Bride Speech Examples

Lessons to Learn from Our Speech Examples

• Length – generally between 750 and 1200 words but more than 1,300 words – your speech needs to be delivered within 10 minutes (including pauses for laughter)
• Structure – Don’t begin with the thank-yous, start with the stories and hook in your audience*
• Don’t let your speech become a tedious thank-you list
• Tell good stories
• Resist Googled-gags, cliches, and platitudes
• Pepper the speech with humour throughout
• Have the romantic summary towards the end of your speech

Of course, every speech should be unique and tailored to the individual speaker’s style. Check out our Bride Speech Advice for more writing tips. 

For obvious reasons, we cannot share the speeches we write for our clients but here are three speeches we wrote as examples for The Modern Couple’s Guide to Wedding Speeches. 

Your speech may be more sentimental, shorter, or poetic. Crucially, it needs to be more you!

Bride Speech Example 1 – Delivered by Mikayla Background: Mikayla has married Christian. They’re based just outside Chicago, love travelling, and met in Australia. Christian’s father, Dom, has recently passed away.

Introduction & Tribute To The Dearly Departed

[Action: Light the candle on the top table]

I promised Dom when he passed away that I’d make sure we remembered him at the wedding. In true Dom fashion, he said that dying was his sure-fire way of getting out of doing a toast, so I said that I’d stand up today and speak, so you can consider this a part-bride, part-father-of-the-groom speech. A mess, basically!

I thought it would be nice to have this candle on the top table to remember that a flame is the closest thing we have to actually seeing love. Like love, a flame can keep us warm.

The light from a flame can banish the darkness. It brings us all these amazing things, but it can still hurt us when we get too close.

Dom, wherever you are, please will you make a special note of the fact that it took me forever to find a candle in the Chicago Bulls colours, so you’d better appreciate it!

The Speech-Meat

What I most wanted to say today is how lucky I am that I have found my light. Before I met him in the grubbiest, smelliest backpacker’s hostel in Australia, perhaps the world, I had been fortunate to experience light in my life. My family and friends have shone brightly for me since I’ve known them and I want to thank them today for being here to celebrate with us.

But it was only when I met Christian that I understood how bright the light can become. And this light is just for me. And my light is just for him. I know others notice the light between us, but it’s only my life that is warmed and brightened by it. I think that’s wonderful.

Of course, I’d be letting him get away with too much if I claimed that Christian was exclusively a source of light! I’m hoping that James’s best man speech will give us more information, but I will tell you that I first knew Christian as a source of a smell. Specifically, the smell of the worst hiking boots that have ever existed.

These boots were attached to Christian’s feet for several weeks as he walked around Australia. Over the time that he’d been pretending to be waltzing Matilda, these boots had festered into fungal fun-houses. I’d been working at the hostel in Adelaide and when Christian booked a room, it was left to me to speak to this weird, bearded stick man about the smell emanating from his feet.

In typical Christian fashion, he apologised and immediately threw the boots in the bin behind the hostel. He then proceeded to go barefoot in Adelaide. Clearly, this was someone I needed to get to know more.

Since that time, Christian and I have travelled together on four of the seven continents. We’ve seen rainbows over Mount Fuji. We survived being mugged in Phuket by the drunkest mugger that has ever been. We also spent an entire week with what we think might have been dysentery in an Israeli kibbutz. Relationship experts should note that if you really, really want to know if your relationship will survive then you should try fighting for the ownership of a single toilet as one of you projectile vomits and the other tries to control explosive diarrhoea. In the end we found it easier to just buy a pack of corks.

Throughout it all we have laughed, we have learned about each other, and we started to love each other.

Sentimental & Romantic Tribute

Life has been more serious since we returned home and found that Dom, Christian’s beloved dad, had fallen very ill. We moved into the house with him and spent the next few months looking after him as best we could.

I’ve known that I loved Christian since he threw those boots in the bin, but it was during this time that I knew why. Just like Dom, Christian is someone who doesn’t believe in getting caught up in the emotions of a situation, he prefers to focus on what he can do and as a result he has a gift for bypassing embarrassment.

It’s really an amazing attribute, it meant that he was a perfect carer for Dom. I think it’s also what makes him an incredible social worker. He doesn’t have a judgmental bone in his body, he can talk to kings or tramps and treat them with the same love and dignity. I truly love and admire that about him.

About a month before he died Dom made us open all the booze in the house that he’d been saving for a rainy day. He realised it was a rainy day. For about two days we were as drunk as we’ve ever been. We drank £400 bottles of champagne and a 30-year-old whisky. Fortunately, the training that we’d had in that Israeli kibbutz came in handy.

