A maid of honor speech given by a bride’s close friend should be personal. Still, most include information about the speaker’s relationship with the bride, expressions of love for her, welcome to the groom, advice for the new couple, and well wishes. A maid of honor speech template is helpful.
At her wedding, a bride surrounds herself with close friends and family members when she pledges her love to her groom. These ladies, called bridesmaids, make up her portion of the wedding party. The head bridesmaid is the maid of honor (or matron of honor), usually the woman closest to the bride, either a best friend or sister. She often gives a wedding speech.
Is It Customary For The Maid Of Honor To Give A Speech?
As the bride’s best friend, the MOH is in perfect person to talk about the bride at the wedding reception. Although the speeches do not necessarily have to go in a particular order, if you are following tradition, first the father of the bride speaks, then the groom, after that the best man, and finally comes the MOH speech.
What Is The Maid Of Honor Speech’s Tone?
As you speak on your best friend’s special day, your tone should be light and sentimental. Even if you have a lot of wild memories from college partying or your teenage years, that likely isn’t the image the bride wants in her wedding guests’ minds. Tell cute stories; even include some aspects of her love story. Include some sentimental moments about the happy couple and say something about love in your maid of honor toast.
How Long Should My Maid Of Honor Speech Be?
The best man and MOH speeches should be 2-5 minutes long. Since multiple speeches occur at the wedding reception, be mindful and careful to speak only briefly. The perfect maid of honor speech can be brief and still be touching.
What Is The Best Intro For a Great Maid Of Honor Speech?
In any good speech, it is essential to introduce yourself, establish credibility and hook your audience in the very beginning. Introducing yourself should explain your relationship with the bride to paint a picture of why you are her right-hand woman for her big day. There are many ways to get the audience’s attention. It can be with a quote or a cute story.
The last thing any speaker wants to do is bore those listening in the first few minutes. If you lose them early on, it can be challenging to bring them back.
When Should You Write Your Maid of Honor Speech?
Give yourself enough time to write something touching but don’t stress too much. If you are a planner, it might be best to jot down some notes throughout wedding planning. That way, you won’t feel nervous or under the gun when you sit down to make your outline.
You should pull your speech outline together the week before the wedding day. Try to speak from note cards rather than reading off of a piece of paper. Making eye contact with the audience and the happy couple is a lovely touch and impossible if you are staring down at a speech.
What Should You Not To Include In A Maid Of Honor Speech?
One of the keys to public speaking is to know the audience and make good decisions on what to include. As you make your maid of honor speech outline, keep these things in mind:
- Avoid telling inside jokes. This can leave other wedding guests feeling left out.
- Never say anything bad about the bride’s new husband.
- Don’t embarrass the bride or groom.
- Leave out sad stories unless you know that the happy couple will appreciate what you are sharing.
- Talking about the bride or groom’s exes is not appropriate.
If the bride proved to be an over-the-top bridezilla during the wedding planning process, don’t dwell on it. If your friendship is strong, it will survive tirades about napkin colors and other absurdities that assume great importance in a stressful time. You don’t want your maid of honor speech to show your exasperation.
What Is A Good Maid Of Honor Speech Template
- Introduction: Remember that the opening is a crucial moment in any speech. You explain who you are, talk about your relationship with the happy couple, and jump right into hooking your audience. You can do this with a story or quote.
- Stories: Now you are to the meat and potatoes of your speech, where you tell some cute stories about the bride. Whether she is your best friend or big sister, you will have favorite memories to entertain the audience.
- Tie it Together: Telling random funny stories is not the best way to go. Be sure you have some way to weave the stories into a speech that pulls it all together. Of course, you want to include what a perfect match the happy couple is.
- Wedding Toast: A wedding speech usually ends with a toast to the bride and groom. Many people use a touching romantic quote here. Of course, you can always use your own words if you are more comfortable with that approach.
Example:
“Good evening, friends and family; I am Natalie, and Tina has been my BFF since childhood. I was thrilled when she asked me to be part of her big day. We have had such a wonderful time planning for this moment and honoring Tina every step of the way, from picking a wedding dress to the bridal shower to her bachelorette party. And finally, here we are.
“As a teenager in high school, Tina always described her perfect man. Sure, we all expected to marry someone with rockstar good looks… but the real qualities we talked about included being adored, treated with respect, and living out life with a person with a great sense of humor.
“The first time I met Larry, I knew he checked all the boxes of the perfect spouse for Tina. He was clearly her true love when she was studying for her board exams. He supported and encouraged her every step of the way. My first impression was that he would be a steady source of love and support. I was right.
“Larry, I could not have envisioned a better partner for my best friend Tina now if we could all raise a glass in a toast to the newlyweds. May you have a long, happy life together.”