Tag: 1 month to go

15 Fun Ideas To Spice Up Your Bridal Shower Plans

How you can make your bridal shower as memorable and enjoyable as the big day itself.

Planning a wedding is tricky business, but fortunately, Bridebook has you covered there!

However, with all of the focus on the big day, it can be easy to forget about the bridal shower. Deciding on activities can sometimes seem a little overwhelming. But fear not! We have some dazzling ideas that will suit your bridal shower, whatever the style of event you are planning.

Let’s dive in and take a closer look at some of the top bridal shower games and ideas.

Take It Outside

Outdoor bridal shower

With recent world events, safety is on everyone’s mind. So why not take your bridal shower outside and enjoy some fresh air? This could be as simple as erecting a small gazebo outside and decorating it to match your theme. Think fairy lights, outside games and dancing to get everyone in the party spirit – along with some nibbles and your favourite tipple of course!

Let’s get quizzical

Grab your besties and get quizzical! Disney nerd? Happy couple trivia? The options are endless with this bridal shower game and is one for guaranteed laughs. Simply appoint your quiz master beforehand, and watch out for everyone’s competitive streak. Our tip? Ask your guests to compile a few questions each for some extra fun. Make sure to stock up on prizes for the lucky winners, oh, and don’t forget a boobie prize!

Photo booth props

Everyone loves a photo shoot. Grab some props, a camera, your gal pals and snap the night away! You could theme your outfit choices for some great group shots or even add in some fun photo challenges, such as recreating famous portraits (we’ve tried this one and trust us, it can get wild!).

Provide old school disposable cameras or a Polaroid for guests to get snap happy with. A wonderful bonus of this type of bridal shower is the vast array of picture memories you’ll have to look back on after the event.

Create a date jar

Gather your guests and give them the chance to come up with their very own date ideas for your first year of marriage. A jar of any sort, paper and pens is all that’s needed to start this fun idea. After the wedding, you can enjoy some entertaining (and maybe a few risqué) date nights courtesy of your best pals.

Over or under game

A classic bridal shower game! Find out how well the guests know the Bride in the lead up to the wedding. Use statements like, ‘The couple met 5 years ago’ and decide if the correct answer is higher or lower. You might be surprised by some of the answers.

DIY cocktail bar

Friends cheering with cocktails

Of course you could have a cocktail making session in your local bar, but why not bring the fun back to yours? Get guests talking by devising all sorts of wild and wacky concoctions all in the name of you! Incorporate some friendly competition with games, such as a blind tasting contest or ‘bride’s favourite cocktail’.

If you want to encourage some more sensible activities, you could work together to come up with a great tasting signature cocktail to be served on the wedding day itself. Don’t drink alcohol? Not a problem! Mocktails can be just as fun for the whole squad.

Whose memory game

This is a fun one and a fabulous icebreaker to use at the beginning of any bridal shower, particularly if you have guests coming that may not know each other. Get everyone to write down a memory they have of the Bride. After picking them from a jar, the bride reads them out to the group and guests can take turns guessing whose memory it is. Get ready for some funny and cringe worthy stories from the past!

Make a balloon arch

If you want a modern day team building experience, invite over the girls and get ready for a night of balloon arch making. You would be surprised how easy and satisfying it is to create some spectacular creations from balloons in your own home that can then be used as a superb photo backdrop.

For added bridal shower fun once the Prosecco starts to flow, you could try your hand a bit of balloon modelling too. Balloon dog anyone?!

Tea party theme

High tea with sandwiches and desserts served on china with flowers

Add some sophistication to your bridal shower by taking on a delightful tea party theme. Think tea and cake, finger sandwiches and scones served alongside beautiful china and rustic country style bunting.

Make flower crowns

A beautifully creative way to spend your bridal shower is by making your own flower crowns. Bring in an expert to coach you through the how tos or invest in some real or artificial flowers and wire and get crafting. We have even seen brides who are planning a festival style wedding create their own headpieces to wear for the special day itself.

Take a class

Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn to sew, or get funky by learning a new dance routine. You could even spend your shower learning the art of life drawing (gulp!) whatever you decide on, taking a class surrounded by your friends is always a sure fire hit.