During that time, Dom made us promise that we’d make sure that today was a huge party and that there wouldn’t be any moping around. Dom wouldn’t want you to waste any emotion on sadness, he’d rather you use that energy to make sure you got on the dance floor. That’s why we’re having a ceilidh tonight, because there’s no chance of sitting out the dancing. If you’re not normally a dancer, consider it your wedding gift to us.

As we start our married life together, we don’t feel like it’s overshadowed by Dom’s death. We feel like it’s warmed by the light of his love. So, as I finish my speech, I’d like to propose a toast to the man I love and to love itself.

You’ll see on the table there are loads of candles and lighters. I’d love it if you could take a candle and light one, or two, or even more, for people you love. It doesn’t have to be someone who is no longer here, it could be someone in this room. It could be someone who knows about that love and who reciprocates it. Or it could be for someone who is oblivious to your love.

That’s it, just place your candle on the table and the venue have kindly said they’ll switch the lights off for my toast. Thank you. Wow!

Now as you look around, you can see just how much love there is. You might even be able to feel the warmth of it.

You can see how kindly it lights the faces of everyone who sees it and how people smile when they see it.

The Toast

Could you raise your glasses with me and drink to Dom, to Christian, and to love. 

To love.

Written by Andrew, Speechy writer

 

Bride Speech Example 2 – Delivered by Nicole Background: Nicole has married Adama. They live in Chicago and met at church.

Introduction

Good afternoon, all you gorgeous people. It’s my absolute honour and privilege to welcome you to our special day. A day made all the more special for us by your presence.

The Speech-Meat

Now, in life, people say ‘God works in mysterious ways’, and never has that been truer, than in our relationship. When you think about God having a romantic plan for you, you think of cupid’s arrow striking you in the heart as a tall, dark stranger saunters into your life. Whereas what I got was an awkward guy in his dad’s suit walking into church and tripping over a mop bucket.

So, sure he probably wasn’t the inspiration for Christian Gray, but actually the deeply embarrassing trip over a mop bucket caused me to check if he was ok, which led to us sitting next to each other, and which led to us having a conversation. Admittedly that conversation was throughout the entire service… sorry, Pastor Watkins.

Yet in that chance conversation, we found out one thing, one thing that has stood us in good stead ever since: That we share a lot in common. Sure, I also found out he likes pineapple on his pizza, but you can’t win them all.

Hideous taste in pizza aside, we talked for hours about our favorite films, music and our deep love of gaming. Side note: for a man of God, I’m not quite sure why he chose the PlayStation screen-name ‘DemonBoy666’.

But as much as there was an immediate bond between us, there wasn’t yet a romantic one. As before, God didn’t make his plan immediately obvious. Instead of presenting it in one go, fully wrapped with a nice little bow, he gave it to us in pieces. Bit by bit, allowing us to piece it together like a jigsaw where the full picture is obscured until the last piece is placed.

We stayed friends for three years, staying up late, gaming together and talking about the world and our plans. Both oblivious to the fact we’d be stood here, getting married five years later.

Although it does seem that our friends weren’t oblivious, as unbeknownst to us, they’d began taking bets on a ‘when will Nicole and Adama go on their first date’ sweepstake. Well, that was the PG version of the bet anyway. The R-rated version isn’t one I care to repeat in a house of God.

But soon, this plan would start to reveal itself to Adama and I. I’ve always said, I knew there was a spark between us when Adama gently held my hand to guide me round a puddle. Although I asked Adama when he knew that he was attracted to me and he said, ‘That night you wore that see-through top to the gym’. So maybe it wasn’t all as romantic as I first thought.

But, whether it was a puddle or a see-through top, the final piece of the jigsaw was set in place. And from there on out, it was plain sailing. We were friends who already knew everything about each other… I say that, he did recently admit to me that his favorite film isn’t Citizen Kane, it’s actually The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Which admittedly did make me question this whole ‘God’s plan’ thing… And the whole ‘wedding thing’.

But what I’m saying is, our story wasn’t some huge fairytale, birds tweeting, love at first sight kinda deal. It was a slow, cautious build up, which isn’t stereotypically romantic, but has enabled us to create a solid, unshakeable foundation that our future can be built on.

Friends first. Partners second. Now that’s a plan I can get behind.

The Thank-yous

While I have you here, I’d like to take this opportunity to offer some words of thanks to some incredibly special people. Although I warn you, between Adama and I, we have over[TA1]  eleven siblings to thank, so this might take a while. (Look to the back of the room) Lock the doors.

Firstly, to my mom and dad. They have taught me everything I know about life and love. Smart, caring, thoughtful… and dad’s ok as well. From being a young child, I have been around a couple that work as a team and are stronger than their parts. So, if in marriage, Adama and I even have 10 per cent of what you both have, I know we’ll be in a good place.

