, not cringing in their seats.

Balance Funny Lines with Sincerity

Finding just the right mix can be tricky but think about those moments shared with your best friend (or sisterly bonds if she’s family). These relationships are treasure troves for humorous yet endearing stories. If she’s been known for her questionable dance moves since childhood, share that anecdote before tying it back to her lovely personality—this way laughter arises from affection rather than embarrassment.

When brainstorming ideas to add comedic elements into your tribute, look at experiences that shine a light on who she truly is. Letting personal anecdotes lead naturally toward touching insights offers up plenty more than laughs. It speaks volumes about depth behind sisterly love or friendship long cherished.

Incorporate Shared Experiences

To ensure your jokes land well with all wedding guests, consider how well they know both bride and groom—the audience should feel included in each jest. After all, love story references hit differently when even distant relatives nod along because they understand where you’re coming from.

Respect Wedding Party Etiquette

While humor adds spice to any good story, it’s crucial not to mention exes or bring up anything inappropriate in your wedding speech . Instead, choose uplifting memories—maybe ones revolving around wedding planning or other milestones leading up till now. Whatever you choose, know that weaving genuine sentiments within jokes ensures laughter doesn’t overshadow sincerity. 

Wedding Words and Speechy provide excellent resources if looking for help writing such messages effectively.

Tips for Public Speaking Mastery

Public speaking can feel like dancing on a tightrope, but with the right techniques, you’ll have the audience in the palm of your hand. One essential skill is mastering anxiety. If public speaking makes you nervous, using breathing techniques and visualization can transform nerves into compelling energy.

Overcoming Public Speaking Anxiety

Anxiety before public speaking is like an unwelcome guest at weddings—it shows up uninvited. To send this gatecrasher packing, try grounding yourself with deep breaths. Alternatively, visualize delivering that killer toast amidst roaring applause from guests. This is just one effective way to set positive expectations for your performance.

Practicing Your Maid of Honor Speech Delivery

The artistry of wedding speeches lies not only in what you say but how you say it. To get comfortable with how you deliver your speech, practice plenty. Recite your speech out loud in front of a mirror until your words feel smooth and effortless. As you practice, pay attention to your timing. After all, a well-placed pause after delivering a joke invites laughter and builds rapport with wedding guests who hang on every word.

Using Breathing Techniques and Visualization

A deep inhale has power beyond filling lungs—it centers focus too. When anxious thoughts arise while standing before wedding reception attendees, take slow breaths to reclaim composure.

Etiquette Essentials for Maid of Honor Speeches

Making sure your maid of honor speech hits all the right notes is about striking a balance between humor and sentimentality, while also being mindful of proper etiquette. Crafting such an address isn’t just about writing; it’s also delivering a message that resonates with the wedding guests and honors the happy couple.

Dos and Don’ts When Writing Your Speech

The first rule in maid of honor speeches is to be respectful at all times. Remembering this will help you avoid common mistakes like mentioning exes or inside jokes that might not sit well with everyone present. Keep your anecdotes tasteful and ensure they highlight the beautiful bond you share with the bride or her partner.

Avoid going off on tangents by sticking to a concise speech outline . This structure should guide you through touching upon key moments shared without losing focus on what makes this union remarkable.

Proper Etiquette in Timing Your Toast

Brevity is soulful wit’s friend when addressing wedding guests during such momentous occasions as these. Ideally your speech will last about two minutes.

Balancing Humor with Sentimentality

Funny lines are welcome breathers amid heartfelt sentiments. However, never lets laughs come at someone else’s expense nor derail from your main points.

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FAQs on Giving a Maid of Honor Speech

What does the maid of honor say in her speech.

The maid of honor toasts with anecdotes, praises for the bride, well-wishes for the couple, and usually a splash of humor.

What is an ideal maid of honor speech?

An ideal toast blends warmth, wit, and wisdom about the bride’s journey and her future with her partner.

How do you start off a maid of honor speech?

Kick things off by warmly greeting guests before diving into your heartfelt connection with the bride.

What is an example of a maid of honor speech for best friends?

“As we’ve journeyed from carefree days on the swing set to this moment, you’ve proved to be a loyal, kind friend. I can’t express how happy I am to know that now you’ve found a friend like that in your spouse. I wish both of you a lifetime of love and laughter. Cheers!”

Remember, a great maid of honor speech starts with the bride and ends with the couple. Share those anecdotes that speak to the bride’s personality and don’t be afraid to use a little humor.

In the days leading up to your speech, practice your public speaking skills so you can deliver your speech with confidence. Steer clear from taboo topics—this is about celebration, not airing dirty laundry.

As you stand before friends and family, remember: today you’re not just giving a toast—you’re weaving memories into every guest’s heart.

• Last Updated: March 22, 2024

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Free Guide for Writing a Fun Bridesmaid Speech

Table of Contents

Your best friend’s wedding is around the corner, and you’re the maid of honor. With this role comes a need to deliver a rousing speech befitting such a joyous day.

Writing a maid of honor speech doesn’t have to be a Herculean task. However, despite your best intentions and hard work, you may feel like you don’t have enough knowledge to deliver a great toast.

Luckily, with this guide on how to write a bridesmaid wedding speech , you’ll get all the tips necessary to craft a good one. We will help you craft the perfect speech to keep your audience engaged and make the bride proud!

How to Write a Bridesmaid Wedding Speech

With some preparation and creativity, you can deliver an amazing toast that will impress your audience and make the bride smile . Here are our top tips on how to write a great maid of honor speech. 

First of all, plan ahead. Give yourself plenty of time to brainstorm ideas, do research, and practice out loud. Knowing what you want to say ahead of time gives you more confidence in delivering your speech. It helps to reduce any nervousness or jitters you may feel when getting up to speak.

Know Your Audience

Next, think about who your audience is. As the bridesmaid, you likely know the wedding party very well, so tailor your speech accordingly. Make sure your speech fits the style of the event.

If everyone’s wearing suits and dresses, don’t use too much slangy language! Consider the ages and interests of those attending, and try to include something for everyone. 

Introduce Yourself

When writing your bridesmaid speech, start off with an introduction about why you were chosen for this special honor. Describe your relationship with the couple in a few sentences, then move on to anecdotes about them separately and together.

This will help lighten the mood and set the tone for the rest of the speech. In addition, it allows others to get to know the couple better. 

Find a Place for Quotes

Punctuate your speech by including quotes from famous people or poets, like William Shakespeare or Robert Frost. These quotes should relate to marriage or relationships in general.

It adds depth to your words while at the same time showing appreciation for the craft of language. You could even add humorous stories throughout your speech that highlight how far the couple has come since meeting each other.

Express Positive Sentiments

To wrap up your bridesmaid speech, focus on expressing positive sentiments towards the newlyweds and their future together.

Instead of giving generic best wishes, give specific examples of how they can keep their love alive through adversity and tough times. Thank the guests for being part of such a momentous occasion. Finish off with one last quote before wishing the couple good luck! 

With these steps on  how to write a bridesmaid wedding speech , you are well on your way to crafting an excellent one.

Things to Avoid in a Maid of Honor Speech

Maid of Honor speeches are an important part of any wedding, and it is essential that they are given with respect, grace and positivity. However, there are some things you should steer clear of to ensure the speech goes smoothly. 

Avoid Embarrassing Jokes

It is best not to embarrass anyone during your speech. This includes making jokes about the bride or groom or talking about topics that could potentially cause offense. It’s also advisable to keep anecdotes personal rather than divulging too much information which would make others uncomfortable. 

Don’t Mention Exes

Never mention any ex-partners or failed relationships. This should be a happy occasion for all involved, so staying away from negativity or anything off-topic is key. This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment; you shouldn’t talk about previous partners.

Keep It Concise

Try not to ramble on, as you want your speech to remain concise and focused on the couple’s love story. Maids of honor should not take up too much time speaking, instead aim to deliver an impactful yet brief message. Lastly, avoid trying to steal the limelight from the bride and groom. Keep their love story at the center of your speech while sprinkling in humor and sentimentality along the way. 

Overall, maids of honor have a great responsibility when delivering their speeches. Do justice to the couple’s bond by conveying heartfelt messages whilst keeping the tone light and humorous. Ensure you avoid any embarrassing stories, negative anecdotes or stealing the spotlight is key in order to give a successful maid of honor speech!

Examples of Maid of Honor Speeches

If you need a few examples of bridesmaid wedding speeches, check out the examples below.

Good evening everyone! I am honored to stand here as the bridesmaid. It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know our beautiful bride and handsome groom in this special moment of their lives. As we all raise a glass to celebrate, I’d like to share some funny stories that best describe the friendship between them. 

I remember when they first met at a family reunion. It was truly uncanny how their paths had crossed even though they lived on opposite sides of the country. They instantly bonded over their shared love for hiking and soon enough began planning trips together, which eventually led up to this momentous occasion. 

Their journey to marriage hasn’t been without its challenges. But no matter what bumps along the way, their relationship has only grown stronger and more resilient. What’s even more remarkable is how much fun they’ve had despite all the obstacles. From unforgettable road trips to spontaneous dance parties, these two have never failed to keep us laughing and smiling.

I’m so grateful for the chance to witness such a wonderful union and call them my friends. Here’s to many years of blissful happiness and companionship!

Good evening, everyone! I’m so honored to be here today as the bridesmaid for this special occasion. It’s a pleasure to see everyone gathered and ready to witness the union of our two friends who are about to marry. 

I know we’ve all shared countless memories with them over the years, some funny, some heartwarming and some just plain outrageous. But no matter what they were, they have helped shape their friendship into something truly unique and beautiful. Let’s raise a glass and toast to their wonderful journey ahead! 