He said she said

Another bridal shower classic! Find out who said ‘I love you’ first or who is the better driver by getting your party to guess which half of the couple it is. Get the maid of honour to come up with the questions so the bride has to answer along with the guests too.

Karaoke queens

Smiling woman singing karaoke and laughing friend

Sing the night away next to your nearest and dearest with a spot of karaoke. This bridal shower idea is the ultimate girls’ night and is guaranteed to have everyone singing along by the end of the night.

DIY origami decorations

Get together and create some beautiful decorations to be used on your special day. You could use techniques like origami, calligraphy or needlework to create some super special decorations, favours and place cards. Not only will you save time and money by creating your own, your wedding day will be filled with even more reminders of the lead up to your wedding.

Happy planning!

While it’s easy to see how planning a bridal shower can be a little overwhelming at the start of your planning journey, these ideas make it easy to see how fun, budget friendly and inclusive your bridal shower can be with a little forward planning.

For more great wedding planning tips and all of the tools you need to plan your big day stress-free, download the free Bridebook app today.

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How To Write Your Wedding Speech (Grooms’ Edition)

As a groom, your wedding speech can be one of the most important parts of your wedding day. It’s your big chance to tell everyone how wonderful the love of your life is – but don’t freak out! We’ve put together this handy guide that will take you through writing, preparing and delivering a killer groom wedding speech.

Of course, an individual speech might not be for you– and in that case, why not give a joint speech with your partner? It takes the pressure off and is a great way to kick off your marriage as a real unit. Otherwise, read on for our top tips on writing the groom’s wedding speech.

How To Get Started With Your Groom’s Speech

1. Ask For Help

If you’re not sure where to start with your wedding speech – well, you’re in the right place! But there’s nothing better than talking to people who’ve already done it. What are your married friends glad they did and what do they wish they’d done differently? If you still have a few weddings to attend before your own, pay close attention to the speeches too.

2. Brainstorm

There are a few things you’ll definitely cover in your speech so start off with a brainstorm. What do you definitely want to mention? Who do you absolutely need to thank and what stories are you certain you want to tell?

How To Write Your Groom’s Speech

There’s no right or wrong way to give a groom’s speech – so do what you want! But if you need some help, here’s a simple structure to use as a starting point:

1. Say thank you

If you’re part of a couple made up of a bride and groom, it’s likely you’ll be the second speech of the evening as it’s tradition for the groom’s speech to follow the father of the bride’s. In this case, you may want to start by thanking him for his kind words – and, of course, raising his wonderful daughter! 

Psst! If there is a father of the bride who needs some ideas for his speech, check out our top tips for him here.

Otherwise, you’ll either want to start off by thanking the person who spoke before you – whether that’s your partner themselves or one of their parents – or by thanking your guests. At this point, you might also want to mention any absent friends, including those who’ve passed away.

Next, thank your best man (or woman) and ushers. (Top tip: now’s a good time to jump in and mock yourself before your best man has a chance to!) And make sure to give a few moments to your partner’s half of the wedding party too, whether that’s another set of groomsmen or the bridal party.

2. Give Your Family Some Love

Now it’s time to give your families some love. Thank your family for their support and thank your partner’s family for bringing up such a wonderful person! Shout out any relatives who’ve been a particular help in the wedding planning process. Now’s also a good time to mention any funny anecdotes about meeting your new in-laws…

3. Talk About Your Partner

This is the moment you’ve been waiting for: speaking about the love of your life. Now’s your time to tell everyone what makes them the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. Why did you fall in love? What are you excited for about your life together?

4. Thank Everyone Again

Close your speech with one last thanks to your guests and wedding party… Then sit back and prepare yourself for the best (wo)man’s speech!

Preparing the Groom’s Speech

1. Cut It Down

The best speeches are short and sweet – so even if you want to thank every person and tell every story, be ruthless. Keep it to the must-haves.

2. Get A Second Opinion

Practise your speech with a close friend and get their thoughts. But don’t practise too much – leave yourself room to relax into it.

Delivering the Groom’s Speech

1. Work Out The Running Order

If your partner is also giving a speech, have a quick chat with them about who will go first. Never make assumptions!

2. Do A Soundcheck

Make sure to test the mics beforehand. If you don’t have time on the day, ask one of your groomsmen to step up.

