Speeches  

Preparing and delivering a successful wedding speech can be the most daunting task.  Few people are practised in the art of public speaking so the thought of standing up in front of your relatives and guests at a wedding reception and sounding good is pretty intimidating. 

Traditionally, the formal order of speakers is: 

The Father of the Bride:  

After welcoming the groom’s parents, relatives of both families and any other guests, the bride’s father welcomes the groom to his family and says a few words about his daughter.  He them proposes a toast to the health and happiness of the bride and groom. 

The Groom: 

The bridegroom replies on behalf of himself and his bride and thanks his parents and all the guests for their gifts.  It is appropriate at this point in the speech to wish a speedy recovery to any close relatives unable to attend through ill health.  The groom proposes a toast to the bridesmaids, thank them for their help and present them with a small gift as a token of appreciation. 

The Best Man: 

The best man begins his speech by responding to the toast on behalf of the bridesmaids.  The best man’s speech is probably the one that guests look forward to the most and the highlight of the wedding reception.  It is expected to be funny and witty and full of anecdotes about his friendship with the groom and newly married couple. 

It is now increasingly common for the bride to wish to speak and express her feelings about their special day and she would do so at this point in the proceedings. 

http://www.weddingspeechbuilder.com/groom/speeches/groomspeech.cfm?CFID=10624925&CFTOKEN=26630180 

http://www.hitched.co.uk/speeches/speechhome.aspx 

http://www.weddingspeeches.com/