A “Congratulations!!!” is in order!  You’ve been selected as your bestie’s MOH (Maid of Honor)!!  Which is all sunshine, confetti, and champagne, until you realize that you will now be responsible for standing up in front of 200+ strangers and giving a wedding speech…. *gulp*

So, What SHOULD your speech or toast contain in it?

• A little background on your relationship- First of all, state your name.  How do you two know each other?  What thing(s) brought you together?  Why is it that YOU are up there giving a speech?
• An endearing moment- Your wedding speech should contain some sort of sweet, endearing moment that happened between the two of you.  A happy memory.  That time that she stuck her neck out for you.  A time when you couldn’t have managed had she not been there.
• A giggle-  **CAUTION**  Do not go too far here!  See below for things a wedding speech should NOT contain.  But in general, if you can add just a bit of humor into your speech, your audience will thank you for it.  Just one quick-witted comment here or there, something lighthearted, and you’ll be golden.
• A wrap up ending with well wishes for the couple- Easy peasy, lemon squeezy, gals.  Just end the thing with something like, “Seriously though, *groom* you’re getting a good one; and I am so incredibly happy for the both of you.  Here’s to a lifetime filled with laughs, love, and cherished moments, just like this one!” *raise your own glass & sip then run over and give your girl and her new groom a big hug*

A wedding speech should NOT contain the following:

• Inappropriate humor- No sex jokes.  None.  Just, don’t do it.
• Stories that her sweet grandpa would not appreciate-  Do not dive deep into the archives of stories that you’ve never told your parents here.  There is a reason those stories were buried in the past.  They should, under no circumstances, come up in your wedding speech.  Do not soil your best friend thinking that it will be funny to see everyone’s reaction to her past, wild, spring break adventures!
• Any mention of the bride or groom doing any of the following- making terrible decisions, doing something dumb/embarrassing, puking, drinking heavily, “getting around”, etc.
• A jab at the groom not passing your test early on-  Please don’t feel the need to mention that you didn’t like their now-husband when you first got to know them… unless this is a common theme or super brief intro, just avoid it.  If you like him now, that’s what matters.

 

As long as you can adhere to these few do’s and don’ts, I have every confidence that you’ll crush your wedding speech!  Don’t over think it, or overcomplicate your toast.  What you say here will likely not be remembered much further after the cake has been cut.  But, these words will mean the world to your bestie and her husband.  Speak from the heart!  And remember, if all else fails, you can always memorize the speech from Wedding Crashers.  Owen Wilson.  Classic.

 

For more tips, tricks, and wedding-esque material, head on over to my website and surf the blog!  Until next time, friends. – Katie