3. Get It On Camera

If you don’t have a videographer, make sure someone films your speech (as well as everyone else’s). You don’t want to forget this moment!

4. Relax

The key to delivering a killer speech? Relax, have fun with it and enjoy the moment. As long as you speak from the heart, any speech you give will be absolutely perfect.

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Introduction: Should You Have A Receiving Line?

Bridebook.co.uk- guests being greeted by wedding party and champagne
By Guy Hearn

Whether it’s you as a couple or one of your parents hosting your wedding, you have a lot of people to say hello to and thank! How on earth are you going to get that done and get married AND party your socks off? Well traditionally there’s a receiving line – where you line up (with your loved one and parents and anyone else you want) and say hello and thank you to every single guest – yup that’s right! But there are plenty of alternatives as well, so let’s run through them so you can decide:

Bridebook.co.uk- guest being greeted by bride groom and parents
By Guy Hearn

To receive or not to receive?

Do you need to have a receiving line? If you have less than fifty guests attending, it is not considered a necessity. However, if it is more, then etiquette dictates you have to have some way of greeting all of your guests in turn – how else are you going to make sure you party with everyone!?

The Order

There is no longer a set order of people who should be in the receiving line. You can have the hosting parents leading the line, followed by you as the married couple, and then the other set of parents as well as the bridal party. Alternatively, you can just stand and greet your guests together, while the parents and the bridal party entertain those who are waiting. Either way, your options are endless! However, the shorter your line, the faster the guests will move.

Bridebook.co.uk- bride standing under american and british flags held by wedding team
By Ross Harvey

Where?

We highly recommend checking if there is enough space to hold a receiving line at your ceremony/reception venue! You don’t want guests to get on top of each other, or start getting stroppy because they are too hot or too cold. Similarly, we suggest that you host your receiving line in an area where drinks and nibbles are available, so people aren’t left hungry and thirsty while they wait.

What do you say?

A receiving line is not the moment to catch up with your guests; otherwise you will be there for hours – so hold the chitter chatter! You should simply introduce the guests to the VIP’s in your line that they don’t know, accept their congratulations and offer your thanks. Done!

Bridebook.co.uk- bride hugging guests
By Allister Freeman

Alternatives

An alternative to a receiving line is to visit each table in turn during the meal. One lovely idea we heard about was each table having two empty seats for the married couple, so that they could sit down at each table, chat to the guests and keep eating!

We also really like the Chinese tradition, by which the married couple have a toast with each table. This is guaranteed to be quicker than sitting down to eat and, you will get to hear some lovely wishes!

Bridebook.co.uk- entire wedding in front of venue
By Guy Hearn

Whichever option you choose, your guests will still race over to you after the ceremony with hugs and congrats, so just make sure you enjoy the moment and thank everyone!

Happy Planning!

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How To Write Your Wedding Speech (Brides’ Edition)

 

Your wedding speech as the bride is a special opportunity to express your love and gratitude to your spouse, your family, and your friends on your special day. In this guide, we will go over the steps involved in writing a memorable and impactful bride wedding speech.

Step 1: Determine the Purpose of Your Speech

The first step in writing your bride wedding speech is to determine the purpose of your speech. What do you want to achieve with your speech? Do you want to express your love and gratitude to your spouse, your family, and your friends? Do you want to thank everyone for being a part of your special day? Do you want to share your story and your journey together?

By determining the purpose of your speech, you can ensure that your speech stays focused and on track, and that you achieve your goals.

Step 2: Gather Your Thoughts

The second step in writing your bride wedding speech is to gather your thoughts. Take some time to think about your relationship with your spouse, your family, and your friends. Think about the moments and experiences that have shaped your relationship and brought you to this day.

Write down your thoughts and memories, and use them as inspiration for your speech. This will help you to personalize your speech and make it unique and meaningful.

Step 3: Write Your Speech Outline

The third step in writing your bride wedding speech is to write a speech outline. A speech outline is a basic structure that will help you to organize your speech and ensure that it flows smoothly.

Your speech outline should include an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. In the introduction, you can welcome your guests and introduce yourself. In the body, you can express your love and gratitude to your spouse, your family, and your friends. You can also share your story and your journey together. In the conclusion, you can thank everyone for being a part of your special day and wish everyone a happy future together.

