As a professional wedding photographer, I have had the pleasure of listening to hundreds of wedding speeches. We have heard some amazing, average and poor speeches, so we’re able to compile the top tips for wedding speeches for the groom, the father of the bride, and the best man to deliver an amazing one.
The Groom’s Wedding Speech
The groom’s wedding speech is made on behalf of himself and his Bride and uses the opportunity to personally thank the people involved in the wedding preparations. In his speech, he will toast the Bridesmaids and thank them for a job well done and will thank his groom’s party for their support throughout. The groom’s speech should also include a special thank you to his parents and maybe even include some special memories with them. Another entertaining and sentimental part of the groom’s speech is when he shares his first encounter with his wife and how his life has changed because of it!
The Best Man’s Wedding Speech
The best man wedding speech is usually the most eagerly awaited of all the wedding speeches. Traditionally the best man speech is the last which gives the groom the chance to get one or two quick jokes in at the best man’s expense. This can be a dangerous game as the best man can always have a couple of extra stories for his speech up his sleeve if he feels the need for revenge.
When preparing your best man’s speech remember to think about your audience, find out the mix of people attending and try to weave something for everyone into your speech. Aim for your speech to be about 5 minutes but no more than 10 minutes. You will find that your best man speech takes longer when you deliver it on the day once all the laughter and cheering is factored in.
Father Of The Bride Wedding Speech
The Father of the Bride speech should be personal and heart-warming and should sound uplifting about his daughter and son-in-law’s future. Your speech should begin by thanking the guests for attending and should acknowledge the groom’s parents whilst welcoming your new son-in-law to the family.
When preparing your wedding speech, think about what you want to say to your daughter; it may include your bond with her, special memories of her as a child and watching her grow into the beautiful woman she is today. You can incorporate some funny anecdotes but be sure not to include anything that would embarrass her! If you know the groom well, you can add a few stories of him too; however, he will get a lot of focus in the best man’s speech so you can dedicate this time to your daughter.
You may want to talk about relationships and give some tips to the newlyweds. Keep it light and avoid any pessimistic views from spoiling the occasion.
We have captured some fabulous wedding speeches throughout the years from Somerset and beyond. In this blog post, we revealed the top tips for wedding speeches to deliver an amazing speech. If you would like additional ideas, see this post here.