Your Ultimate Guide To The Perfect Maid-Of-Honor Speech

So, your BFF has finally come forward and asked you to be her maid of honor! It is so exciting. You are now looking forward to many wedding preparations, dress shopping, hairstyle trials, makeup trials, and planning the perfect bachelorette! 

 

Amid all the planning, suddenly a thought struck your mind - you have a speech to give! Sounds a bit scary? Well, don't you worry, we have you covered.

 

This is your quintessential guide to the perfect maid-of-honor speech! 

 

When should you start writing your maid-of-honor speech? 

 

Assuming that you have not procrastinated a lot with your maid-of-honor speech, you should be giving yourself as much time as possible. Start preparing the speech at least a month before the wedding. The least you can stretch this period is three weeks to the wedding! 

 

This might seem like a lot to actually pen down your thoughts about your beloved bride, but the longer you actually end up waiting, the more stress it starts to induce in you. 

 

You don't want the stress! 

 

So, choose the right time when you are extra-inspired and emotional by your friendship with either the bride or the couple. And, if you ever feel like you're being sentimental about everything during the bachelorette party, jot down the points somewhere and frame the sentences up later. Never underestimate the power of free writing! You must try to unleash all of your thoughts about the bride, whatever crosses your mind. This way, you can actually see all of the memories and feelings right in front of you. 

 

Start picking those minor points up and discover a way to write a full-blown maid-of-honor speech. 

 

How long should a maid-of-honor speech be? 

Your maid-of-honor speech does not have to be extremely long. That's actually a sigh of relief for most of us out there! The only thing to remember here is - You're not the only one who's going to speak at the wedding. You should be trying to keep your speech simple, sweet, and short.

 

The perfect maid-of-honor speech should ideally last no more than 3-4 minutes. It should definitely not be longer than 5 minutes! 

 

Things To Include In Your Maid-Of-Honor Speech

 

 

Your maid-of-honor speech should really focus on two significant things - celebrating the bride and groom's relationship, and two, celebrating your bond with the lovely bride. 

 

Your speech can be a mix of personal anecdotes, well-wishes, and compliments for the couple. Your speech can also include some of the most adored moments between you and the bride but should definitely aim at striking a balance between the bride's sentiments towards the groom and their relationship. 

 

Usually, you can start your speech by being central to the bride and must wrap it all up by just talking about the relationship the bride and groom share. So, what should be a part of it? 

 

Let's find out what things you must include in your maid-of-honor speech:

 

1. Introduction 

It should be obvious, but we will start the right way. Introduce yourself before your speech. This is essential to give your speech some context to explain your relationship with the bride and groom or just the bride. Don't forget; multiple guests at a wedding probably have no clue about you. 

 

2. Focus on the bride 

Ensure you are talking about the bride and are not carried away in your sentiments. Start your speech by just complimenting the bride on her special day. Talk about things you love about her; talk about something that makes her a good friend/sibling/human. Whatever you say, just be specific with your compliments instead of just calling them "a generous human." Share one specific moment that demonstrates their generosity. 

 

3. Indulge in an anecdote 

Have a special memory that you share with the bride? Does it reflect on your relationship with her? Your maid-of-honor speech is the right time to share that! It could be a funny story or any honest, sincere, heartfelt moment.

 

4. Compliment the groom too

It is time to start bridging the groom into your speech too. Bring them in, talk about the qualities you love about them, talk about your first impression of them (only if they are not super mean). You could talk about a small banter but focus more on the "good" parts. Talk about how they make the bride happy. 

 

5. Celebrate the gorgeous couple 

Now it's time to rope in some compliments for the lovely couple. Highlight their relationship in your speech, admire them together, and how their lives are changing for the better! 

 

6. Wish them well! 

It is now time to tie everything together by offering the gorgeous couple your best wishes. If you can, include a good piece of marriage advice, talk about your favorite quote, and add a sprinkle of warm wishes for the couple. 

 

7. Raise a toast! 

Finally, it is now time to share a toast with all the guests. Wish the happy couple by raising your glass toast to the bride and groom. Reward yourself with a sip of champagne on the speech you just nailed! 

 

The Perfect Maid-of-Honor Speech - Tips 

Follow these helpful tips to ensure you are able to nail your maid-of-honor speech! 

 

1. Start brainstorming by writing down any and all memories as they come to your mind. Focus on the emotions you have for the bride, any ideas, anything that comes to your mind, jot it down in your iPhone notes. Compile them all later on paper. You will have so much quality material that your speech will shine bright like a diamond in just a few days. 

 

2. Ditch all the generic stuff. Ensure your speech is entertaining and engaging and focuses on the bride's personality. After all, it's her special day. Illustrate stories that suggest how good a person they are, instead of just calling them good. Paint a picture for all the guests, bring their character to life. 

 

3. Always make sure you are not actually making the speech about yourself. This is not your day. You cannot steal the bride's thunder. Celebrate the bride. The only time you should be talking about yourself is during the introduction and explaining to all wedding guests what is your relationship with the lucky couple. Don't indulge in any other references about yourself. 

 

4. Avoid mentioning any ex-partners. Do not remind the lucky couple, guests, or anyone about any past relationships. Their new life is starting; nothing from their old life should be haunting them today. This is not a great time to really "roast" or "grill" the bride or the groom. 

 

5. Take enough pauses. Pause a few seconds if you have a funny anecdote in your story. Give the audience some time to laugh. If you start speaking immediately after cracking a joke, you are not going to give people enough time to laugh or understand what's coming next in your speech. However, don't stretch your pauses too much; you still need to wrap up your speech in under 5 minutes. 

 

6. Don't include any inside information or jokes. Inside jokes are something everyone is not going to understand. For other people to really grasp what you're trying to say, they'd have to be there. It is okay to poke some fun into your speech, at either the bride or the groom, but just keep it light. Don't say anything that would be embarrassing or uncomfortable. 

 

7. Practice is the key! Recite your speech aloud a few times in front of the mirror until you get comfortable. Practice your speech at least once daily, maybe even twice if you get the time. But start practicing a week or two beforehand. Record yourself sometimes, so you can really hear the tone and pace of your voice. Rehearse and correct. You're good to go! 

 

There you go, this is how you should frame and practice your maid-of-honor speech for the bride! Wish them all the luck and happiness in the world, look glam, be happy, and keep shining. Follow the BridalFusion blog for more such tips!