Step 4: Write Your Speech

The fourth step in writing your bride wedding speech is to write your speech. Use your speech outline as a guide, and flesh out your ideas and memories. Keep your speech personal and heartfelt, and make sure to use a language that is accessible and easy to understand.

It is also a good idea to practice your speech several times before the wedding day. This will help you to get comfortable with the delivery and flow of your speech, and will give you a chance to make any necessary revisions.

Step 5: Rehearse Your Speech

The fifth step in writing your bride wedding speech is to rehearse your speech. Rehearse your speech in front of a mirror, or in front of a trusted friend or family member. This will help you to get comfortable with the delivery and flow of your speech, and will give you a chance to make any necessary revisions.

It is also a good idea to time your speech to make sure that it is within the allotted time frame for the wedding.

Step 6: Personalize Your Speech

The sixth step in writing your bride wedding speech is to personalize your speech. This means adding personal anecdotes, jokes, or stories that reflect your relationship with your spouse, your family, and your friends. Personalizing your speech will make it unique and memorable, and will help to engage your audience.

Step 7: Consider Your Audience

The seventh step in writing your bride wedding speech is to consider your audience. Who will be listening to your speech? What are their interests and expectations? What do they want to hear from you on your special day?

By considering your audience, you can tailor your speech to meet their needs and interests, and ensure that your speech resonates with them.

Step 8: Keep it Short and Sweet

The eighth step in writing your bride wedding speech is to keep it short and sweet. Your audience will appreciate a concise and well-delivered speech, rather than a lengthy and rambling speech.

Aim to keep your speech between 5 and 7 minutes long, and make sure to keep your speech focused and on track.

Step 9: End on a High Note

The ninth step in writing your bride wedding speech is to end on a high note. Your conclusion should be memorable, impactful, and leave a lasting impression on your audience.

Consider ending your speech with a heartfelt expression of love and gratitude to your spouse, your family, and your friends, or with a wish for a happy future together.

Step 10: Have Fun!

The final step in writing your bride wedding speech is to have fun! This is your special day, and your speech should reflect the joy and happiness that you feel.

Delivering the Bride’s Speech

Once you have written your bride wedding speech, it’s time to deliver it! Here are some tips for delivering a memorable and impactful bride wedding speech:

1. Practice, Practice, Practice

Practice makes perfect! Rehearse your speech several times before the wedding day to get comfortable with the delivery and flow of your speech. This will also help you to build confidence and overcome any nervousness you may feel.

2. Make Eye Contact

Make eye contact with your audience while delivering your speech. This will help to engage your audience and create a connection with them.

3. Speak Clearly and Confidently

Speak clearly and confidently, and use a natural and conversational tone. This will help to ensure that your speech is easy to understand and engaging.

4. Use Appropriate Body Language

Use appropriate body language to enhance your speech and convey your emotions. Stand up straight, smile, and use gestures to emphasize your points.

5. Take a Deep Breath

Take a deep breath before you start your speech, and take a moment to calm your nerves. This will help you to deliver your speech with ease and confidence.

6. Enjoy the Moment

Finally, enjoy the moment! This is your special day, and your speech is an opportunity to express your love and gratitude to your spouse, your family, and your friends. Trust that your audience will appreciate your effort and sincerity, and have fun!

In conclusion, delivering a bride wedding speech can be a rewarding and memorable experience. By following these tips, you can deliver a speech that is impactful, engaging, and heartfelt. Good luck!

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Tips: Maid of Honour Speech

Bridebook.co.uk- maid of honour giving speech with projector in the background
By Jamie Bott Wedding Photography

Move over Best Man, the Maid of Honour is here! No longer does the Best Man have to dominate the speech-making scene with his gags and stories; more and more Maids of Honour are stepping up their game and stealing the thunder, without any expectations or pressure from the audience. So if your Maid of Honour is keen to make a speech on your wedding day,  hand her these pointers so she nails it:

Bridebook.co.uk- bride and maid of honour sitting down and holding hands
By Allister Freeman

1) Say Your Thank-Yous

Looking for an easy place to start? Thank the families of the bride and groom for inviting everyone and especially thank the bride for selecting you as the Maid of Honour. The beginning of your speech is also the perfect time to introduce yourself, as it is guaranteed that even at a smaller wedding, not everyone will know exactly who you are, or what your connection to the bride is – and that’s just wrong!