I’d like to share one last thought before we continue. If anyone knows these two amazing people well, it’s us — their closest friends who have seen them through thick and thin. So let’s make sure to give them the support and encouragement they need to keep going strong! 

With that being said, please join me in wishing them all the best in this new chapter of their lives – cheers!

A speech is just a little thing, a piece of words given in front of a lot of people . Remember, though; it’s important to be believable and make sure not to be too rehearsed. Keeping it natural and genuine is what makes a truly amazing and memorable speech that people will remember you by. 

The tips and examples in this article should help you write a bridesmaid speech easily. If you need more help, consider using the Hey INK tool to generate a great speech in less than a minute. We generated the awesome speeches above with the tool.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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How to write a (kick-ass) bridesmaid speech!

Easy Weddings

In the past, only the father-of-the-bride, the groom and the best man tended to give wedding speeches but, today, it could also be the bride, her mother, a close friend or, of course, her bridesmaids. Here are some tips for pulling off the perfect bridesmaid speech though, of course, they could be used by anyone tasked with speaking at a wedding.

It’s just like telling a story

Start by jotting down a few bullet points, then think about expanding on each of those points.

Also, consider your overall message. What are you trying to convey? Is it your feelings for the bride/the couple? Is it what she means to you? What is your intent in giving this speech? Keep this in mind when you’re expanding on each of the points.

Finally, maintain a logical sequence to your toast. Consider your wedding toast to be a miniature tale: you need a beginning which captures their attention, a middle which keeps it and an end that wraps your story up neatly.

Think Goldilocks: not too short and not too long

Keep it brief, but not too brief. Ideally, you’ll speak for around three to five minutes. It may not sound like much, but it’ll feel like forever when all eyes are glued to you. Remember there will be other speeches, either before or after yours, and you do not want guests nodding off, so don’t drone one!

Practice makes perfect

It’s an old adage, but it couldn’t be truer: practice makes perfect.

Don’t just turn up on the day and wing it. Once happy with your speech, practice, practice, practice. That way, you’ll have the chance to refine your speech before the big moment and, by the time you’re ready to deliver it, you’ll be able to do it with your eyes closed!

Really knowing your material will also help calm any nerves as you’ll be so across your material, you won’t be lost for words.

Be humorous but also sincere

As wonderful as a sincere and loving toast can be, they can also be a little dull if not delivered properly. To ensure your speech is memorable for all the right reasons, sprinkle a few humourous stories and anecdotes throughout your bridesmaid speech to give guests a bit of a chuckle, but don’t be derogatory and don’t embarrass your friend/s in front of their nearest and dearest.

End your your toast with a story that, perhaps, even they don’t know, but one that illustrates to you just how much they love each other. You can end on a high, but aww-worthy note, by telling the assembled crowd about that very special moment that you realised they were destined for each other.

Talk about the bride and  the groom

If you are the bride’s bestie, sister or cousin (or someone else special to her), it is easy to tell stories about her – and the antics that have occurred in your relationship together, but it is important to remember that you need to talk about her new spouse too!

If you are not particularly close to the groom, talk to other friends or family members that have gotten to know him and be sure to include him in the speech. By making the effort to learn enough about the groom to weave him into your bridesmaid speech, you will make both the bride and groom feel important and special, as well as both their families.

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Bridesmaid Speeches

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Let's face it, blokes are rubbish at communicating, yet as soon as there's a wedding all the women keep quiet while the father of the bride, groom and best man all get given a microphone and then rattle off a serious of anecdotes, jokes and 'funny' stories with varying degrees of success.

Thankfully, it's now becoming more and more popular for brides and bridesmaid speeches during the wedding reception, but if you've never given a speech before, let alone a bridesmaid speech (in front of the happy couple and all their nearest and dearest, yikes!) just where do you begin to pen a bridesmaid or maid of honour speech?

9 Bridesmaid Speech Ideas

Writing a bridesmaid speech can be hard, where do you start? The first thing to do is decide on the type of speech you want to give and then set about researching it and gathering any props or extras you might need. But to help get you started here are nine bridesmaid speech ideas...

• Theme It - Is the bride a fan of a particular thing, Harry Potter, Disney, Bake Off? Theme your speech around that for laughs.
• Advisor - Present a list of kind, daft and downright hilarious advice to help her in married life.
• Photocopy - Use photographic evidence of some of your joint history as well as your sillier moments and fashion faux pas.
• Rap It - If you want to do something memorable you could always get lyrical with a funny rap.
• Disney-fy It - Put together a medley of her favourite songs but with your own funny version of the lyrics about her.
• Band Aid - If Disney isn't her thing, put a medley together of songs from her favourite band.
• Go Old School - Track down her former teachers and surprise figures for funny/ touching messages.
• Name Drop - Use the letters of her name in your maid of honour speech to explain why she's so great. "K is for..."
• Keep It Simple - If just the idea of a speech makes you nervous then just keep it simple and from the heart.

Bridesmaid Speech Tips

Speeches are hard. If talking and being funny were easy we'd all be stand-up comedians, but it's not. Giving bridesmaid speeches can be just as hard as writing them, so here are our top tips to help you deliver your speech with confidence.

• Practice - The more you practice, the better you know your speech, the less nervous you'll feel about getting it wrong on the day.
• Avoid Drinking - Alcohol can make your mouth go dry, making the whole experience even more stressful.
• Get An Audience - If you're unsure of your speech find someone to practice it to and get their advice.
• Keep It Simple - Using props and songs can be brilliant if you know what you're doing, but if you're at all nervous the best thing to do is just keep it simple.

How To Write a Bridesmaid Speech

So, let's get into the nuts and bolts of writing your bridesmaid speech...

Length - A good maid of honour speech should be no longer than seven minutes and no shorter than five, make it too short and it will seem dodged. Make it too long and it can get boring or uncomfortable for people who are dying to get to the bar.

Introduction - Remember not everyone will know who you are so start by introducing yourself and explain how you know the bride and groom.

Not Too Mushy - Remember it's not the Oscars and no one wants to see you blubbing so try to keep it light and fun.

Add A Story - Use stories or funny anecdotes people might not have heard about before (nothing too risqué).

Mention the Groom - Don't focus on the bride so much that you forget to mention her new mister.

Finale - If you don't know how to end your speech, asking everyone to raise a glass to the bride or someone else who doesn't normally get toasted (her mum?) makes a nice ending.

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Your Ultimate Guide to Writing a Meaningful Wedding Speech

• Lauren is a contributor for The Knot covering topics such as music, cakes, venues and speeches.
• She has been published in a wide array of lifetsyle-oriented publications including SELF and Allure.
• Lauren is a proud graduate of Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School of Public Communication.

Getting asked to speak at a wedding is exciting, but it can also be nerve-wracking, especially since you're not a professional speaker or speechwriter! So, if you're unsure how to write a wedding speech , know you're not alone. Whether you're a member of a wedding party or a parent or sibling of the soon-to-be-married couple, you may be wondering what to say in a wedding speech. However, that's where we come into the picture: Keep reading for a full rundown of wedding speech tips , insight and, last but not least, a fully written example that you can use as a guide. Happy speechwriting!

In this article:

How to Write a Wedding Speech

Wedding speech example, wedding speech tips.

Writing your wedding speech is no easy feat. To help ensure things go as smoothly as possible, we tapped into Renée Dalo, owner of Moxie Bright Events in Los Angeles, California. Below, she shares a step-by-step guide.

Brainstorm a great opening.

To captivate other guests' attention, Daloe recommends taking some time to brainstorm a great opening. For example, she says, "Try to resist saying, 'For those of you who don't know me, I'm Erica's sister, Michelle.'" Instead, skip this entirely in favor of something more fun and creative.

Start with a story.

…but be sure to make it a short one, says Dalo. "Make sure it's relevant to your friendship and/or the couple." When selecting what story to share, the wedding pro recommends sterling clear of any that involve ex-partners—and for that matter, anything negative about the newly married couple. "Even if you think it's funny , she says, "it's not." Instead, think of a special moment or fun memory you shared with the couple. What did it involve? What was so great about it? All of these things are worth considering as you jot down your wedding speech.

Share your well wishes.

After all, what would a wedding speech be if it didn't include some well wishes for the newlyweds? "Make sure to include both people in the couple in your remarks," advises Dalo.

End with a toast.

Cap off your speech on a fun and sentimental note by ending with an actual toast . Dalo recommends this foolproof example: "Please join me in raising a glass to the happy couple. Cheers to X and Y, and best wishes for a lifetime of laughter!" Afterward, go in for a hug with the couple, making for the perfect photo op !

Rehearse away.

After you write your speech down, spend a significant amount of time rehearsing it so that you feel confident and comfortable while giving the actual speech. "Don't try to wing it," says Dalo. "You're going to want to rehearse this [so that] you can be as calm and present as possible."

Still trying to figure out where to start? Don't fret: If you could use some additional assistance writing your wedding speech, consider Provenance , which helps users create personalized, meaningful wedding speeches using AI-powered tools along with real responses to personal questions.

Take the Provenance Toast Builder , for example. Couples can invite those who will be giving wedding speeches—including the father of the bride , mother of the bride , father of the groom , mother of the groom , maid of honor and best man —to use the Toast Builder. Upon being invited to use the platform, these individuals will "get alerted to how long their speech can be," as well as any other important information to mention—or steer clear of. "From there," says Provenance CEO Steven Greitzer, "you can see the status of the speech and the estimated length."

