and present them all with gifts.


There may be others who need to be thanked if they have paid an important part in the wedding arrangements.


He will conclude by proposing a toast to the bridesmaids for a job well done.


Pictures courtesy of www.alchemy-stitchcraft.co.uk


Wedding speeches


Traditionally, three people give a speech at a wedding reception - the bride's father, the groom and the best man.


We shall assume for the purpose of this article, that there is no master of ceremonies.


If there is then it is he who will call upon the respective speakers, to speak.


At the appropriate time after the formal wedding meal, the best man will stand up and call upon the bride's father, or the person giving the bride away, to propose a toast to the bride and groom.


The bride's father will start by extending a warm welcome to the groom's parents and to all guests attending the ceremony and thank them for coming, especially any who have travelled considerable distances to be there.


He can then, if he wishes, go on to say a few words about his daughter, perhaps bringing in some amusing moments in her earlier life, or during her courting period.


He will obviously know how far he can go in this respect, so as not to cause the bride too much embarrassment.


He will then welcome the groom into the family, and maybe express the hope that he and the groom, can be 'good friends' rather than just in-laws.


He will close his speech by proposing a toast of ‘health and happiness to the bride and groom.’


The groom will then stand up and reply on behalf of himself and his bride, thanking her parents for having such a beautiful daughter and promising to take care of her for the rest of their lives.


He will also welcome all those attending the ceremony and thank everyone for the wonderful gifts.


He should then remember any close relatives or good friends who are unable to be there on the day due to illness or infirmity.


He may then go on to recount any amusing incidents occurring since he first met his bride.


He should then thank the bridesmaids and best man for their attendance,


It is then the turn of the best man to stand up and respond to this toast on behalf of the bridesmaids.


He will read out greetings from cards and letters from those unable to attend.


This should be kept to a minimum because it can be a little boring for guests to listen to a


whole string of similar, and perhaps standardised greetings.


The best man's speech is usually the highlight of the reception.


It is normally accepted that he will refer to earlier incidents in the groom's life, recounting any amusing or even


embarrassing anecdotes. He must not be


controversial and take care not to cause any ill-feeling.


He will recall his first meeting the bride saying how jealous he was. He will state his wish that they will have a very happy life ahead of them.


His speech may be short or long, and its duration should be agreed upon by the wedding party prior to the reception.


He will conclude by announcing the cutting of the cake, may even propose his own toast to


the couple, and invite the guests to continue to enjoy the reception and any evening function that may follow.


These three are the generally accepted speeches. However, the groom's father may wish to give a short speech of thanks to the host and hostess for the occasion and will also want to extend his and his wife's good wishes to the couple.


There is no formal structure for the bride to speak.


But in America, brides may also wish to express their thanks to the guests, and perhaps relate anecdotes about the bridegroom that she feels might be amusing.


It has therefore become quite accepted in this country for a bride to do the same, and quite rightly so!


She may also have elected a 'best woman', who may also wish to challenge the best man in the 'best speaker stakes'.


Irrespective of who is speaking, the things to remember are:


• You will be speaking to an audience probably made up of people aged between five and seventy plus years of age. The contents of the speech must not be offensive.


• Don't be boring. • Don't go on at length.


• Make sure every word is relevant to the occasion.


• Be funny by all means - but don't try to be a comedian.


The Wedding - autumn 2012 31


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