A nervous maid of honor delivers sweet words that no one remembers. A tipsy best man shares stories that only make sense to the groomsmen. Guests lift their glasses with uncomfortable laughs. We’ve all attended weddings with awkward toasts.
Now that you’re maid of honor, you want to do things differently; but the thought of delivering a toast in front of a crowd leaves you speechless. Don’t fret! The following tips will help you craft and deliver the perfect maid of honor speech.
Create an outline.
A coherent toast starts with an outline. Put pen to paper with the high-level things you want to cover: an introduction, how you know the bride, a touching story that brings the bride to life, the bride and groom’s relationship and how happy you are for them, and a conclusion.
Keep it short.
You don’t want the most memorable part of your speech to be that it went on for an hour. A heartwarming toast of two or three minutes will do.
Keep the attention on the newlyweds.
In the blockbuster movie Bridesmaids, Annie (Kristen Wiig) competes with Helen (Rose Byrne) in a dueling (and grueling) speech for the attention of bride-to-be Lillian (Maya Rudolph). Don’t be an Annie! Focus your toast on the bride – not on your relationship with the bride. You can share a short story about how much the bride means to you, but keep the focus on the newlyweds.
Avoid exes (like the plague).
Erase from your memory the bride’s high school sweethearts and college crushes. It’s a big no-no to mention exes on the wedding day, (or any day really).
Keep it classy.
Avoid “inside jokes” that leave guests confused, and cringe-worthy stories involving indiscretions. A good rule of thumb – If it would embarrass your grandma, leave it for the bachelorette party.
Practice. Practice. Practice.
Write your toast down on a piece of paper and commit it to memory. Then, rehearse your toast in front of fellow bridesmaids until you feel comfortable with your delivery. During the actual toast, keep a copy of your outline in front of you in case you stumble.
Remember to breathe.
When you’re delivering your toast, remember to breathe and speak slowly. If it helps, look directly at the bride like it’s just the two of you in the room.
The most important tip? Be yourself and speak from the heart. You’ll do great!