To help get those creative juices flowing, check out the below wedding speech example.

Hi! As Lisa's younger sister—and now maid of honor—I've had the unique privilege of growing up alongside her. Since we're just two years apart, we've been each other's built-in best friends from the start. Like most sisters, we bickered constantly throughout our childhood, hurling insults over clothing, makeup and missing pieces of jewelry: I'll finally admit it, Lisa, I was the one who lost your charm bracelet at summer camp! All kidding aside, I hope I've made it up to you with this epic speech.

When Lisa first met Jay on the train coming home from work (romantic, I know!), we lived together in a tiny one-bedroom apartment in the city, an experience that only brought us closer together. After their first date to their now-favorite pizza place, she came home all giddy—bubbly, smiling, and laughing. She told me that the two of them already planned their next date. I had never seen her so happy. The look in her eyes since that night has not faded, and if I know Jay—which I do!—he will make sure it never will.

Like Lisa, Jay is kind, patient, and compassionate, and this was evident from the first time we met, which was right before his and Lisa's second date. I ran to the door to catch a glimpse of the guy who was slowly but surely stealing my sister's heart. Upon meeting, Jay and I instantly hit it off. He greeted me by name, hugged me, and took the time to sit down and truly get to know me. Less than 10 minutes later, we were already cracking jokes. It was clear to me then that Jay was, without a doubt, my sister's perfect match.

Lisa and Jay, you've set the bar (very) high for all of your friends and family when it comes to relationship goals. The love and commitment you share with each other is inspiring and everlasting. I know Jay will spend the rest of his life making Lisa happy and supporting her through every endeavor—and I know she'll do the same, too.

So, Lisa and Jay, I wish you nothing but a lifetime of love and happiness together. And I'm so excited to have a front-row seat to all that's in store. Everyone, please join me in raising a glass to the newlyweds!

Keep it short and sweet.

According to Dalo, your wedding speech should be "no more than three minutes." She continues, telling The Knot, "Three minutes is a long time, and when you figure in getting up to the mic and then hugging afterward, it's about five minutes total which is ideal." If you go any longer, you run the risk of losing guests' attention and potentially boring them (a no-no in our book!).

Acknowledge both partners.

"A big speech taboo that we see way too often is when the person giving the speech only talks about the partner they're closest with, unintentionally making the other partner feel left out and unimportant," says Greitzer. If you need a helping hand, Greitzer recommends using the Provenance Toast Builder , which offers "thoughtful prompts to encourage you to share why they're both 1) good people and 2) a great match for each other."

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11 Impressive Bridesmaid Speech Examples To Use At The Wedding Reception Of Your Friend

Being a bridesmaid is a great honor. The bride considers you one of her closest friends, which is a very important role to play. This is why you need to give an excellent speech at her wedding. You should let her know that you are happy for her and that you will still be there for her even though she is now married. Your love and support through your speech will surely mean a lot to the couple.

In this article, we will show you great bridesmaid speech examples, and also tips on how to deliver this speech.

Funny Bridesmaid Speeches

Writing a funny bridesmaid speech could be a challenge at first, but once you unlock your comedic side, things will get so much easier. Using sarcasm, similes, metaphors, or short analogies can help you write a funny bridesmaid speech.

• You have always dreamt about this day. You did sound confused about your feelings though, but I am so happy that we are here now, and from the looks of it, you look fine. But with your awesome personality, I am sure that you will ace this life phase too.
• It remains a mystery why you finally decided to get married instead of taking over a city with me like we hoped we would years ago. However, marriage is still good. I am sincerely happy for you.
• You surprised me when you said that you were getting married. Years ago, you were one hundred percent sure that you wouldn’t get married but now look at you, you are getting married! You were a real feisty girl and I hope that you never stop because I love surprises. And you are dishing them out every chance you get.
• As the bride’s friend, I am filled with great joy for her as she embarks on this new adventurous phase of her life. It’s okay that you chose marriage over our night outs, but I’ll still borrow you once in a while for a few drinks. I love you so much and I wish you nothing but happiness in your marriage and everything you‘ll do.

Bridesmaid Short Wedding Speeches

A short wedding speech is quite easy to write. Simply summarize your main points into short sentences that express your love and support for the bride and you are good to go.

• I am nothing short of happy and grateful for being here. Getting to spend your whole life with someone is a serious but also quite he privilege. In this case,  your husband should be feeling privileged because you are a gem. May your marriage be full of joy and bliss.
• I am simply bubbling with happiness for you today. You have finally found a companion. I wish you a happy, stable marriage that will last for a very long time. May you be each other’s comfort and light, as it is now both of you against the world.
• This is a celebration of you finding the love of your life. I am so happy that both of you saw that potential in each other. I wish you blessings and happiness in your marriage, and may it last long. I look forward to celebrating many anniversaries to come.

Touching Bridesmaid Speech

To write a touching bridesmaid speech, do not shy away from putting all your emotions out there. Truly express your pride and joy for the newlyweds. It’s also okay if a few tears are shed.

• This day has been feeling like a dream. I have always imagined this with you. I am so happy for you. Finally, you have found the one you would like to spend your life with. What a blessing! I wish you two nothing but the best.
• I am sure you two lovebirds will love and cherish each other abundantly in your marriage. I can personally attest to how you never hold back when loving someone. This is the start of a beautiful, adventurous journey for you. Your husband should count himself lucky.
• We are living in a fulfilled dream and I am nothing but grateful that you have finally gotten someone you wanted. Love is a beautiful thing, and I would just advise you to love each other, hard. You were made for each other so hold each other down and everything will be fine.
• As your friend and bridesmaid, I am very happy to see you get married. This moment is really beautiful. I am happy that I was invited to be happy with you. All I want for you is happiness in your marriage and life. Your personality will surely make this marriage a comfortable one and one that we can learn from. I wish you all the best in your new life.

Tips for Delivering a Great Bridesmaid Speech

There are great tips that you should follow to present the perfect speech. We have discussed some of them below, they will be of help.

1. Practice, practice, practice

Rehearse your speech beforehand to ensure you’re comfortable and confident with the content. You can rehearse with a friend who can help you improve your speech.

Rehearsing in front of a mirror can also help you fix things yourself such as your standing posture or facial expressions and gestures.

2. Speak clearly and slowly

Speak clearly and slowly enough so everyone can hear and understand you. Articulate your words clearly and pace correctly for people to truly enjoy your speech.

3. Keep it concise

While expressing your thoughts and feelings is important, try not to drag on too long and bore the audience. Avoid repeating yourself especially while expressing your love to them. A short paragraph is enough to put out your feelings.

4. Use humor

Humor can be a great way to engage your audience and lighten the mood, but make sure it’s appropriate and won’t offend anyone. Consider using sarcasm too as it is a smart way of making the audience laugh.

5. Avoid inside jokes

Remember that not everyone in the room will know all the inside jokes and stories between you and the bride. Make sure your speech is inclusive and understandable to everyone. This will keep the audience eager to listen to your speech.

6. Speak from the heart

Your speech should come from a place of love and affection for the bride. Speak honestly and share your true feelings. If you do this, the couple will treasure your speech because of the sincerity you have shown.

7. End on a high note

Finish your speech positively and uplifting, leaving the audience with a happy and heartfelt message. An encouraging quote is one good way of wrapping up your speech. The end of your speech should help the audience truly take your speech to heart.

Conclusion: Make The Bride Smile On Her Wedding Day 

Ensure that the bride is all smiles throughout the wedding. It is her special day, and as her bridesmaid, the responsibility of making the bride happy also rests on your shoulders. But this should be easy for you once you follow all the tips discussed above.

A wedding is never complete without some gifts. You can gift the bride these white bling furry personalized bride slippers . These furry slippers are personalized with the bride’s new name and title. It is a great gift to give the bride. It’ll keep her feet nice and warm while reminding her of your friendship.

This jewelry travel case with a birth flower is also a great gift idea. It is imprinted with the bride’s name and two flowers, which may be her birth or her favorite flowers. It will be an elegant way of storing her jewelry. The bride will love it.

We hope that your speech will be super and one that the bride will remember.

Vincent Otieno

Vincent Otieno is a passionate jewelry enthusiast and writer at Getnamenecklace, an e-commerce store dedicated to offering exquisite jewelry and thoughtful gifts for your loved ones. With a keen eye for detail and a deep appreciation for the art of gift-giving, Vincent curates a collection that celebrates the beauty of craftsmanship and the joy of making family moments unforgettable.

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• Who Gives a Speech at a Wedding Reception? How to Write a Wedding Toast Tips for the Father of the Bride Speech How to Write a Best Man Toast Advice for the Maid of Honor Speech What to Know About a Newlywed Toast Public Speaking Experts' Wedding Speech Tips 60 Quotes to Use for Your Wedding Toast

Public Speaking Experts Share Their Top Tips for Giving an Amazing Wedding Speech

Check out their best examples and advice to learn how to knock it out of the park.

Photo by Kurt Boomer

In This Article

Most people would agree that public speaking isn't easy, and this is especially true when you're feeling the added pressure that comes along with giving a speech at a loved one's wedding. Not only do you have the attention of dozens (if not hundreds!) of guests you probably don't know, but you're also trying to appeal to a group of people in a wide range of ages from all different phases of the couple's lives. What's more, you want your speech to delight the couple of the hour and be as appealing to your group of friends as it to the newlyweds' grandparents. All in all, it's a tough task.

Before you panic, know that we're here to help. Ahead, we're sharing a comprehensive guide on what you should include in your speech , how to nail your delivery, and questions to consider to get the brainstorming process started—all from noteworthy speakers, well-established speechwriters, and wedding planners (who have seen it all).

