Weddings come in all shapes, styles and sizes; it’s the reason why the wedding scene is so versatile and unique. The brides and grooms we host come from all walks of life, and that’s what we love about being a wedding venue. It’s ok not to fit the stereotype of the young bride and groom with two sets of happily married parents. Organising a ceremony that does your individual circumstances justice isn’t always easy, particularly when it comes to those all-important wedding speeches.
Wedding speeches may be there to entertain but they are first and foremost there to provide a real representation of “you”. Here we look at the wedding speech writing tips that you can call upon, even if your wedding isn’t a conventional one.
Second marriages
Whether it’s your second, third or fourth marriage, you shouldn’t make a secret of the way you feel about your partner. Without the right wording though, second marriage speeches can get rather awkward really, really fast. The key is to be light hearted. Brides, grooms and other wedding party members delivering speeches can even reference past marriages if they’re feeling brave!
Take this wedding speech quote example from I Do Take Two and deliver a tactful toast that uses humour to address what many consider the ‘elephant in the room’:
“There was once a very famous and successful Avis car rental advertising campaign, that simply said: ‘We’re number two. We try harder.’ Well this may be marriage number two for this happy couple but like Avis, they’re sure to turn their experience to their advantage. So please raise your glasses to the bride and groom!”
Civil partnerships
Civil partnerships are fortunately no longer the rarity that they used to be. Thousands of civil partnerships have taken place in the UK since the introduction of the Civil Partnership Act back in 2004. Many – 9,156 same-sex couples to be exact – have gone onto convert their civil partnerships into marriages.
As same-sex couples tend to tie the knot later than opposite sex couples, wedding speeches can be less about the parents and more about the couple and their journey so far. Many civil partners make joint speeches too.
Hosting as a couple
Most modern day couples choose to host their wedding without help from their parents. The person who’s hosting the event generally speaks first. Wedding tradition dictates that this is the parents or father of the bride, but if you’re hosting, you’ll also have to take charge of the speeches. This welcome toast should be exactly that. Use it to welcome your guests and thank them for their attendance before going into your own bride’s or groom’s speech.
Absent parents
Whatever the reason for your parents’ absence, taking charge of the speech traditionally reserved for the father of the bride may be necessary. If your parent or parents can’t celebrate your special day with you due to ill health or death, it’s a good idea to dedicate part of your speech to remembering them. Usually this is linked to a general toast to absent family and friends.
Joint speech
An increasing number of brides and grooms are taking on the challenge of delivering a wedding speech together. Joint speeches are generally more entertaining and memorable, and display that team mentality that got you to the altar in the first place. As with writing an individual speech, develop ideas and find a theme ensuring you both know your roles to deliver something extra special as a double act.
Whatever your circumstances, overcoming wedding speech nerves will help you deliver a toast to remember for all the right reasons.
