WATCH OUT FOR THESE DO’S AND DON’TS

DO

• Introduce yourself – This is very important! Introduce yourself to the crowd. Remember if you are the first one that is speaking make an extra effort to REALLY project your voice. It’s going to take awhile to get everyone’s attention. So once you’ve introduced yourself, wait a minute and let everyone quiet down. Once you’ve got everyone’s attention, then begin with your speech.

DON’T

• Speak in a low voice – Remember everyone and their mother (literally) will be at this wedding. You need to project your voice and let your speech be heard. I mean, that’s what you’ve been working on for the past couple days right! Also, the guests will get impatient and ignore you if they keep telling you to ‘raise your voice’ or ‘we can’t hear you over here!’ so make sure you’re heard.

DO

• Practice your speech – I don’t know if you’ve heard of the saying, practice makes perfect! Well they say it for a reason, so practice, practice, practice! Nail your speech when you get up there and the only way you’re going to do it, is to practice, pronounce all your words and be confident when you get up there.

DON’T

• Wing it – Do not and I mean DO NOT think that you don’t have to prepare a speech because you’re going to wing it. This can be very disastrous. You don’t want to mistakenly say something you didn’t mean to say, say something inappropriate, call the bride or groom by another name, ramble on and on, etc. I can tell you one thing, you will be remembered by your speech so make it a good one. Don’t come off sounding unprepared and later wish of things you could’ve done better. Also, do not mumble. It’s hard to speak in front of a large group of people so try your hardest not to mumble. Be confident like I said; even if this is your first time speaking in public pretend you’ve been doing this your whole life.

DO

• Share stories – It’s always nice to share stories of how you’ve been friends with the bride and you’ve known her since you two were in middle school, etc. These stories are always nice and appreciated by people. Stories of their childhood, adulthood, etc are good stories IF they are in good taste and related to your speech. Everyone likes to laugh and smile about a humorous tale of someone.

DON’T

• Share x-rated stories – Even though you might think it’s funny to throw in a joke or two or tell a funny x-rated story, let me inform you that IT’S NOT FUNNY. And most importantly not appropriate! So in a nut shell, don’t do it! Also, do not embarrass the bride, groom, or their families. She/he will be humiliated in front of a huge crowd and you do not want that awkward silence because you thought that story was funny when in fact, it wasn’t.
• Bring up old exes – And what I mean by this, do not bring up the ex-girl friend/boy friend of the bride or groom. You never know how the other spouse will take it so it’s best to leave the ex’s out of it, always!

DO

• Be calm – be cool, calm, and collected by the time you give your wedding speech. You’ll seem confident and poise to all the guests.

DON’T

• Drink before or during your speech – This is one of the most important no no’s to do when giving your speech. Do not give your wedding speech when you’re tipsy. You might think it’s cool but it’s not! There could be a chance that you mess up and say something you’re not supposed to and make a total (you know what) of yourself! You don’t want the bride/groom to dislike you after your speech right?

Once you’ve given your speech, smile, raise your glass, have all the guests raise theirs too, and congratulate the happy couple one last time!

Remember all these do’s and don’ts and your speech will be one of the best one’s out there. You were chosen to be a part of a wonderful occasion of two people coming together to be one so make sure your speech follows the rules above. You do not want to embarrass yourself or the bride/groom so take some time to prepare and write an awesome speech!

This fear does not necessarily mean that the person is shy, but just that he or she is not comfortable being the center of attention and does not know what to say in this situation. Even writing the speech out beforehand does not help in some cases, especially if you do not have much public speaking experience.

The good news is that Dan Stevens has developed a book of speech examples that will make this experience much easier for you going forward. This type of book is becoming very popular because it gives the speech giver so many different examples to consider and this author has done an excellent job of putting this compilation together.

