Wedding Speech Tips & Ideas
Giving a wedding speech at a reception is one of the big moments of a wedding, so it helps to know the etiquette before stepping up to the microphone. A clear plan, a short outline, and a few personal stories are usually all it takes to be remembered for the right reasons.
Wedding speeches are often the most nerve-wracking part of the day for friends and family of the newlyweds, but a little structure goes a long way. The guides below walk through what to say, when to say it, and how to keep it warm without going long.
Best Man Speeches
The best man traditionally speaks just before the champagne toast. A good best man speech thanks the couple, says something memorable about the groom, honors the groomsmen, and keeps things moving. Read the Best Man guide for tips on making it memorable without overrunning the moment.
Groom Speech
Writing a groom speech can be tricky simply because there is rarely much time to sit down and put ideas on paper. A simple structure — thank the guests, thank the parents, thank the bride — is usually enough. See the Groom Speech guide for step-by-step help.
Father of the Bride
A father of the bride speech is among the most sentimental moments of the reception. Managing the emotion, drawing on life experience, and understanding the duties of the day all matter. Open the Father of the Bride guide.
Maid of Honor & BrideThe maid of honor speaks after the best man, and a short, heartfelt toast works best. For the bride, a brief, imaginative speech — including a self-introduction and the story of how the couple met — is often plenty. Find both guides linked from the blog.
Wedding Speech Blog
Personal stories, practical guides, and discussions on writing speeches for the roles above. Recent posts include a first-person account of preparing a father of the bride speech, a look at whether free online examples are good enough, and a guide to overcoming the five biggest wedding speech obstacles. Visit the blog for the full archive.
| Role | When they speak | Core focus |
|---|---|---|
| Best Man | Just before the champagne toast | Honor the groom, thank the couple, toast |
| Groom | After the best man | Thank guests, parents, and the bride |
| Father of the Bride | Early in the reception | Welcome guests, sentiment, duties of the day |
| Maid of Honor | After the best man | Supportive, heartfelt, brief |
| Bride | Often toward the close | Introduce yourself, share your story |
Including the ring bearer or flower girl in a maid of honour speech
A maid of honor speech, usually called a maid of honour speech in Australia, can welcome a ring bearer or flower girl without making either child the main event. The most successful inclusion is brief, affectionate and connected to the couple’s story.
Many couples search online for a maid of honor speech, while Australian speeches often celebrate the small people who made the day run smoothly. That makes a child’s contribution easy to acknowledge, but the focus should remain on the couple.
Why a young attendant can enrich the speech
The child already has a visible part in the ceremony, so a sentence or two can acknowledge that role while the audience still remembers the couple. Keep the reference proportionate: a young child usually needs one clear moment rather than a full character sketch.
Think of the inclusion as a shared memory, not a performance request. A gentle line about the flower girl’s serious walk or the ring bearer’s proud approach can add warmth, especially when the child’s parents are laughing in the audience.
Choose a natural moment in the speech
Begin with the day itself. The ring bearer may have entered before the bride, carried the rings or watched the ceremony from the front row, while the flower girl may have led the procession or scattered petals. Choose the detail that best fits what actually happened.
At a reception, place the mention after a personal thank-you and before a story about the couple. Browse maid of honor examples for ways to transition smoothly, and avoid interrupting a formal blessing, the cake cutting or the first dance.
Build the moment around one real detail
Ask the parents before the rehearsal for a story the child would be happy to hear being repeated. A favourite toy, helpful gesture at breakfast or comic attempt to keep the rings safe can become useful material, provided it is kind and recognisably true.
Do not describe the child as “the tiny troublemaker” unless the family uses that description. If you want another perspective, contact the speech team before adding more material; one precise anecdote will usually land better than several disconnected jokes.
Keep the humour light and age appropriate
Australian reception banter works well when it is warm, observant and never cruel. Tease the adults for choosing a tiny suit or a frothy dress, but avoid comments about appearance, shyness, money or any private habit the child cannot consent to having highlighted.
Short is effective. “When the ring bearer spotted the rings, his face showed the confidence of a seasoned usher” gives the audience a smile without putting words into a child’s mouth or creating a punchline the parents may not appreciate.
A practical checklist for the final draft
Decide which details will support the couple’s story:
Then run a second check for tone, timing and boundaries:
Add Australian details without forcing them
Australian wedding language already has warm alternatives: the ring bearer may be called “ring security”, and the flower girl may be a “petal bearer”. Daytime guests often keep hats and fascinators on, so a brief reference to what the child wore can feel natural rather than forced.
A memory from a Sydney Harbour Bridge proposal or a Melbourne laneway walk can make the moment feel rooted in real life. The Australian bridal market also offers precise details, such as a flower girl’s eucalyptus posy, a jeweller’s ring box or a florist’s card tucked into the ring bearer’s pocket. Mention only what the family confirms.
Rehearse the delivery and close with purpose
Practise the complete speech aloud, then rehearse the child-related line with the parents present. Ask whether the wording is accurate, time the section and agree that nobody will ask the child to repeat it. At the reception, slow down after the joke, make eye contact with the couple and move on.
If the groom is also giving a toast, coordinate the order so your stories do not overlap; the groom speech guide offers a useful structure to compare. End with the reason you are grateful to be there, not with another joke about the smallest guest, and leave the couple’s relationship at the centre of the speech.
My daughter asked me to speak as her father of the bride. The note about keeping the emotion in check while still being sentimental was the most useful line in the guide.
As a groom, I appreciated the warning against a long list of thanks. I am cutting my thank-yous down to a few key people and keeping the rest short.