Wedding Speech Template

Every great wedding speech has one thing in common: the right flow. Factor in these guidelines to help you find your own organic rhythm.

Open With a Statement or Question

Don't lead with a joke or a reference to how nervous you are. "The goal is to engage your audience, not make it a boring one-way message," says award-winning motivational speaker Jaime Pfeffer . "You'll lose them if you do this."

Introduce Yourself

After your opener, introduce yourself, says Fallon Carter , a wedding planner, even designer, and professional speaker. "A lot of times, people don't know who is speaking, and they don't know their relationship to the bride or the groom," she says. "It's really important to identify yourself, so make sure you've prepared something."

Address Your Audience

As speaker and life strategy coach Mark Black, CSP , points out, focusing on yourself only enhances nerves. "Instead, concentrate on your audience and how you want them to feel. This will help you to speak from the heart, allowing your speech to do what it's supposed to do: Make the couple feel special while also engaging the audience."

Focus on a Few Points

Seasoned speaker Susan Bender Phelps, CEO of Odyssey Mentoring & Leadership , says her top guideline is to select one to three aspects of the newlyweds that you love and appreciate, along with no more than three short stories to illustrate each of these points (or that one point). "The simple, succinct story or stories where the bride and groom are the hero will work best." This is an excellent way to structure your speech and keep your message focused.

How Long Wedding Speeches Should Be

The ideal length for a speech is three to five minutes, with five minutes being the absolute maximum you should speak for. That's it. "I’ve never been to a wedding where anyone said, 'That was a great wedding, but the best man speech was just too short and that  ruined  it,'" says David Litt , the speechwriter for former President Barack Obama and author of Thanks, Obama .

Carter agrees: "I always say anywhere between two and five minutes—and no more than five minutes," she says. "You want to keep things short and sweet." It's just as important to keep in mind when the speech will take place when determining length, since toasts are often timed with meal courses: "Be mindful of how long a course generally takes or how long it takes people to eat," Carter adds, noting that most courses last between 15 and 20 minutes and that several speeches have to fit inside each window. "If there are other people speaking, you want to be mindful and give them space."

Wedding Speech Tips

Now that you've established the right framework for your words, take note of these essential tips for acing the delivery from a few speaking pros.

Rehearse Regularly

The better prepared you are, the more confident you'll be and the better your speech will be, says author and professional speaker Barry Maher . A good rule of thumb is to practice the speech enough that you can remember the points you want to make and the order in which you want to make them. That way, you can look out to the crowd and make eye contact every so often.

Record Yourself Practicing

Use your phone to take a video of yourself practicing, suggests Kate Kenfield , speaker and sex educator. "It can be a little uncomfortable to watch yourself, but you'll be able to identify distracting mannerisms, such as the verbal pauses 'um,' 'uh,' and 'like'." It's also a good idea to practice your speech in front of someone else. "A second opinion can help you craft your piece and make it that much stronger," she says.

Don't forget body language! Rehearse the speech in front of a mirror and notice things like your facial expression, eye contact, and hand position.

Avoid Alcohol

Although it may be tempting to look for some liquid courage, alcohol definitely won't do you any favors, warns keynote speaker Amy Morin , author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do . "It may cause you to slur your speech and forget your lines, so wait until after your toast to celebrate," she advises. If you need a drink to loosen up the nerves or can't refrain from participating in a toast without being rude, stick to one glass of Champagne before you address the crowd.

Use Nerves to Your Advantage

A little nervousness can actually liven up your speech. "I get worried if I'm not a little nervous," says Maher. "I'll actually try to make myself a little tense to get my energy level up." The key is to harness that energy and communicate it in a positive, genuine way; tensing up to the point that you forget your words or panic won't make for a great presentation.

Be Yourself

Keep in mind that you're not putting on a show, only sharing your personal perspective. Trying too hard to force the funny can yield the opposite of the desired effect, cautions Matt Dalley, co-founder of Simply Eloped . "I've noticed that keeping it short and sweet, heartfelt and warm, and coming across as authentic and focused on the couple is something we are all capable of and generates some very wonderful moments," he says.

Never Embarrass the Newlyweds

It's a wedding toast, not a roast. While this should go without saying, keep the bachelor or bachelorette party jokes out of it, and remember that grandma and possibly a few colleagues are in the audience, notes Laurie Battaglia , a keynote speaker and workplace strategist. "It's okay to look back at childhood and refer to something funny, but ask yourself if you'd like 200-plus of your closest friends knowing that story about you."

Use Your Notes

Reading your speech straight from a piece of paper is a big no-no. However, having a couple of note cards handy is encouraged. "You're likely to be nervous, excited, and exhausted, which can make you forget your lines," explains Morin. "The audience won't care if you glance at your notes. In fact, there's a good chance they won't even notice."

Wedding Speech Brainstorm Ideas

Need some inspiration? Ask yourself these questions to get the brainstorming process going.

• Who will speak before you? After you? How will this affect the content of your toast? (Perhaps you want to include a reference to their speech, thank them for an introduction, or introduce the next speaker).
• Is there someone you should thank for making the event possible and inviting you to speak?
• What would you want to hear in this speech if you were in the audience?
• Is there a favorite story or memory that the couple would want you to share with their friends and family?

Wedding Speech Examples to Make Your Own

So, what does it look like when all these elements come together? Wedding vow and speechwriter Katelyn Peterson , owner and creator of Wedding Words , offered us three examples of successful toasts to inspire your own.

Maid of Honor Wedding Speech Example

"Hi, I’m Maya, the bride’s older sister . With Lucy being three years younger, we fell right into our respective roles as sister-rivals growing up. We constantly fought over stolen clothes, monopolizing the phone back when landlines were a thing, and what boy band to blare from the car speakers. I’m still Team Backstreet Boys while Lucy is forever indebted to NSYNC.

Looking back on those memories, I should have stepped up and granted Lucy permission to wear my favorite sweater for picture day, to hand her the phone once in a while, and to let her play, 'Bye Bye Bye.' Even I can admit that’s a good one. But despite Lucy being the younger sister, she has always been more patient, more accommodating, and more thoughtful than me. And that’s because when it comes to the people she loves, she’s all in.

She’s the one to prioritize their desires. She’s the one to compromise first. And, she’s the one to support their dreams as if they were her own. 

This is why it makes me so happy to know that Lucy has found a home in David. He matches her in compassion, thoughtfulness, and warmth. And I know he’ll spend his life prioritizing her desires, being ready to compromise, and supporting her dreams as his own.

Cheers to Lucy and David! May you always feel loved because you always put each other first."

Best Man Wedding Speech Example

"Hello, everyone. My name is Luke and I’m the best man . I met Robert eight years ago when I became his neighbor. His reputation preceded him as I had heard about the 'Block Party King' before my closing papers were inked. 

Rob has never been the guy to wear fancy clothes. In fact, I’m still in shock seeing him in that tux tonight. And he’s never been the guy to show off even though the work he’s put into his vintage Mustang could make Henry Ford himself envious.

But when it comes to cooking, he should receive an award. His pulled pork is a staple at our summer block parties and his homemade barbeque sauce has remained our neighborhood’s best-kept secret. But the most satisfying part about his delicious dishes is that there’s always plenty to go around. And Rob makes sure your plate is never empty. I have no idea how he pulls it off, but Rob has a covert ability to scoop seconds onto your plate without you ever seeing him do it. I hope you all came hungry tonight, folks. You’ve been warned! 

The first time I met Jasmine I could immediately tell she was an amazing person. She laughed at his jokes which I never thought anyone would get. She supported his career and the nonstop travel involved. But most importantly, whenever we’re all hanging out, Jasmine is the one always topping off Rob’s plate with more pasta, more chicken, more of everything. When she’s around, it’s never empty. 

And that’s when I saw what a perfect match they were for each other. I know they will always put each other first, make sure their needs are met, and will never allow the other to go hungry.

So let’s raise our glasses to toast the newlyweds! As you begin this next chapter together, may your plates and your hearts always remain full."

Father of the Bride Wedding Speech Example

"Good evening, family, and friends. I’m Daniel Lee, the father of the bride. I’d like to welcome you to this special occasion where we get to celebrate the love between my daughter Allison and her new wife, Kristin. 

Standing up here today, I’m reminded of all the moments that led to this significant one. The dance recitals that ended with standing ovations and the soccer games that concluded with winning scoreboards. 

But, while those were fun and rewarding times, those aren’t the moments I cherish most with Allison. The memories that make me smile the brightest are those in-between the big stuff moments. It’s the makeshift magic shows in our living room using a bedsheet that Allison confiscated from our linen closet to convert into a curtain. It’s the countless tea parties she hosted with exclusive invitations just for me and her beloved stuffed bear, Buttons. And it’s the way she’d beg to stay up for just five more minutes but was asleep on the couch by minute number two.

Those everyday, blink-and-you’ll-miss-them moments with Allison are the ones that gave color to my life and filled my heart with a happiness I never knew could exist.

So, my beautiful daughter, as you begin your life with Kristin today, I have one wish for you: May your warmest memories come from the ordinary moments throughout your marriage, and may those moments give you a reason to smile brighter every day. Cheers! I love you both." —Daniel

What Not to Say in a Wedding Speech

Your job when delivering a wedding speech is to keep things light—tell an anecdote, make an emotional connection, then wish the couple well before you close out. Anything that doesn't feel definitively positive should be avoided. "I would advocate against bringing up negative details, specifically past relationships or past spouses," says Carter. "Skip anything that you wouldn't want to be physically recorded and played over and over again—this is a rule of thumb."

