Order of Wedding Speeches – Short Version – Traditional
- The best man speaks first according to tradition about the order of the wedding speeches. He will traditionally toast the bride and groom. He may also need to act as a de facto Master of Ceremonies if Master of Ceremonies has not been designated.
- After the best man’s opening speech, the best man should direct the groom to respond by toasting the bride, thanking the parents, welcoming and thanking extended family members, and anything else he wants to add along these lines.
- In the traditional order of wedding speeches, this is the part, after an appropriate interval, where any friend or family member who is a prominent and interesting public speaker or has a message to deliver can be invited to speak. (It could be Aunt Ivy, who you hope will remember you in her will if you remember her at the wedding.)
- The father of the bride is the last to speak: after paying for the wedding party, that’s probably the most you’ll ever pay to speak your mind in public. He should thank everyone for coming and adding humorous stories that he sees fit.
Keep in mind that if an emcee has been appointed, you need to keep things rolling along with the occasional (funny or factual) anecdote about the speakers you feature, so do some research. But following the general order of wedding speeches given above and keeping things moving along with announcements and short stories, he must carry out his duties with great aplomb and distinction.
Order of Wedding Speeches – Longer Version – Modern Practice
With the arrival of the 21st century, a lot of tradition has flown out the window; With beach weddings, underwater weddings, and skydiving weddings, some kind of change in the way we married was inevitable.
Because this is the show of the newlyweds, they can ask old friends and close relatives to get up and talk, regardless of formal or informal protocols.
Today there is a less formalized order of wedding speeches that goes something like:
- Godfather’s speech with a tendency to humor
- Bridesmaid or matron of honor speech that tends to praise the bride
- Speech from the father of the bride welcoming the guests and telling some funny stories
- Speech by the groom’s parents welcoming a new daughter
- Groom’s speech toasting his new wife and thanking the guests
- Speech of the bride responding to the groom, thanking his parents and his entourage
- Any other personalized guest of honor speech for individual weddings
Following this all-inclusive family and friends theme, invitations can be extended to:
- Siblings of the bride or groom, bridesmaids, groomsmen, grandparents, groomsmen, guardians, wedding official, close friends or relatives, cousins, best friends, colleagues, the bosses, the children of the bride or groom or even a particularly intelligent family pet.
It can get completely out of control, sometimes better described as an ‘out of order wedding speech’ than an ‘order of wedding speeches’.
Remember well that whoever asks to speak must know his task in advance and the sponsor or master of ceremonies must announce his turn with a brief advance of what he will speak. If you don’t reduce speeches to no more than 10 total speeches/toasts, guests will become restless and bored, no matter how engaging the style of the speakers.
Order of Wedding Speeches – Wow Guests – Be Professional
Because we understand that you may not have the time or inclination to build a pitch from our tips, we’ve reviewed dozens of books with speed and functionality in mind.
If you want a quick channel to impress your wedding guests with your speech, we highly recommend checking out the wedding speech issues page.
Whether you just want to know the order of wedding speeches, or want one or more professionally written speeches to grab, edit, and use right away, this is your best starting plan of action for the best and most comprehensive resources.
