ADVICE on the SPEECHES


wedding glasgow wedding planning advice guideThis is a tricky one as the Bride really doesn't have much to do with the speeches, except cringe at the thought of them! Tempting as it may be to tell your Groom to be what to say in his speech, it should be left to him to speak from the heart...

That's not to say however, that you shouldn't give him a few gentle pointers or make sure that between the speakers, all the bases are covered and the right people are thanked.

Speeches are traditionally made in a certain order:

  • Father of the Bride
  • Groom
  • Best Man

Traditionally, the Bride's father should be called upon by the toastmaster (or the Best Man) to welcome the Groom's parents, relatives of both families, any other guests, welcome the Groom to his family and say a few words about his daughter. He would also propose a toast of health and happiness to the bride and bridegroom. 
 
The Groom replies on behalf of himself and his Bride, taking the opportunity to thank wedding glasgow wedding suppliers reception advice guide
his parents. He would also on behalf of his wife and himself, thank all those present
for their gifts. He should say a few words about his Bride.
To conclude, the Groom would propose a toast to the bridesmaids, thank them for
a job well done and he may also present them with a small gift as a token of their appreciation. It is often common for the Groom to present on behalf of himself and
his wife, a bouquet of flowers to each mother as a sign of appreciation for all they
have done throughout the years.

It is then the Best Man's duty to respond to this toast on behalf of the Bridesmaids. His speech should be the high spot of the reception and should be light hearted and fun, poking gentle humour at the Groom.

It is now quite common for the Bride to say a few words on her Wedding day, especially if someone close to her could not be present, or if she would like to express her feelings about the day or her new husband. It's becoming more usual for other people to speak too - the father of the groom, chief bridesmaid or groom's men for example, may also want to say a few words. No matter how many people speak though, the best man traditionally always goes last!

If you can give your Groom or father any pointers, try to encourage them to keep the speeches brief if they are nervous. Make them entertaining and humourous if possible, make sure they use notes of key words or phrases to keep the speech structured and above all, to pause and try to make eye contact in their delivery.