Bride

Once upon a time, it was pretty rare for a bride to make a speech at her wedding.

After all, it was usually the groom, best man and your own father who stood in the spotlight and kept everyone entertained with the speeches.

But times have changed. And I think it’s for a good thing too. When I got married, I wasn’t really expecting to make a bride speech. But my husband-to-be thought it might be a good idea if I gave it a try.

After all, who really knows more about what’s going on behind the scenes on a wedding day than the one girl at the very heart of everything – the lovely bride herself. And the best thing about a bride-s wedding speech is that she doesn’t have to really stick an agenda.

It’s the groom’s duty to thank the bridesmaids, flower girls, and wedding party. The father of the bride usually thanks both the families for coming and the best man takes care of everything else in his speech.

Which leaves the bride to talk about pretty much anything she likes? So you can be funny, touching, heartfelt, serious, jovial or completely over-the-top. There are no set rules for bride speeches and so long as you don’t make anyone really blush, cringe or cry (unless they tears of joy) you can say anything you like.

When I was preparing my bride speech, I followed a few simple guidelines. And I’d urge you to do the same. A few weeks out from the wedding, start making some notes about potential topics. Jot as many pointers down as you can in a notebook. They’ll come in handy as the big day draws nearer.
Once I actually started writing my bride’s speech, I found it beneficial to make some notes on cards that I kept close by on the wedding table. These were good little prompters if I felt I was on the verge of forgetting something.

I practiced my speech a couple of times but nothing major. I kept everything pretty fluid in case something interesting came up at the last minute that I could include. And sure enough it did. I got a wealth of new material for my speech by talking about all the last minute near disasters.

Like the flower arrangements that were starting to wilt three hours before the reception because no one had counted on it being the hottest day of the summer. Or the bridesmaid whose hair nearly caught on fire after one of her tongs got stuck. Near disaster’s are the perfect companions for bride’s wedding speeches.

Grooms and best men are too. Leave all the really juicy and embarrassing stuff for the best man. That’s the territory of his speech. Your bridal speech can touch on the slightly more quirky or funny moments though. And, of course, your intimate knowledge of the groom always lets to very funny and memorable moments in your speech.

The bride’s speech is usually just about the last one to conclude the formalities. So it’s actually the perfect time to let all your guests know just why you really married your man. It’s nice to remind everyone why your truly love him.

A few photos are always a nice accompliment and you can even put together a video if you don’t want to deliver the speech yourself. However, if you are happy standing up in front of all your wedding guests, never forget one thing.

They are all their because of you. It’s your special day and you are the star of the show. The bride really does rule the roost on her wedding day and they’ll love and applaud you even if you just stood up and recited the wedding guest list.

Saying that, a simple poem is a great way to deliver a bridal speech. But however you do it and whatever you say, keep a few things in mind. Never rush your speech. Speak slowly, clearly and confidently. Speak with sincerity and speak from your heart. Then your bride speech will be as memorable as your wedding day.