Keep it light, delicate, and present- and future-focused, Carter adds. "If you're going to go into the past, make those stories really intentional," she says. "Bring those stories back to who they are now. Your mission is to create a great environment and vibe and to potentially give some information about one of the newlyweds, so that it's enlightening for all guests."

A Guide to Wedding Reception Toasts

Who Gives a Speech at a Wedding Reception?

How to Write a Wedding Toast

Tips for the Father of the Bride Speech

How to Write a Best Man Toast

Advice for the Maid of Honor Speech

What to Know About a Newlywed Toast

Public Speaking Experts' Wedding Speech Tips

60 Quotes to Use for Your Wedding Toast

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Struggling to Write a Wedding Speech? It’s All in the Details.

If you’ve been charged with saying a few words about the newlyweds, here are some tips to help ease your anxiety and inspire you to speak from the heart.

By Dina Gachman

Massive parties with 10-piece bands and champagne fountains gave way to backyard microweddings and Zoom celebrations during the pandemic. But one tradition has stayed strong, and even thrived, over the last year: the wedding speech.

Love them or hate them, “a speech gives people something to talk about, and it’s an amazing bonding juice,” says Heidi Ellert-McDermott, the founder of Speechy , a British company that creates bespoke speeches for weddings around the world. “It can really kick-start a party.”

Public speaking, whether it’s in front of 10 people or 100, can be intimidating, and if you’ve ever sat through a lengthy, cliché-riddled wedding speech, you know it’s not so easy to pull off a memorable toast.

“We’re all so acutely aware that no one has any idea what tomorrow will bring,” said Marisa Polansky, a founder of the Brooklyn-based speech writing service Speech Tank with Kristine Keller. “The fact that two people want to tackle that tomorrow together feels especially noteworthy. As such, there’s more pressure on speeches to bring a weightiness or gravitas to the event, I think. But it’s an opportunity, too.”

If you’ve been charged with saying a few words about the couple, there are a few things to remember that will help you ease your anxiety and inspire you to speak from the heart.

Ask Yourself ‘Why Me?’

If you’re staring at a blank page, take a step back and think about your relationship to the couple. “Start by asking yourself why you’re giving the speech,” said Tess Barker , 38, a Los Angeles-based comedian who has a “deep résumé as a bridesmaid.” Thinking about your relationship to the couple can help you focus on memories you share, and remind you that you’re not giving a State of the Union address — you’re simply speaking to someone you care about.

Don’t Do It Alone

There’s a tendency to think of the speech-writing process as something solitary, but Speechy’s Ms. Ellert-McDermott suggests making it a group effort. “Don’t confine it to this secret thing that has to be done in a dark room the night before when you’re panicking,” she said. Ms. Ellert-McDermott suggests inviting the couple or other friends to brainstorm with you. Gather stories or find out traits or quirks about the couple that other friends or family love.

Ditch the Thank Yous

Don’t start your speech by thanking the guests, the DJ, the florist, the parents, and the band. “Anyone who has listened to an Oscars acceptance speech knows that thank yous are boring,” Ms. Ellert-McDermott said. You can thank people individually, and instead center your speech on stories, humor and emotion. A quick, “Thanks for coming” won’t ruin a speech, but it shouldn’t be the focus.

Find a Theme

Instead of talking about everything there is to know about the couple , narrow it down by identifying a theme. “It will help you stay focused and not be too long-winded, and build an outline,” said Carla Eustache, 38, the owner of Style Perfect Events , which is based in Charlotte, N.C. Ms. Eustache said she has noticed an increase in speeches about resilience and perseverance since the pandemic, but your theme doesn’t have to be lofty. It can center on the bride’s obsession with finding the perfect taco, or the groom’s horrible singing voice. “If you can spot a theme in all the randomness, then that’s how it all comes together,” Ms. Ellert-McDermott said.

[ Sign up for Love Letter and always get the latest in Modern Love, weddings, and relationships in the news by email. ]

Cut the Clichés

It’s easy to panic and Google a wedding speech template, but cut-and-paste jobs rarely make memorable speeches. If you find yourself writing a string of clichés, toss your speech and get down to basics, said Jason Mitchell Kahn , a New York-based wedding planner and the author of “Getting Groomed: The Ultimate Wedding Planner For Gay Grooms.” “When a client comes to me,” he said, “we focus on three points to hit: how you met, what you loved about them before they met each other, and how you’ve seen their lives enriched as they’ve commingled.” Another tip: Don’t say things like “they’re perfect for each other,” because, as Ms. Ellert-McDermott said, “nobody’s perfect.” Also, try to avoid quotes. “We’ve never heard a good speech that started, ‘As Jane Austen once said,’” said Ms. Keller of Speech Tank.

Know Your Audience

The pandemic has caused many weddings to become smaller and more intimate, which means speeches can get more personal and casual. The key is to read the room, whether it’s virtual or in person. “Don’t talk about a wild night in Vegas on drugs,” Ms. Barker said. “Remember there might be grandparents there.” She also suggests addressing both of the newlyweds. “When someone just gushes over one of the parties, it can get awkward.” Another key to avoiding awkwardness is not leaving people out. “Inside jokes always fall flat,” Ms. Eustache added.

Keep It Short, and Speak Up

Longer doesn’t equal better. Most speech-writing experts suggest three to five minutes, tops. “No one ever gets upset if a speech is too short,” Ms. Keller said. Most experts also prefer holding a piece of paper to scrolling through a phone or device, since that can affect the flow of your speech. Leave the phone at the table, practice, memorize as much as you can, and don’t forget to breathe. With the popularity of outdoor weddings becoming a post-pandemic trend, Mr. Kahn offers another important tip: “Always have a microphone,” he said. “There’s nothing more frustrating than a good speech that people can’t hear.”

Continue following our fashion and lifestyle coverage on Facebook ( Styles and Modern Love ), Twitter ( Styles , Fashion and Weddings ) and Instagram .

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‘Edible Haute Couture’: Bastien Blanc-Tailleur, a luxury cake designer based in Paris, creates opulent confections for high-profile clients , including European royalty and American socialites.

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Something Thrifted: Focused on recycled clothing , some brides are finding their wedding attire on vintage sites and at resale stores.

Brand Your Love Story: Some couples are going above and beyond to personalize their weddings, with bespoke party favors and custom experiences for guests .

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How To Write A Wedding Speech: The Ultimate Guide For Do’s, Don’ts, and Delivery PART 1/3: Do’s

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How To Write A Wedding Speech: The Ultimate Guide For Do’s, Don’ts, and Delivery PART 2/3: Don’ts

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how to write a wedding speech dos

Someone you love is getting married, and you’ve just been asked to give a speech at the wedding. What an honor! But also, if you’re not used to giving speeches, what a nightmare! Public speaking can be scary , which is why many people prefer to avoid it. But when your bestie asks you to make a speech at his or her wedding, it’s time to rally. But now you’re wondering if you even know how to write a wedding speech! What makes some wedding speeches fun and memorable, and what makes others cringy and fall flat? We’ve got you. We’ve put together the ultimate guide for how to write a wedding speech, focusing on things you definitely should do, things you definitely should NOT do, and then how to deliver your killer wedding speech like a pro.

If you’re wondering how to write a wedding speech, here are a few “Do’s” to keep in mind.

• Start planning early
• Introduce yourself and how you know the bride and groom
• Thanks to hosts, guests, and wedding party; congratulate the couple
• Make it personal
• Think of 3 traits with 3 stories
• Talk about the couple
• Have a beginning, middle, and end
• Consider your audience
• Keep it short and sweet
• It’s okay to be simple and meaningful

1. Start planning early

If you don’t know how to write a wedding speech but the bride just asked you to give one, this is not a time to procrastinate. Public speaking is one of the number one fears many people have, so it’s likely you’ve avoided giving too many public speeches before this. And unless you’re a performer or a veteran improv comedian, you might not do too well winging this one. If you get nervous in front of an audience (as most of us do), the best defense against freezing up when you take the mic is being prepared. 

As soon as you know you’ve been asked to give a speech at the wedding, begin jotting down notes immediately. Whenever you’re inspired by a thought of the couple or remember an anecdote that might be worth retelling, make note of it. This will help to give you a pool of ideas to draw from when you start writing down the speech.

Begin gathering ideas and writing the speech a couple of weeks to a month before the wedding. You’ll need time to edit, fine-tune it, and make it concise. And as wedding showers, bachelorette parties, and other wedding festivities begin, you might find there are entertaining stories from these events you want to add as well. If you want to write it all at once, you can do that too. However, make sure to sleep on it and come back with fresh eyes. You don’t want just “okay,” you want your speech to be heartfelt and meaningful.

You will also want to begin early to give yourself time to practice and rehearse your speech plenty of times.

2. Introduce yourself and how you know the bride and groom

No matter how large or small the wedding is, it’s likely you will not be familiar with many of the guests on one or both sides. And they won’t be familiar with you either. So don’t leave them guessing! 

Make sure when you start to write a wedding speech to introduce yourself and mention how you know the couple. This will help them understand the context of your speech, which will also help it to be more well-received. 

3. Thank hosts, guests, and wedding party; congratulate the couple

It’s also courteous to take this time to thank the hosts and other members of the wedding party for all the hard work that went into the event, and to thank guests for being there to support the newlyweds, especially those who had to travel far. 

It’s also a good time to officially congratulate the newlyweds and offer them your personal well-wishes for their future. It is imperative that you don’t forget this part, because they are the whole reason you’re there and giving a speech!