Types of Speeches

Wedding speeches come in various types, as different people will enjoy different speech styles. If you are attending the wedding of an extremely conservative individual, it is a good idea to leave the risqué jokes behind and stick with something more traditional. Likewise, if someone in the wedding is a notorious jokester, you can push the envelope a little bit and turn the speech into a bit of a roast.

If you are looking for wedding speeches that are more traditional, you can find examples in this book. Likewise, if you are looking to joke with the bride and groom a little bit before getting serious, you can find the perfect example in this book as well.

The Book
What many people now do before attending a wedding is purchase a book to help them out along the way. A book of wedding speech examples is a great way to give yourself an idea of what a great speech sounds like, so you will know if you are on the right track. Dan Steven’s book is a great example of this, as it is full of all kinds of speeches.

Things to Remember

The key when writing a wedding speech is to find a balance that your audience will enjoy, which is exactly what Dan Stevens does in his book. He has put together this book of speech examples for you to use as a template for your speeches, which is sure to make the entire process much easier. In the end, using these examples is the next best thing to having a professional speechwriter put it together for you, as it gives you the confidence that you need to get through this challenging time.

Several elements need to be included in the speech, which is why research and planning are both essential. You will not want to conduct your speech unprepared, potentially causing problems on the wedding day. Along with attempting to make the speech interesting, it should also be amusing and lighthearted.

You will know the guests at the wedding, which is why it’s important to ensure that the style of the speech suits the guests. Remember that many people will be attending and the speech should be family friendly at all times. You need to represent the style of the wedding, but should keep the speech informative and personal at the same time.

Preparation is the key to any speech, especially at a wedding, since there are many things that you need to include. You may think that you can improvise on the spot. However, this is never as easy as you may think and can go disastrously wrong. Some people prepare for weeks and others a few days before. So with this in mind, you need to choose a time-frame that is suitable for your abilities.

Research is vital, since you may know the groom exceptionally well but you may not know the bridesmaids, families and other guests. You will need to learn names of important individuals and their role on the big day to ensure that you include them in your speech. Taking the time to research this information correctly can make a difference in the quality of your speech.

Templates can be helpful and will provide you with excellent best man speech ideas to guarantee that you don’t miss information or have an unorganized speech. You will be guided every step of the way, and if you have never written a speech before, this can be an excellent tool. Our guides come fully equipped with many different templates and sample wedding speeches you can use to make sure you’re on the right track. We don’t mind if you steal some of our ideas! We encourage it, we want you to have the most excellent best man speech, the guests have ever heard.

Giving a speech can be incredibly daunting, so you to need to remember to relax and enjoy the moment. If you feel that you may be nervous, learning relaxation techniques can help you to remain calm while giving an excellent speech. Regardless of how you decide to relax, it can be beneficial for your mood on the day.

Taking the time to practice your speech, and using all of the resources available can make an enormous difference on that big day. You do not want to ruin the day or the moment by not being prepared or by reading a speech that is not researched, rehearsed or poorly written.

Getting Things Off to a Great Start

The amount of money that people spend on weddings these days is scary. It’s no wonder that moms and dads, brides and grooms, and all attendees expect everything to be perfect. Funny wedding speeches can actually be the icing on the cake. They set a nice relaxed tone at the wedding reception, and get everything off to a great start. There’s nothing better than a little humor to lighten the mood and help people to mix and enjoy themselves.

Cheeky Chappy Banter

Funny wedding speeches are not easy to write. There’s a great deal of skill needed to get it just right. Humor is a great leveler, but it has to be the right kind of humor. It shouldn’t be too raucous or rowdy, and it shouldn’t be rude or obscene. Getting the right balance of innuendo in there is not easy to do, but a little bit of cheeky chappy banter is always well accepted.

A Little Cute Embarrassment

Funny wedding speeches usually get their amusement angle from members of the wedding party; the bride and groom, a brother or sister, or an aunt or uncle. But the important thing is, not to turn it into a character assassination, and not too overtly embarrass. A little cute embarrassment however, raises a blush or two and always goes down well.