Bridebook.co.uk- maid of honour holding sheet and giving speech
By Jamie Bott Wedding Photography

2) Story Time

Now it’s time for you to dive into the main body of the speech. This will require the most preparation and should include a few stories and anecdotes. We find that the best one to start with is how you know the bride; this can be a funny or sentimental story, depending on who you are as a person. Make sure to keep this classy and relevant, you don’t want to list off in-jokes that no one but you and the bride will understand. So pull out your best stories and enjoy your moment!

Bridebook.co.uk- maid of honour raising her glass after speech
By Weddings Vintage

3) Back it up

We strongly advise you don’t just list off positive qualities (obviously there are many!) that the bride has like “the bride is caring, kind, funny, sweet…” Try choosing a select few and backing them up with examples, this will make your speech much more genuine and will let you bring in some funny stories.

Bridebook.co.uk- bride and groom listening to speeches smiling
By Guy Hearn

4) Make It About The Both of Them

Now that you’ve told the audience what the bride was like before she met the groom, you should talk about their relationship. We find that the best stories to focus on are how they met each other and how you, as the Maid of Honour, knew that he was the one for the bride. Similarly, you can talk about what the bride and groom have learnt from each other and how happy they have become in the process – awwwwww.  Again, you can make this funny or sentimental; all depends on your personal preference and sense of humour. A tip from us: if you are going for the funny angle, make sure your speech doesn’t turn into a roasting, keep it appropriate at all times. There could be grandparents present people!

Bridebook.co.uk- maid of honour and bride polaroid image
By Weddings Vintage

5) And give the groom some love

Definitely don’t forget to give a special mention to the groom! It is great if you have become close friends and you know his good qualities and can compliment them or tease him! However, if you aren’t too close then just talk about how happy he has made the bride and how well suited to each other they are. Finish your speech with some funny or useful advice to the newlyweds and toast them. Cheers!

Sneaky tool: Calculate how long your speech will take to read – http://readtime.eu!

Bridebook.co.uk- bridesmaid holding a bridesmaid sign
By Luis Holden

Happy Speech-ing!

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Tips: Father Of The Bride Speech

By Richard Skins Photography

The father of the bride speech is a highly anticipated part of a wedding reception where the father of the bride addresses the all the guests and offers words of congratulations, gratitude, and well wishes to the newlyweds. It’s no wonder that that many fathers of the bride get a little nervous at the thought of delivering a speech to their nearest and dearest, so lets take a closer look at all you need to know about writing and delivering a brilliant father of the bride speech.

What is a father of the bride’s speech?

The father of the bride speech typically is given after the wedding breakfast, and is a show of love for the bride, as well as giving words of advice to the couple. The father of the bride speech is often an important moment for the father to show his support and affection for his daughter, and to welcome the groom into the family. It also serves as an opportunity for the father to express his gratitude to the guests for their participation at the wedding.

Father of the bride delivering his speech

How should I write the perfect father of the bride speech?

There are three key stages to crafting the perfect Father of the Bride speech –  preparation, content and delivery and we are here to walk you through each step.

Preparing the father of the bride speech

Planning and preparation are crucial for delivering a successful father of the bride speech. It allows you to organise your thoughts and ideas, and to structure the speech in a way that flows naturally and makes sense to the audience. It also gives you chance to tailor the speech to the audience, so that it is appropriate and relevant to the guests.

By taking the time to plan and prepare for the speech, you can ensure your words are well-received and that the speech is a memorable and meaningful part of the wedding celebration.

When it comes to researching and gathering information for your wedding day, lets take a look at some tried and tested ways to help you begin to speech writing journey.

  • Start early The earlier you start preparing for your speech, the more time you’ll have to think about what you want to say and how you want to say it.
  • Talk to your daughter Your daughter will be a great source of inspiration and material for your speech. She can tell you about the special moments and memories she shares with you and her partner, and give you an insight into their relationship.
  • Talk to your daughters spouse It’s also a good idea to talk to your daughters partner and get to know them better. You could ask them about their thoughts on marriage, future plans with your daughter and what they love about her.
  • Find wedding speech inspiration Look back at old family albums, videos, and pictures: It can be a great source of inspiration for the speech and can even be incorporated into the speech itself.
  • Check out other father of the bride speech examples There are countless examples of father of the bride speeches that you can look at for inspiration, just be sure not to directly copy any work you find.