4. Make it personal

Whether you are the maid of honor, the best man, father of the bride, or just a friend, you were asked to give a speech because of your close connection and relationship with either the bride or groom (or both). 

And since you know your friend as well as you do, you probably have plenty of stories to share; so the next tip for how to write a wedding speech is don’t hesitate to make it personal and share those stories! This will also help guests get to know the other half of the couple they might not know as well or are just meeting for the first time. And those guests who do know them will love hearing some entertaining stories they might not have heard yet.

5. Think of 3 traits with 3 stories

If you’re finding it difficult to come up with anything, a useful approach for how to write a wedding speech is to think of 3 positive defining traits or qualities of the bride or groom and recount three stories or examples that illuminate a time they exhibited these traits. These stories could be comedic, heartwarming, or both. Just make sure they are relevant and entertaining!

6. Talk about the couple

If you’re the maid of honor and have been chatting up the bride for the whole speech, part of how to write a wedding speech is to make sure at some point it circles around to the groom, too, and to the two of them as a couple.  

Recount the time you met him, or how you remember talking about him with the bride in the beginning stages of their relationship. If you don’t know the groom all that well, talk about how good they are as a couple and about how happy he makes her. 

And If you’re not a fan of the groom, this is not the time to air your grievances. Always keep it positive. 

7. Have a beginning, middle, and end

All good speeches have a good flow and take the audience along with it. 

Don’t let your speech fall flat or jumble together in a haphazard confusion of disconnected anecdotes. Give it the structure of an overarching theme, with a beginning, a middle, and an end. 

We are not talking about a novel here, just make sure there is a direction to where the speech is going, and that the destination, end, or sentiment is achieved. It doesn’t need to be Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator, but a three-act structure does help keep you grounded. Most people also follow a story easier when there is a clear direction for a story or speech. 

8. Consider your audience

The next thing to keep in mind when considering how to write a wedding speech is to make sure you consider who your audience is. 

This is not the bachelor or bachelorette party. There will be a wide range of people present from children to the elderly, and from close friends of the bride and groom to casual acquaintances and coworkers. Make sure your speech is free of any crudeness that might not be fit for such a varied audience. Also, this isn’t the time to take a shot at any of the religious cermonies.

Be considerate and keep it positive and use language everyone can relate to. 

9. Keep it short and sweet

You want your speech to be meaningful and memorable; but the wedding is not about you, and yours is not the only speech. 

No one ever complains about a speech being too short, but they do begin to grumble if it runs on too long. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind when figuring out how to write a wedding speech is to keep your speech between 2-5 minutes long. Any longer than 5 minutes and you’ll lose everyone to thoughts of cake and whether or not to Cupid Shuffle later. 

10. Add humor

Don’t be afraid to be funny! Another tip for how to write a wedding speech is that if you’ve got a lighthearted, creative, joking side, use it and add humor to your speech! Everyone likes to be entertained. 

This doesn’t mean you should scour the internet for generic wedding-themed jokes, but if you’ve got some good original material to use that helps relate a story about the bride or groom in a comedic way, do it. As long as you’re not making fun of the couple but having fun with them, jokes are great. Or you can even poke fun at yourself to illuminate a higher quality in your bestie. It’s all about making the newlyweds shine. 

If you’re creative and have other talents, use them! If you are musical, bust out your instrument and/or vocal cords and make the speech in the form of a song! Use props, and get the other guests involved! The newlyweds will feel special because you created something for them, and the guests will love joining in the fun.

11. It’s okay to be simple and meaningful

If entertaining isn’t your thing, that’s okay! Don’t force it – just be yourself. It’s okay to be simple and meaningful with your speech. Always keep in mind when you go to write a wedding speech that what’s important is that you are genuine and speak from the heart.

Hopefully, you found these tips for how to write a wedding speech helpful, and can start writing today! And stay tuned to our blog for the next part in this ultimate guide for how to write a wedding speech where we highlight a few things you should definitely avoid.

Love this content and want more? Read more about weddings on our blog ! Involved in the wedding planning process and the bride is still looking for a venue ? Give us a call today and we’ll help you find the perfect place!

Jennings Trace

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How to Write—And Deliver—The Perfect Wedding Speech

By Shelby Wax

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If one of your nearest and dearest is tying the knot, it’s possible you may be asked to give a speech during the wedding festivities. And while having an opportunity to share your love and memories at a major milestone event is an honor, there’s no denying that it’s a big ask—especially if public speaking isn’t your forté. A wedding speech presents a unique challenge: There’s no set formula for how the speech should play out, but it often requires sentimentality, a touch of humor, and the good sense to know when to wrap it up.

Are you a member of the wedding party that wants to (or has been asked to) give a toast at an upcoming celebration? Read ahead to learn how to write and prepare for your big moment.

Who Gives a Wedding Speech?

First off, it’s important to make sure that the couple definitely wants you to give a toast at their celebrations. Traditionally, the maid of honor, best man, and parents of the couple will give a speech at the wedding. However, the couple should explicitly ask these guests well in advance to give a speech so they have plenty of time to prepare. They may also choose additional wedding party members to give toasts at the reception or pre-wedding parties; but if the couple has not asked you to give a speech, do not prepare one. Speeches are carefully placed into a wedding timeline so the day will stay on schedule, and an additional five minutes could cut into strategically timed moments of the celebration.

The to-be-weds also have the right to curate the day as they wish, and occasionally at a rehearsal dinner or welcome party, the couple may open the floor to additional toasts. But if this doesn’t happen, grabbing the mic unexpectedly for an off-the-cuff speech (especially after a few glasses of wine) will not be appreciated.

How to Write a Wedding Speech

If you are asked to give a toast, it’s important that you don’t just wing it. “First, recognize that speechwriting is a creative process,” shares Allison Shapira, founder and CEO of Global Public Speaking . “Give yourself plenty of time to be creative (i.e. not the night before, when you already have so much to stress about). Wait for your most creative time of the day, and turn off any distractions. Spend some unrushed time thinking about your relationship to the couple, and what you’d like to say.”

While there’s no exact template to follow, there is a good basic formula to adhere to. “The framework I recommend for a wedding speech is: story, message, blessing,” she shares. “Tell a heartwarming story, share the message or value behind that story, and then offer a blessing or wish for the couple based on that message.”

“Typically, we advise our speakers to try to bring the audience on a journey where you initially try to make them laugh, then get to the real depth of the speech and earn some tears, then bring the whole speech full circle with a deep insight or story about the couple that ends with a funny final punch,” shares Steven Greitzer, CEO and founder of Provenance , an AI company that specializes in helping write personalized wedding vows, ceremonies, and toasts. “It’s important to have a good balance of humor and sentimentality because, if it’s a full roast, it can feel like you’re just doing a standup comedy show for your own benefit and it could lack substance. Or, if it’s too overly emotional, it can get heavy and perhaps a bit too somber for a wedding celebration.”

When choosing a story, Shapira recommends reading the room. “It should obviously be good-natured, without making anyone look bad. And, it all depends on the family dynamics,” she says. “What one family considers good-natured, another family could consider scathing. Choose someone in the audience whom you think could give you some helpful feedback, and practice the speech with them in advance.”

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Greitzer adds that it's important that both members of the couple are highlighted in the speech. “Great anecdotes showcase who each person was before meeting, their synergy together, and their individual and collective growth,” he shares. If you don’t know one member of the couple very well, don’t be afraid to get creative. “One of the best speeches I’ve seen was from a bridesmaid who hadn’t really been able to spend too much time with her best friend’s fiance because of the pandemic,” Greitzer shares. “She creatively read texts she found in her phone that gave her a hilarious timeline of her friend falling in love.”

If you’re still not sure where to begin, consider giving an AI platform a try to help you form your toast. “The Provenance tools guide speakers to create unique, and personal ceremonies, vows, and toasts without the stress. It’s a partner in your brainstorming process; a way to help you verbalize what you were trying to say—but faster,” explains Greitzer. “Instead of being some outdated, mad-libs-style template, the expert-curated prompts inspire special stories and insights, ultimately weaving your responses together into a custom, editable first draft.”

A final writing tip from Shapira? “I definitely recommend creating an outline but do not recommend writing the speech out word for word. When we script the entire speech, it sounds too formal,” says the public speaking expert. “I recommend first brainstorming the content, rearranging it into a logical structure, then drafting a general outline which you can bring with you to the event. While it may look better to simply give the speech ‘from the heart,’ the stress involved in trying to memorize your speech is simply not worth it.”

How to Deliver a Wedding Speech

Writing a wedding speech is half the battle—next comes your performance. It’s important that your toast has a good flow, feels natural, and doesn’t drag on. Here’s where the idiom “practice makes perfect” rings true. Shapira advises giving yourself a few weeks of rehearsal to make your speech feel authentic and fluid. Her recommendations? “Read your speech out loud and make sure it stays within the time you have allotted. Read it to someone else and get their feedback. Record it and watch it back. We use a tool called AMPLIFY to get AI-based feedback.” She adds, “Don’t memorize the speech, but do read it out loud and make sure it sounds like your voice.”

The ideal length of a toast is between two to four minutes, which translates to around 500 to 1000 words on a page. Still, Greitzer notes, “The perfect length for the wedding toast complies with whatever length the couple wants it to be. Many guests don’t realize that long speeches can impact the whole evening’s timeline and affect the caterer, DJ, and so much more.”

While it’s now common to see toasts being read off a phone, both experts agree that it’s much better to print out your speech. “Reading off of a phone comes with the risk of distractions from notifications, a weird backlight that can affect the color of your face in photos, finicky technical difficulties, and having that annoying sound interference with the mic,” says Greitzer. (You also should make sure your speech is legible with a large font and wide spacing so you can easily find your place.)

