You’ve just been asked to be the best man or maid of honour at a dear friend’s wedding. Congratulations, this is an amazing honour, and it comes with a range of responsibilities that you’ll be asked to take care of in the lead up to the wedding and the day itself. One of the most daunting tasks is giving a speech that can make or break the entire wedding. No pressure!

With our go-to guide, we’ll have the crowd roaring with laughter and toasting into the night.

Start with yourself and your relationship with the bride/groom

It’s sometimes easy to focus purely on what you want to say about the bride and groom that you forget you’re part in the story. Introduce yourself, your relationship with the bride/groom and how they’ve impacted your life. Share a memorable story of how you met or something you’ve experienced together.

How they’ve changed for the better

When your best friend or family member meets the love of their life, they change. Talk about how they were before they met and how their partner has changed them. Point out examples of how you’ve witnessed the change for the better.

Don’t force the jokes

Nothing makes a speech go down faster than a lead aeroplane is a joke that crashes and burns on delivery. If the jokes come naturally, great. But don’t try and force it out, especially at the expense of others that you might not know too well.

Share some advice or words on love

As one of the most influential people in their lives, it only seems right to give them some words of love advice. Your best friend or a family member has been there for you when you needed them, and your advice will be well thought out and relevant.

Don’t rush the toast

When you’ve said everything, you want to say, it can be tempting to treat the toast as an afterthought. Stop, pause and make sure your words carry extra weight and meaning. People will often only remember the end of your speech, so make it good!

Kristy xx