Archive for the ‘Maid of Honor Speech 101’ Category
Maid of Honor Speeches: 5 Reasons to Relax about Your Maid of Honor Speech
Posted on: December 11, 2008
As maid of honor, you may be feeling a little stressed out (or even terrified!) about giving your maid of honor speech. Don’t let nerves come between you and the delivery of a speech that will warm the heart of your best friend! Relax, put your feet up and read on!
- The bride has chosen you as her maid of honor. She loves you! She is not expecting, hell she doesn’t even want, Julia Roberts or Joan Rivers to give the maid of honor speech. She wants you!
- You have known the bride for a long time now. You have all the content you need and then some! You are not giving a speech about nuclear physics this is about your friend! When you think about it you have more material than you could possible fit into your maid of honor speech.
- You will know a lot of people at the wedding. They will be supporting you all the way. They are ready to jump to their feet to give you a standing ovation!
- This is a wedding day, a celebration. Your audience have just watched their loved ones getting married. They are in a good mood. They are a receptive audience!
- The maid of honor speech is only about 3-5 minutes long. It is a tiny amount of time and you don’t have to worry about going under or over time (the orchestra won’t interrupt you!). You can do this!
Most of all if you relax and enjoy it, your audience will enjoy it too! (Ps. Now its time for your champagne!)
contemporary champagne flutes & cake server set
I thought it might help if I pointed you in the direction of the occasional poem. You can use the entire piece or take a short quote for your maid of honor speech. The poem for to-day is “The Magic of Love” which is sweet and endearing but my devilish mind can see an opportunity or two to turn a quote from it into a prelude to a funny one liner – how about you?
The Magic Of Love
Love is like magic
And it always will be.
For love still remains
Life’s sweet mystery!!
Love works in ways
That are wondrous and strange
And there’s nothing in life
That love cannot change!!
Love can transform
The most commonplace
Into beauty and splendor
And sweetness and grace.
Love is unselfish,
Understanding and kind,
For it sees with its heart
And not with its mind!!
Love is the answer
That everyone seeks…
Love is the language,
That every heart speaks.
Love can’t be bought,
It is priceless and free,
Love, like pure magic,
Is life’s sweet mystery!!
– Helen Steiner Rice –
I can tell you all of the things you should write, do and say to prepare an amazing maid of honor speech. But if I don’t point out the things you shouldn’t even think of doing, I am only doing half of my job – maybe even less than half!
So ladies the first thing I am going to tell you may sound obvious but think about how often you have sat squirming with embarrassment at a wedding witnessing just this! You will NOT give a fabulous maid of honor speech if you are drunk! Please do not drink before you deliver your maid of honor speech. Do not even think about holding a glass while you are delivering your speeches.
Slurring your words, that horrendous story involving strippers, massage oil and various toys that you promised you would never tell just trips or even stumbles off your tongue! You sway, you point, you almost knock over the server who is trying to top up the glasses.
NO, NO, NO!! You are going to be a lady to-day. Everybody is going to remember your ladylike behavior and your brilliant maid of honor speech. You can enjoy that glass of champagne when you delivered your speech.
Just see how distracting the glass is in this video clip!
When it comes down to writing your maid of honor speech, sometimes it is hard to know where to begin! We procrastinate and put it off until we end up in a panic and unable to focus on anything but our stress! Don’t worry, clear your head and decide to begin writing now! Just follow the steps below and write the fantastic maid of honor speech, I know you are capable of!
- Brainstorm ideas and write them down. Begin writing some notes first. Some people advise you to pick three ideas and focus on them. I advise you to go for a beginning, a middle and an end approach. If you take three pieces of paper, one for each section and you will already have begun to structure your speech. Don’t be afraid to begin with impact. Apart from your greetings, include a one liner or an emotional quote to grab your audience’s attention. The middle will include some anecdotes about the bride and your friendship, nice things you want to say about the groom or the relationship the bride and groom have had together with advice or best wishes for a successful marriage. Try to include a powerful ending. Again be witty or emotional, funny or endearing according to your choice.
- Begin drafting your speech based on your notes. Write your speech as you would say it in your normal language and include words or phrases that you may not normally write down if you were writing a letter or a normal document, but that you generally use when you speak e.g. You know what I mean….
- Think about involving the audience. This may sound a little scary but here is the trick. Write in some questions that you know you will get a positive response to. Is everybody having a good time? Don’t the bride and groom make a great couple? This technique will give you confidence as you deliver your maid of honor speech on the basis of the positive affirmation you will receive from your audience along the way.
- Your maid of honor speech is written. Sorry but now it’s time for the re-write. I know you probably took a long sigh of relief when you wrote the final full stop on your speech but it’s now time to begin rewriting. Not even the best authors or the most experienced Hollywood speech writers get it right the first time!
- Write your speech on small cue cards when you have practiced it and completed the final edit. These cards are easier to handle, will fit in your purse and will not block the view of your stunning maid of honor gown!
For help writing the most memorable maid of honor speeches, just go to bestweddingspeeches.info or visit this site for Friendship Quotes and a little inspiration!
Maid of Honor Speeches n Stuff! 