Wedding Reception Speeches Guidelines To Help You Nail Yours

Wedding reception speeches are a great way to wish good luck to the couple and be nostalgic about the good times while looking forward to the future. Haven't you ever come across a wedding reception speech in famous Hollywood movies that make the wedding guests either break into a pool of laughter or a puddle of tears, all thanks to the wedding reception speech! We sure have and that is what we will help you prep for, for your very own wedding. 

If the parents are hosting some of the ceremonies and parties, it’s a good idea to let them raise a toast first followed by the couple and of course, the best friends of the bride and groom in their quintessential oversharing of some fun and a few embarrassing memories. You can switch up the order a little if needed but consult with someone experienced first to make sure you’re not committing a faux-pas. Have a look at these ideas to nail your wedding reception speech solely dedicated to your parents, wedding reception speech solely by your friends for you, and finally, a speech by the couple of the hour for their family, friends and wedding guests in attendance. 

1. For the parents

Remember to play the good host and thank all the guests for coming. Do include heartfelt words about your wife/husband, the bride and groom, the entire family and close friends. Insert funny anecdotes; do talk about the guests who couldn’t make it. Don’t forget to thank everyone who helped meticulously plan and organise and conduct the wedding rituals including the priest and your wedding planner. Do sign off with good wishes for the bride and groom, toasting to their bright and happy future together. You can add a special story or two to make things a lot more personal during the wedding proceedings. By going forward with such a thoughtful gesture of a speech that talks about the good times you've spent with them, your parents will feel lighter and find something to cherish as you bid your final goodbye from your maternal home to the new one! 

2. For the couple

Thank all your guests for coming. Share with them stories from the past like your first date or how you two met. Take time out to talk about your family and friends. You can speak as a single unit or give individual toasts one after another – whatever works best for you. Let your guests how much this means to you and try to insert a funny memory or joke to lighten the mood and make everyone laugh. Personally, thank those who spent a lot of time working with you to make sure the wedding planning goes by without a hitch.

3. For the best friend of the bride

Talk about your lives together and the first time you met the bride and groom as a couple. Talk about your friendship and how excited you are with her on one of the most special days in your best friend’s life. Toast to your friend’s happiness and to making more memories together. Remember to add notes in advance so that you don’t fumble later. Don't fret if the content of your wedding reception speech overlaps with someone else's. To avoid that, you can check with other's giving a speech.

4. For the groom’s best mate

Include stories about yourselves, crack a few jokes about how another one has bitten the dust and praise the couple and what it’s like to see them together. Offer your best wishes to your closest friend and practise beforehand if the idea of delivering makes you nervous. Try and keep their embarrassing stories to yourself (we know you don't want to) and just celebrate the joy they are. Inside jokes are best kept to your close circle since not everyone will get it.

For some, it is easier to write it down first and then give the speech while for others, spontaneity does the job. Whichever way you wish to go, these tips will always come in handy. When attending someone else's wedding, you could be the one giving them sound advice about reception speech etiquettes if need be. Whenever you are giving the speech, don't read it off your phone or paper. Try to be as humble and heartfelt as possible, it is the day of the wedding after all and you wouldn't want to upset someone just for the sake of some chapstick laughter. These are some smart ways to prepare for a wedding reception speech and ensure that you deliver one which is a fine balance of some emotional memories and some overtly hilarious ones, to ensure that everything is balanced and appropriate. 

Share the stories from your wedding's reception that were the most interesting and even embarrassing through the comments.