The maid of honor speech is relatively new to the wedding reception experience and should convey a heartfelt sentiment to the happy couple. The good news for the maid of honor is that there are no set rules for the maid of honor speech. The best man speech seems to carry a bit more weight, and with that, slightly more pressure.
The maid of honor speech should engage and enlighten the wedding guests to the newlyweds as they made their way from two separate people into one couple. Sharing your bird’s eye view of the couple’s journey with humor and emotion will have the best man shaking in his tux.
How long should a maid of honor speech be?
The maid of honor speech comes right before the best man speech. According to hitched.co.uk, The traditional wedding speech order goes father of the bride, groom, best man, and other toasts. However, lots of brides now choose to give a speech, as do the bridesmaids or maid of honour.
If you are including these, the order should go father of the bride, groom, bride, bridesmaids/maid of honour, best man. The best man’s speech always goes last.
The maid of honor has the distinct advantage of a no-pressure deal. Many brides do not request the maid of honor to make a speech. Therefore, a short, less than five-minute speech with a toast does the trick. Better yet, sometimes the speech is given at the rehearsal dinner so your duty will be done before the big day and you can relax!
How do you write a maid of honor speech?
Please, whatever you do, do not wait until the night before to write the speech. Ladies, do not listen to the best man when he tells you he is just going to wing it. Absolutely not. The maid of honor carries the duty and responsibility to deliver a memorable speech. Break it down into manageable pieces, and it comes together much more straightforward.
- Introduce yourself. Short and sweet. It is not about you, but you want everyone to know who you are and how long you have known the bride.
- Start with her, and end with ‘them.’ Share your experiences with the couple from when you knew the bride up until the day she said yes. How did the groom impact her and her life? Them culminate the complete the story with your view of their life as a couple.
- Raise a glass. Your toast should be 100% you, meaning deliver what best identifies you and your relationship with the bride and couple. Wish them the best, in whatever words and thoughts you feel most comfortable.
Strike a balance of humor and emotion
It is a privilege to be asked to be the right hand ‘soul’ of the bride. Traditionally a best friend or sister is the maid of honor of choice. However, modern times have shown that a man can be in that ‘bestie role’ as the honor attendant or man of honor. In that case, it is a balance of humor and emotion and can highlight the bride’s loyalty to her best friend, whether man or woman.
Be respectful and engaging. If you are the man of honor, share a simple story of your deep friendship and what it means to be in this role. There won’t be a dry eye in the place!
Why should you hire a maid of honor speechwriter?
At first glance, writing the maid of honor speech does not seem so difficult. You probably think you can Google it or watch it on YouTube. True, but doesn’t the couple deserve your full time and attention on that particular day?
I compose the maid of honor speech with you, not for you. Schedule a free consultation to collaborate on the ideal maid of honor speech. (We work on and practice the delivery too!)
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