By doing this you will be able to gather a wealth of material that you can use to craft a heartfelt speech that truly captures the love and affection you have for your daughter.

As the father of the bride, what should I include in my wedding speech?

It’s hard to know what should be included in a father of the bride speech but really, it is quite simple. There are a few things that you won’t want to miss and you’ll find that almost all speeches roughly follow the same format.

Most father of the bride speeches will include the following:

  • Well wishes for the newlyweds Start by congratulating the couple on their marriage.
  • Personal anecdotes and memories Share personal stories and memories of your daughter that show your guests more of her character and upbringing.
  • Expressions of pride Let your daughter know how proud you are of the person she has become and how much you love her.
  • Welcome the groom into the family Formally welcome the groom into your family, and express your happiness that he will be a part of your daughter’s life.
  • Thank the guests Show your gratitude to the guests for being a part of the special day.
  • Offer words of advice or wisdom for the couple Share any words of wisdom or advice you have for the couple as they begin their life together.
  • Toast to the couple End your speech by raising a toast to the couple and wishing them a lifetime of love with a toast.

Father of the bride speech examples

It’s important to make the father of the bride speech your own and not rely wholly on just one source of inspiration.

To get you started, here a few examples of quotes that you could include in your father of the bride speech

  • “I’ve always known that my daughter would find someone special, but I never imagined she would find someone as wonderful as [partner’s name].”
  • “I’m so grateful to have [partner’s name] as an in-law. He has not only won my daughter’s heart, but mine too.”
  • “To my beautiful daughter, [bride’s name], I couldn’t be happier for you on your special day”.
  • “You have grown into an amazing woman, and I am so proud of the person you have become.”
  • “I want to welcome you to our family. You have brought so much love and happiness into our daughter’s life, and we are grateful to have you as part of our family.”
  • “A wise man once said, ‘The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.’ And that is exactly how [bride’s name] and [partner’s name] make each other feel.”

Should I write a funny father of the bride speech?

Many people aren’t sure if they are expected to make a humorous father of the bride speech. Overall, the opinion is that It depends on your personal style and the tone of the wedding. Humour can be a great way to lighten the mood and make the speech more enjoyable for the audience, but it’s important to use it in a way that feels genuine and appropriate.

 If you are naturally inclined to be a funny person, and you are comfortable with it, then you may want to include a touch of humour in your speech. You can still make your speech entertaining and engaging without using humour, by preparing, delivering and practising your speech well. In all, your speech should be tailored to your own style and should reflect your relationship with your daughter

Speech Delivery

Delivering your speech well shows your love and support for your daughter. The father of the bride speech is typically one of the first speeches of the reception, and it sets the tone for the rest of the event. A well-delivered speech can help to create a positive and excited atmosphere that will be enjoyed by all the guests.

Practise your father of the bride speech

Practicing your father of the bride speech is extremely important because it allows you to become more comfortable with the material and delivery of your speech. When you practice, you will be able to identify areas that need improvement and make necessary adjustments before the big day.

Beat the nerves

Giving any speech, especially at a big event like your daughters wedding, can be nerve-wracking, but there are some things you can do to help calm your nerves and deliver your speech with confidence.

  1. Prepare thoroughly: The more prepared you are, the more confident you will feel. Practise your speech outloud and in front of friends and family.
  2. Use positive visualisation: Close your eyes and picture yourself delivering your speech with confidence and ease. Imagine the guests clapping and enjoying your speech.
  3. Take deep breaths: Before you begin your speech, take a few deep breaths to help calm your nerves. This will also help to steady your voice and slow down your heart rate.
  4. Speak slowly: If you’re feeling nervous, it’s easy to rush through your speech. Speak slowly and clearly, and pause between sentences to give yourself time to gather your thoughts.
  5. Make eye contact: Make sure to make eye contact with different members of the audience. This will help to engage them and make them feel more included in your speech.
  6. Practice, practice, practice: Did we mention… practice?!