Seeking Professional Advice

Knowing how to achieve the perfect blend for writing that funny wedding speech is quite a dilemma; one that puts the speech maker under an awful lot of pressure. That’s why more and more people are turning to the book world for some professional advice. There are some great publications around right now – none better than those penned by Dan Stevens.

Dan Stevens

Dan Stevens has a real knack for writing speeches. He discovered his knack by being put in the hot seat as the best man on several occasions, and on each occasion, he met the challenge head on by writing and delivering some amazingly funny best man speeches.
He then wrote speeches for some pals who weren’t blessed with his natural gift for writing funny wedding speeches; and from there went on to take professional writing lessons before unleashing his unique speech writing talent to the general public.

A Speech for Every Wedding Occasion.

Dan has now written 6 books on funny wedding speeches along with partner Sally Samuels, who provides the feminine angle and that certain feminine touch. Their books cover all aspects of amusing speeches for weddings including:
* Best Man Speeches
* Bridegroom Speeches
* Bride Speeches
* Maid of Honor Speeches
* Father of Bride Speeches
* Mother of Bride Speeches

If you’re worrying about writing a funny wedding speech, and you’re not sure how to achieve that all important blend of humor, then one of these books will be the perfect answer. They contain some brilliant sample speeches, and all of the knowledge and information you need to write your own uniquely funny speech for that all important big day.

The Beginning

Every best man speech starts with the introduction. At this point, you must introduce yourself to the crowd and explain how you know the groom. This is an excellent chance to include some humor into the speech, as this will help you to capture your audience’s attention. The introduction is perhaps the most important part because it sets up the rest of your speech. If you lose your audience right from the start, your speech is unlikely to go as planned. Dan Stevens is excellent at writing introductions and this book has a number of great examples you can use as a templates for your own speech. All you’ve got to do is cut and paste.

The Body

After you have everyone’s attention, you can get to the heart of your best man toast. The middle of your speech should include a story about the groom. Often times, this is a funny story, but make sure that it is not too embarrassing. Remember that you are delivering this speech to the groom’s new family, so you do not want to start on the wrong foot. After a funny story, you can then tell a heartwarming story that shows the audience how great of a person the groom is and which leads to the conclusion. Telling the right type of stories can be difficult, but Dan Steven’s book features a number of examples for you to compare to yours. Wording the story properly is important too, which is also something with which Fey can help you with.

The Conclusion

The end of your speech is what everyone will remember and it should be entirely positive. This is where you tell the groom what a great person he is and how great of a husband he will be in the future. This is the part that most men have problems with, because this is the part where they must get a little bit mushy with their friend. This is perhaps where Dan’s book shines the most, as he words things perfectly, without going over the top. You can use these examples to help with your best man speech, which should take much of the difficulty involved with speech writing away.

The Delivery

Of course, the delivery of the speech is mega crucial. All of this is useless if you cannot deliver the speech properly, but having a properly constructed speech should give you the confidence that you need to get through it. Knowing that you have put the speech together properly takes all of the guesswork out of the experience, so that you can focus on having fun at the wedding; rather than worrying about how your speech will go. For this reason, Dan Steven’s book is highly recommended.

Tip #1 Leave the Exes Out

This is a big no-no in wedding speeches. You must celebrate the present union of the newlyweds instead of dredging up their past relationships, not to mention that you are most likely unaware of the unresolved issues between the couple in this regard. Keep the harmony between the couple by leaving the exes back in Texas, so to speak.

Tip #2 Leave Childhood Memories Out of It

Try really hard to leave childhood memories out of your speech. The only exception is if the bride and groom are childhood sweethearts, then it is perfect to say a little something of their past. Other than that, don’t do it! Our childhood is filled with embarrassing moments and things we used to do when we were kids. That could be something that the bride/groom doesn’t want anyone to know. So just to play it on the safe side, no childhood memories. Stick to an anecdote – just one will do for most wedding toasts – about how the couple met or how you witnessed their relationship. Just be sure to choose a funny anecdote that will not embarrass the couple.