The final hurdle of giving a wedding toast is getting over your nerves. “Find a quiet place right beforehand to center yourself (perhaps the bathroom or a corner of the room), pause and breathe, and remind yourself why you care about the couple,” recommends Shapira. She also adds—perhaps unsurprisingly—that it’s best to hold back on alcohol consumption ahead of the toast. “No one expects a perfect or professional speech; they want a unique, authentic message. The speech isn’t about you—it’s about the couple. Once you reframe the fact that the center of attention isn’t on you, you can relax.”

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Relieve stress and put your stories and emotions into a heartfelt wedding speech with help from AI.

"Those who are terrified of wrestling with words for a speech and are not tech-savvy, he said, may find a service like ToastWiz — which is tailored to write specifically for weddings, unlike ChatGPT — more helpful."

"Another friend suggested she try ToastWiz, a paid service for crafting speeches that uses AI."

"ToastWiz, an AI tool that prompts people to input personal details and memories and uses GPT-4 to come up with a clean, clear, but still personal speech."

"Another AI tool for those who don’t want to look like tools in front of 150 people is ToastWiz, which, for the low price of $29.99, can make sure the happy couple is indebted to you forever."

A wedding is a joyous occasion to look forward to...

Friends, family, food, drinks. What's not to love?

...But not if you're anxious about writing your speech.

We don't like stress. We hate it.

That's where ToastWiz comes in.

Avoid the anxiety that comes with speech writing and write a personalized, memorable wedding speech draft in just minutes.

• Prompts to share your stories and memories
• Defeat writers block
• Create in minutes

Q: How do I get a speech?

ToastWiz's short form guides you to put your stories and feelings into words. Once you complete the form, you will receive three ToastWiz wedding speech drafts within minutes for $29.99.

Q: Who writes the speech?

ToastWiz sends your completed form to an artificial intelligence (AI) model. The AI model compiles your inputs to create three wedding speech drafts. The AI model uses OpenAI’s GPT-4 to generate the wedding speeches.

Q: Are the speeches good?

Your ToastWiz speeches are the result of your inputs with some help from artificial intelligence. ToastWiz speeches have proper grammar, are compelling, and are personalized based on your stories.

We find that many people like to create a wedding speech draft from ToastWiz and then edit it.

While ToastWiz is very good, it is not perfect. In some cases, the speeches will contain minor false information that will need to be edited.

Q: How long are the speeches?

Each ToastWiz speech is typically 350 - 600 words long. This equates to about 3 - 5 min (depending on how fast you talk). The more stories you give ToastWiz, the longer your speech will be.

Q: What is the price?

The price is $29.99 for three speech drafts.

Q: Why three speeches?

The goal of providing three speech drafts is to give you multiple options to choose from. You can see what phrasings and openings you like so you aren't limited by one speech. We do not offer other quantities at the moment.

Q: Are there returns or refunds?

If you're not happy, we're not happy. We offer a 100% money-back guarantee. For more info, please see our refund policy .

Q: What types of speeches does ToastWiz help write?

ToastWiz helps craft heartfelt wedding speeches for best men, maids of honor, groomsmen, bridesmaids, cherished friends, parents, and siblings of the bride and groom, ensuring every special moment is celebrated with eloquence and warmth.

ToastWiz speeches are perfect for rehearsal dinners and receptions.

Q: What is the turnaround time?

The wedding speeches are emailed to you within minutes after you checkout.

Q: Will I be able to give the speech right away?

We recommend reviewing and editing the speech before giving it. While the speeches have proper grammar and are structured well, we find that most ToastWiz users like to make edits to the speech before giving them.

Q: Is the speech unique? Do you use a template?

Every ToastWiz speech is unique based on your inputs. We don't use a template.

Q: How do I get started?

Get started here !

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Budget 2024: Remarks by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

From: Department of Finance Canada

We are driving the kind of economic growth that will ensure every generation of Canadians can reach their full potential.

April 16, 2024 - Ottawa, Ontario

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Mr. Speaker, we are acting today to ensure fairness for every generation.

We are moving with purpose to help build more homes, faster.

We are making life cost less.

And we are making Canada’s tax system more fair—by ensuring that the very wealthiest pay their fair share.

We are doing this because a fair chance to build a good, middle class life—to do as well as your parents, and grandparents, or better—has always been the promise of Canada.

But today, Millennial and Gen Z Canadians can get a good job, they can work hard, they can do everything their parents did and more, and too often the reward remains out of reach.

They look at their parents’ lives and wonder: How will I ever be able to afford that?

The same anxiety haunts those of us who care about our younger generations—their parents and grandparents. What many parents have achieved for themselves—a degree of comfort and security—we want for our children and grandchildren.

We want their hard work to be rewarded, as it has been for us. We want them to look forward to the future with a sense of anticipation, not angst.

We have arrived at a pivotal moment for Millennials and Gen Z.

These Canadians have so much talent and potential. They need to see and believe that our country can work for them.

Making the promise of Canada real for younger Canadians requires action from us. And that is what we are delivering.

It begins with building more homes, at a pace and scale not seen since after the Second World War.

Over the past three weeks, we have shared with Canadians our new and ambitious plan to solve the housing crisis—and to help ensure that Canadians, especially younger Canadians, are better able to afford their rent or mortgage payments.

We are investing to kickstart the construction of more rental apartments and more affordable housing across our country.

We are topping up the Housing Accelerator Fund, which is doing exactly what we intended and exactly what Canada needs—cutting through red tape and breaking down zoning barriers. This innovative Fund is at the vanguard of a housing revolution in Canada and is fast-tracking the creation of new homes.

We are making the math work for builders by cutting federal taxes on new apartment construction, breaking down regulatory and zoning barriers, providing direct low-cost financing, and making more government land available for building.

In a country with winters as long and as cold as ours, we are scaling up innovative construction techniques, like modular housing, to build homes year-round. Modular housing makes Canadian homes less expensive and the Canadian economy more productive.

To support all this new housing, we are investing in the infrastructure communities need to grow and increasing the number of construction workers, by creating opportunities for apprentices and recognizing foreign credentials.

We are making it easier for Canadian homeowners to add a basement suite or a laneway house, so middle class Canadians can be part of the housing solution, too.

Mr. Speaker, our work to build more homes, faster across our country is, quite literally, an exercise in nation building—a true Team Canada effort. Together, we are putting into action a plan to build nearly 4 million homes by 2031—and to unlock the door to the middle class for more young Canadians.

While we work urgently to increase the supply of housing, our government is taking action to bring relief to Canadians—especially younger Canadians—by making it more affordable to rent or to buy a new home.

This starts with better protecting renters from steep rent increases and renovictions.

It also means making sure they get credit for their on-time rental payments—so they’re in a better position to qualify for a mortgage, maybe even at a lower rate, when the time comes to buy their first home.

For first-time buyers, we will be extending the maximum amortization period of a mortgage to 30 years, on new builds, including condos—which means lower monthly payments and greater opportunity for young people to get those first keys of their own.

Combined with tax-free ways to save for a first down payment, through the Tax-Free First Home Savings Account and the enhanced Home Buyers’ Plan, the longer amortization period will ensure more younger Canadians are able to afford that first home—and take that next big step into a prosperous middle class life.

Mr. Speaker, the second part of our plan is making life cost less.

Inflation has now been back within the Bank of Canada’s target range for three months in a row. That is good news for Canadians. But more is needed to help reduce the cost of living—to help younger Canadians gain ground.

As a government, we’ve made transformative enhancements to Canada’s social safety net.

Ten-dollar-a-day child care is already saving parents thousands of dollars a year—and making it financially possible for more Canadians to choose to start a family of their own.

Now we’re making further investments– creating even more child care spaces so more families can benefit, and so more mothers don’t have to choose between a career and a family.

This is feminist social policy—and it is smart economic policy, too. Already, thanks to our early learning and child care investments, Canada reached a record high for working age women’s labour force participation in Canadian history.

Enrolment started in our new Canadian Dental Care Plan in December—and more than 1.7 million Canadians have already signed up. Next year, nine million uninsured Canadians will have dental coverage.

And we’ve introduced legislation to deliver the first phase of national pharmacare, which will provide universal coverage for many diabetes medications and make contraceptives free—ensuring every Canadian woman can freely choose the contraceptive that works best for her, not just the only one she can afford.

Free contraceptives are central to a woman’s right to control her own body. That is a fundamental woman’s right. It is a fundamental human right.

As a woman, as a mother—and as Canada’s Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister—let me say clearly here today: this is an essential right our government will always protect. Women in other countries—our friends, our neighbours—are losing their right to control their own bodies. We will not let that happen here.

Our government’s transformative investments are having a meaningful impact—helping every generation save money.

The Canada Child Benefit is the foundation of our support to young Canadian families—and has helped lift more than 650,000 children out of poverty since 2016.

The Canada Workers Benefit provides a meaningful boost to our lowest-paid–and often most essential–workers.

Our new Canada Disability Benefit will increase the financial well-being of low-income Canadians with disabilities.

And we will launch a National School Food Program—working with provinces and territories to expand access to school food programs and help 400,000 more children get good, healthy food—so that they can have a fair start at a good, healthy life.

The list of supportive, cost-saving measures goes on, Mr. Speaker. The GST Credit arrives every three months to put some extra money in the pockets of millions of Canadians.