A well-written and well-delivered father of the bride speech can help to set the tone for the wedding, build a connection with the guests and make a lasting impression so it’s worth putting the work in to ensure all goes well on the day. The key to success is preparation, practice and delivery. By using these tips, you’ll be able to deliver a heartfelt, meaningful and memorable father of the bride speech that will be cherished by all.

Need Tips & Advice?

If you are looking for advice on how to write a Father of the Bride speech, you’ve come to the right place. You are the Father of the Bride – your girl’s wedding day is such a special day! When you held your child for the first time all those years ago, did you picture this day? 

Well now it’s here and as her father, you will (traditionally) be the first to stand up and speak in front of the guests. But don’t worry! Follow our carefully selected tips and deliver a father of the bride toast to remember! If your daughter is also making a speech, tell her to head over to our tips to the bride: writing your wedding speech!

father of the bride reading his speech as bride and groom laugh
By Simon Biffen Photography

1) Welcome the guests:

It is your job to welcome everyone to the reception and acknowledge all those who have financially contributed to the wedding (probably best not to mention actual sums!). It is also a good idea to give a special welcome to the guests who travelled a long distance to be there and thank them for participating in the celebration.

2) The thank you’s:

Thank everyone who helped put this wedding together, the ushers, the bridesmaids, even the staff! You can also thank the special people in your daughter’s life, who helped raise her and make her who she is today! Take a trip down memory lane and remember your loved ones. Find out more about your wedding team here!

3) Praise the bride:

We find that every father-daughter relationship is different, some are more humorous, with plenty of banter, others are more sentimental and this is exactly what should be reflected in the overall tone of your speech. This section will require the most planning, so separate it into sub-sections: talk about the stories from your daughter’s childhood, about her achievements in her personal, academic and professional lives. Lastly, tell her how proud you are of the woman she has become and how gorgeous she looks on her wedding day.

Bridebook.com - father giving speech as groom bride and mother laugh
By John Lennie

4) Welcome the new additions to your family:

You should also welcome the groom and his parents into your family.  Many Fathers also take this opportunity to tell the groom what he has got himself into: this is the funny part of your speech, where you can joke about the bride. Talk about your daughter’s adorable little quirks and lighten the mood after the more emotional part of your speech.

We also think it’s a nice touch when the Father of the Bride talks about the groom – whether that be the first time you were introduced, or when the groom asked for your daughter’s hand in marriage, or just some funny moments or nice traits. Want to help your future son in law out? Send him our tips to the groom: writing your wedding speech!

5) A word of wisdom:

Finish with some advice to the newlyweds. This is a great time to mention your personal marriage experience and what you’ve learnt about love and family. If you don’t want to go down that route, then carefully chosen quotes about love and marriage can be just as effective. Whatever you decide to say, make sure to do so clearly and calmly, as the audience want to hear from you! We find that gesticulating when talking can ease the nerves too.

6) The toast:

End your speech by asking everyone in the room to stand up and toast the newlyweds!

And here is our Final Tip:

Don’t act the Alpha Male and threaten to hunt down the groom if he misbehaves! This never sounds as funny to the groom…

Sneaky tool: Calculate how long your speech will take to read – http://readtime.eu!

Bridebook.com - father giving speech as bride smiles
By Allister Freeman

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How To Write A Best Man Speech

 

Wahoooo. Your wedding day is swiftly approaching! It is set to be the best day of your life. Everything is planned, everything is ready and now it’s all about marrying the person you love and throwing one hell of a shindig! Party aside, the true emotion at any wedding comes from the heartfelt speeches. And since Bridebook is here for you all the way, we have some tips on how to write a Best Man speech.