Tip #3 Leave Sex Out

Honeymoon sex is the elephant in the room – it is there but no one wants to address it. More appropriately, no one should discuss it while making a toast. Be respectful to all guests for example, the young children, teenagers and elderly individuals in the reception venue. Just leave your sex jokes at home. If you are leaving sex jokes out of your toast, leave marriage jokes out of it, too. Yes, we all know that 50% of marriages end in divorce but there’s no need to announce it and be The Wedding Grouch.

Tip #4 Stick to the Script

Why spend hours upon hours reading through sample wedding toasts and then not stick to the script when you’re saying your speech? Of course, spontaneity has its place in speeches but don’t be too spontaneous that you are actually rambling on and on about a topic no one wants to hear at the wedding. Stick to your script and then add spontaneous comments here and there but keep to your time limit and topic. Not only that, but if you don’t stick to your script you can possibly say something you were not supposed to.

Tip #5 Leave Your Ego at the Door

Wedding toasts are not about the individuals giving the toasts but about the newlyweds for whom the toasts are being dedicated. Don’t try to upstage the bride or the groom because it’s their day, not yours. Leave your ego at the door and your speech will be loved by everyone. Not to mention, that you’ll be making the couple look good in the process.

Tip: Just introduce yourself and your relationship to the couple in a single sentence, say your well wishes in three to five sentences, and then raise your glass for the toast. Again, it’s not about you; it’s about the bride and groom.

This is also true about apologizing for your lack of closeness with the bride or the groom. Just say your well wishes and make your toast during the reception. You can make amends when the couple returns from their honeymoon, if you so desire.

Most importantly, leave the booze out of wedding toasts! Drink the booze after you make your toast… Deal?

This is where the following two questions will come in handy when you are writing your mother of the bride speech. Each question will guide your efforts in writing the words to your speech and, in doing so, making your daughter proud – and yourself, too.

Who Are You Speaking For?

In an age where single mothers and divorced mothers are accepted by society and where blended families are almost the norm, writing the mother of the bride toast can be tricky. You have to find your voice, sort of speak, so that your speech will have a truly personal feel.

The first question then is: Who are you speaking for?

• Are you speaking for your late husband/father of the bride?

Keep the memories of your daughter’s late father as light in tone as possible while focusing on his pride for his daughter. This should be a joyous toast, not a eulogy.

• Are you speaking for your daughter’s absentee father?

When you and/or your daughter have been hurt by the absentee nature of her father, you should keep references to him to the bare minimum. Or not all, if your daughter decides not to mention him. However, if you do mention him, then limit it to a single line and avoid saying anything damning about his person.

• Are you speaking for both yourself and your husband? (Or beloved stepfather of the bride, as the case may be)

Use first-person plural pronouns like “us” and “we” during your speech so that your husband will feel included in it. Just be sure that your husband has given his consent on the contents of the speech; but you can always add a surprise verse in your mother of the bride speech just to keep things interesting.

The bottom line: You are speaking for yourself as much as for your daughter’s father.

What Do You Want to Say?

The next question deals with the actual message in your mother of the bride speech: What do you want to say? No matter what you want to say, always remember that your daughter’s wedding should be a happy occasion so keep your words happy, thankful and sincere. Your daughter’s husband and in-laws will appreciate it, too.

A sample outline of a good speech is as follows:

• Welcome the guests and introduce yourself.

• Welcome the in-laws.

• Talk about your daughter – her growing-up years, your joy and pride in her, and your hopes for her married life

• Talk about your son-in-law, too – his love for your daughter as seen in his actions, for example.

• Toast the newlyweds with your well wishes.

Don’t forget the KISS rule in your mother of the bride speech: Keep it short – no more than 10 minutes – and simple – no gushing sentiments and no bashing of other persons.