The Canada Carbon Rebate ensures that we fight climate change in the most cost-effective way, delivering hundreds of dollars to Canadians, every three months, including yesterday. Eight out of ten Canadians get back more than they pay in the provinces where the federal price on pollution applies.

And in this budget, we are delivering on our promise to return carbon pricing proceeds to small- and medium-sized businesses.

I am proud to announce that our new Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses will soon return over $2.5 billion directly to about 600,000 small- and medium-sized businesses. This real, meaningful support is a testament to our commitment to Canada’s small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, at a time when prices are high, we are delivering real investments that help make life cost less for Canadians.

The third part of our plan is growing the economy in a way that’s shared by everyone.

To drive the kind of growth Canada needs today, we are redoubling our efforts to attract investment, increase productivity, and boost innovation.

We’re working to empower our best entrepreneurs to put their ideas to work here in Canada and create good-paying and meaningful jobs.

How do we do that? To quote one of our country’s great philosophers, we need to skate to where the puck is going.

That means doubling down on Artificial Intelligence.

We were the first country to have a national AI strategy.

Over the past several years, we’ve supported the creation and growth of one of the world’s leading, most talented AI communities.

Today, Mr. Speaker, we are taking the next step to secure Canada’s AI advantage.

We are equipping our AI innovators with the compute power they need to attract and nurture the best researchers, scale up businesses, and drive the innovation that will deliver transformative economic opportunities for Canada and Canadians.

Home grown Canadian AI companies are already helping to boost the productivity of Canadian workers.

A natural area to seize a further competitive advantage for Canada is building the mechanical heart of the AI economy—data centres.

We have a natural edge: we have abundant and clean electricity; we have skilled and experienced engineers; we have the cold climate needed to help cool supercomputers; and we are physically close to the world’s largest market which has vast data processing needs.

We are introducing Accelerated Capital Cost Allowances for innovation-enabling and productivity-enhancing assets. This means that investments in things like computers, data network infrastructure, and more, will be eligible for immediate write-offs. This will encourage companies to reinvest, create more jobs, and make their businesses more productive and innovative.

In the first three quarters of 2023, Canada attracted the highest per capita foreign direct investment in the G7, and the third most total FDI in the world.

Our budget builds on that significant accomplishment—because attracting investment is key to driving growth, increasing productivity, and boosting innovation.

With the Canada Growth Fund and our $93 billion suite of Investment Tax Credits, we are already encouraging businesses to invest in emerging clean technologies that can drive growth and productivity —and create more good-paying jobs.

Today we are proposing a new Investment Tax Credit to attract companies investing across the electric vehicle supply chain. Canada boasts an abundance of natural resources. We intend to leverage this national advantage to build entire supply chains. And our new Investment Tax Credit will encourage precisely that.

We are investing over $5 billion in Canadian brainpower. More funding for research and scholarships will help Canada attract the next generation of game-changing thinkers pursuing excellence.

And we are building on our track record of making it more affordable to go to college and university by renewing the increase in up-front Canada Student Grants and interest-free loans, increasing the amount of financial aid students get for housing, and making it easier for mature students to go back to school affordably. All of this is on top of our campaign promise to eliminate interest on Canada Student Loans, which we delivered on a year ago.

Our new Canadian Entrepreneurs’ Incentive will ensure entrepreneurs get to keep a bigger share of the profits from the risks they take and the hard work they do and have more money to reinvest into their next venture.

A prosperous future and abundant good paying jobs depend on Canada’s innovators, entrepreneurs, and researchers. That is why we are supporting them.

Mr. Speaker, there are those who claim that the only thing government can do when it comes to economic growth is get out of the way.

I’d like to introduce them to the talented tradespeople and brilliant engineers who, last Thursday, made the final weld—the Golden Weld—on a great national project: the Trans Mountain pipeline. It took our government to get it built—and last week the Bank of Canada estimated this project will add one-quarter of a percentage point to our GDP in the second quarter.

Mr. Speaker, as we invest with purpose for the benefit of our younger generations and those who love them, we continue to stick to a responsible economic plan.

As part of that plan, in the fall we set three very specific fiscal guideposts:

• Maintaining the 2023-24 deficit at or below $40.1 billion;
• Lowering the debt-to-GDP ratio in 2024-25, relative to the 2023 Fall Economic Statement, and keeping it on a declining track thereafter;
• And maintaining a declining deficit-to-GDP ratio in 2024-25 and keeping deficits below 1 per cent of GDP in 2026-27 and future years.

In this budget, each one of these objectives is being met, as is our fiscal anchor—a declining federal debt-to-GDP ratio over the medium term.

In fact, Canada has the lowest deficit- and net debt-to-GDP ratios in the G7, as recognized in our triple-A credit rating.

And private sector forecasters are now predicting a soft landing for the Canadian economy—avoiding the recession and heartbreaking surge in unemployment that many had thought was inevitable.

Canadians know how important it is to responsibly manage a budget in the face of rising costs, and they rightly expect their government to do the same.

That is why, going forward, federal public service organizations will be required to cover a portion of increased operating costs through their existing resources. Most of these savings will be achieved through natural attrition in the federal public service. As a result, over the next four years, we expect the ranks of the public service to decline by approximately 5,000 full-time equivalent positions.

Mr. Speaker, to responsibly build a fairer future for younger Canadians, we need to make sure our tax system is more fair.

In Canada and around the world, the 21st century winner-takes-all economy is making those at the very top richer, while too many middle class Canadians are struggling just to avoid falling behind.

The job of our tax system is to lean against this structural inequality—to fund investments in the middle class, especially in young Canadians, by asking those who are benefitting from the winner-takes-all economy to pay a little bit more.

Today, our tax system doesn’t do that. Today it is possible for a carpenter or a nurse to pay tax at a higher marginal rate than a multi millionaire. That isn’t fair. That must change. And it will.

Our government is raising the inclusion rate to two-thirds on annual capital gains above $250,000 for individuals.

This new revenue will help make life cost less for millions of Canadians, particularly Millennials and Gen Z. It will help fund our efforts to turbocharge the building of more homes. It will support investments in growth and productivity that will pay dividends for years to come.

So, who will pay more?

Well, Mr. Speaker, most Canadians have no capital gains in a typical year. So, they won’t pay more.

The first $250,000 in capital gains, every single year, enjoyed by each individual Canadian will be taxed at the current rate. Individual Canadians enjoying this substantial annual gain won’t pay a penny more.

The lifetime capital gains exemption, an amount fully exempt from taxation, will be raised to $1.25 million.

And this change will not, of course, apply to the sale of Canadians’ principal residence, which is and will remain fully exempt from the tax on capital gains.

Only 0.13 per cent of Canadians—with an average annual income of $1.4 million—will pay more on their capital gains.

For 99.87 per cent of Canadians, personal income taxes on capital gains will not increase.

Taxing capital gains is not an inherently partisan idea. It is an idea that everyone who cares about fairness should support.

In fact, the idea of taxing capital gains in Canada was first broached by the government of Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and his Royal Commission on Taxation, chaired by Kenneth Carter.

And Prime Minister Brian Mulroney raised the capital gains inclusion rate to 75 per cent—higher than the rate we’re establishing today.

Yet, I know there will be many voices raised in protest. No one likes paying more tax, even—or perhaps particularly—those who can afford it the most.

But before they complain too bitterly, I would like Canada’s one per cent—Canada’s 0.1 per cent—to consider this: What kind of Canada do you want to live in?

Do you want to live in a country where you can tell the size of someone’s paycheque by their smile?

Do you want to live in a country where kids go to school hungry?

Do you want to live in a country where a teenage girl gets pregnant because she doesn’t have the money to buy birth control?

Do you want to live in a country where the only young Canadians who can buy their own homes are those with parents who can help with the downpayment?

Do you want to live in a country where we make the investments we need—in healthcare, in housing, in old age pensions—but we lack the political will to pay for them and choose instead to pass a ballooning debt onto our children?

Do you want to live in a country where those at the very top live lives of luxury—but must do so in gated communities, behind ever higher fences, using private health care and airplanes, because the public sphere is so degraded and the wrath of the vast majority of their less privileged compatriots burns so hot?

Every one of us here in this Chamber today—and every Canadian across our great country—needs to ask themselves these same questions, because the stakes could not be higher.

Democracy is not inevitable. It has succeeded and succeeds because it has delivered a good life for the middle class. When democracy fails to deliver on that most fundamental social contract, we should not be surprised if the middle class loses faith in democracy itself.

Tax policy is not only, or chiefly, the province of accountants or economists. It belongs to all of us—because it is how we decide what kind of country we want to live in and what kind of country we want to build.

This is our path forward, Mr. Speaker. This is our plan to renew the promise of Canada.

There are some who don’t share our vision.

They believe that the job of government is to do little, then less, and ultimately as close as possible to nothing at all.

Because we understand that to do big things in Canada, sometimes government needs to lead the charge—whether it is getting more homes built, faster, or finally creating a national system of early learning and child care, or bending the curve on emissions.

Let’s be honest about what austerity and shrinking the state would mean for Canadians: It means you’re on your own. It means no one will give you a hand when you falter—and that you are choosing to turn your back on the friend or neighbour who has not been as lucky as you. That is not the Canadian way—we take care of each other.

To make a difference in people’s lives, you need a plan.

Canada needs action, not indifference. We are acting.

The times call for building up our country, not sitting on the sidelines. We are building.

Today we say to our younger generations, and to those who care about them: We are putting the power of government to work for you.

We will build more homes. We will make life cost less. We will grow our economy in a way that works for everyone.

Together, we will unlock the door to the middle class for more Canadians–and renew the promise of our great country.

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