We’ve all been privy to awkward best man speeches, long-winded routines performed by bridesmaids and monotonous ramblings from that random uncle. So, in this series of tips, we are going to guide your loved ones to give a speech that they (and you!) will be happy (insert sigh of relief here) to remember and your guests will love. First up is the naughtiest of the bunch… writing the Best Man speech.

how to write a best man speech

Structure of the Best Man Speech:

  1. Have an opening line that grabs everyone’s attention
  2. Give your congratulations to the newlyweds (get a few more cheers)
  3. Thank the other speakers
  4. Say some nice words about the bride
  5. Make a few jokes and tell a few stories about the groom
  6. Propose a toast!
Bridebook.co.uk- best man giving his speech as guests cheer
By Miki Photography

Tips for writing and delivering your Best Man’s Speech:

1) Give Yourself Time

Leave yourself enough time to write the speech. Very few of us can naturally wing it and have the audience laughing at everything we say. Prepare stories and categorise them, this will make structuring your best man speech much easier. Think of stories about the groom, the happy couple or the three of you together. It won’t go down too well if you talk only about the two of you and include in-jokes that no one is going to understand! Obviously, there has to be a few – you’re the best man. And you’ve got a lot of stories!

2) Do Your Homework

If you’re talking at a multicultural wedding, find out about any interesting sayings in the native language or fun and exciting traditions, as that shows you made an effort to connect with all of the guests. This is a great opportunity for an icebreaker, but make you don’t say anything inappropriate or offensive!

3) Pick a Theme

A good speech has a theme as this creates a flow. Rather than a random recollection of unconnected stories, think of a theme to tie it all together. A great theme to use is how on earth did X manage to ‘get’ Y. This allows you to bring up funny stories of X and flatter Y. Embarrassing jobs, stupid incidents, bad fashion – it can all come out – and it keeps a great tone as the speech is focused on the bride and what she is taking on!

Bridebook.co.uk- groom cringing bride laughing during the speeches

By Anna Clarke Photography

4) Test It Out

Always read your speech to a third party, at least several days before the wedding, so that you have enough time for editing. Tip: do not read it to one of the groomsmen, no matter how much you want to. What may seem funny to the two of you over a pint may not be hilarious to the audience on the day. (Obviously it is funny but grandma might not think so.) Oh, and bring a printed copy of the speech with you, so that you aren’t panicked and scribbling last minute notes.

5) Be Funny

The pressure is on for the Best Man because everyone expects them to be one thing… funny. Not just ‘ha ha’ funny but ‘gut-wrenchingly’ funny. Just remember two things: this is a toast and not a roast and please, remember your audience! You are not there to humiliate the groom and upset the bride, you’re there to make sure everyone has a good time and a giggle. But make sure you get some good old mockery in there, you can’t let them off that lightly.

Bridebook.co.uk- best man reading a book about being a best man

By Jamie Bott Wedding Photography

6) Compliments All Round

Compliment the bride and mention how lovely the bridesmaids look. This is traditionally expected in a Best Man speech and will get you extra brownie points! You can also compliment the party, the food and even the groom (before you start making jokes at his expense).

7) Pace Yourself!

Don’t be too drunk or go on for longer than ten minutes, both are guaranteed recipes for disaster. Instead, speak calmly to the bride and groom and leave time for all that laughter! There’s the rest of the night to hit the jaeger bombs! Use this sneaky tool to work out how long your speech will take – http://readtime.eu!

 

8) It’s all about the future

DON’T: mention any ex-girlfriends or conquests, at all, ever. It will only create awkwardness. Mention how you envision the newlyweds’ future together, you can make this part funny and witty, but also emotional and sweet! 

Bridebook.co.uk- best man speech usher cheering

By Guy Hearn

9) Mr and Mrs – Wahey!

Start your best man speech with a reference to his “wife” or “Mr and Mrs” as that will always guarantee an enthusiastic response from the guests. As will a few self-deprecating jokes, which are guaranteed to put the audience on your side.

10) End with a toast!

End your speech with a cheer, but telling all the guests to toast the newlyweds and their union!
Most of all enjoy yourself. You’re talking about your best friend and their amazing new bride. So, have fun gathering all the stories, enjoy it and then party the night away!

Bridebook.co.uk- best man having fun dancing

By Allister Freeman

If you’re planning your wedding and reading this, make sure you send this article to your best man! Once you’ve done that, why not try our other wedding planning tools? Use your budget planner to sort out all of your wedding costs, your guest list tool to keep all your guests and their info in one place, and your wedding planning checklist, to make sure you don’t miss anything!

Happy Planning!

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Tips: Maid of Honour Speech

Tips To The Groom: Writing Your Wedding Speech

Tips to the Bride: Writing Your Wedding Speech