To Adama’s mom, Michelle. A bold, kind woman who managed to bring up seven children, mostly on her own. You’ve been a great source of strength and support for me throughout my time with Adama, and I can’t wait for us to spend more time together.

Now, I can’t thank all of our siblings individually, as we’ve only got this place booked until midnight, but I speak for both of us when I say how integral to our lives you’ve been, and how important you are to us both. I say that partly because I mean it, but also because you’re the keepers of our most embarrassing secrets.

Tribute To The Dearly Departed

I want to say a special thank you to my sister, Julia. As many of you may know, she passed away last year from cancer. Which makes today especially hard, as I couldn’t ever have imagined getting married without her by my side. But while she’s not here with us in person, she’s here with us in every smile, every dance move and every hug. She’s here with us in dad’s sense of humour and mom’s filthy laugh. So, Julia, we love you and miss you, but we’ll never forget you.

Final Romantic Tribute

And finally, I want to say a thank you to Adama. A person who has enriched my life in almost every way since stumbling into it, all those years ago. I love how you’re equally happy playing games together as you are on an expensive holiday. I don’t know if you remember, but when we first started dating, you made me a promise: You promised that no matter what happens you’ll always be my friend.

So, DemonBoy666, I’d like to close this speech by making you a promise in return:

Our relationship started with kicking a bucket, so my promise to you is that I’ll stay by your side until we kick a different bucket entirely.

The Toast

Now, if you could all be upstanding and raise a toast to friends, family, and loved ones.

To loved ones.

Speech written by Ed and Tom, Speechy writers

 

Bride Speech Example 3 – Delivered by Siglinde Background: Siglinde has married Xavier. They’re a couple in their 50s. They live in Melbourne. It is Siglinde’s second marriage and Xavier’s third.

The Introduction

Well, hello everyone! Seeing as Xavier has already had two goes at doing a wedding speech, I thought maybe this time, I’d have a turn. Third time isn’t lucky in all things.

I honestly never, in all my days, thought I would be standing here doing a speech at my own wedding. Especially not at my age. I truly believed the first time I walked down the aisle would be the only time. Because back then I was twenty-one, and so obviously I knew everything.

By the time I met Xavier twenty-five years later, I had discovered I, of course, knew absolutely nothing. In fact, the only thing I did know about love was, I wanted nothing at all to do with it!

I had my family, my two gorgeous children, Milly and Lance, I had a wonderful group of girlfriends, and I had my dogs. Who needed anything more?

Well, it turned out, life had a few more lessons for me yet.

The Speech-Meat

To be honest, I was slightly annoyed when I turned up at Milly’s graduation to realise she was clearly trying to set me up with her friend Samuel’s father. Oh, he was handsome alright. Too handsome if you asked me. I knew all about handsome men. They were to be avoided at all costs!

But, when the kids went off to collect their diplomas, I learnt something fascinating about this tall, dark, handsome stranger. He had absolutely no interest in love either. Divorced twice, he was as happy to settle down with his dogs as I was.

So, together, we hatched a plan. At the meal the kids had organised that evening, we would flirt so wildly with one another, they would be horrified, and never set us up with anyone ever again. Well, this was a plan I could get on board with. I said I wasn’t interested in falling in love, I never said I wasn’t interested in flirting with a handsome stranger. I was a 54-year-old mother, not a nun!

As we had guessed, the kids were mortified. We laughed, we played with each other’s hair, we made some very smutty jokes. I’m not sure I’ve ever had more fun. By the time the dessert menu came round, the kids couldn’t wait to get us out of there.

Once we were back at our hotel room, I told Milly what had really happened, and I couldn’t tell if she was more furious, or relieved. I was surprised the next day when he added me on Facebook, but I didn’t think too much about it.

But love lesson number one was: sometimes even fake flirting can do the job.

Every time one of Xavier’s posts came up on my newsfeed, I couldn’t help but smile, remembering that night. How nice it had been to have a handsome man tell me my ‘eyes sparkled like the stars on Midsummer’s Eve.’ Even if he hadn’t meant a word of it.

My friends started rolling their eyes whenever I began retelling the story for the 114^th time. Or mentioned Xavier’s name in passing. But I knew it was nothing. Just my last flirtation before I slipped into old lady hibernation. I had my cardigans ready and everything.

So when I saw Xavier’s beloved dog had sadly passed away, I thought nothing of sending him a little message of condolence, just as a friend. And I thought nothing of him sending me a little thank you note back. Which, of course, it was only polite to respond to.

Which is when I learnt love lesson number two.

A single woman really can’t just be friends with a very handsome single man.

Soon we were messaging every day. Which was ridiculous because I absolutely knew he wasn’t interested. And neither was I. So it was harmless for us to meet for a few drinks, right? And the kids didn’t even have to know!

So I was surprised, and more than a little delighted, that when we finally met after three months of messaging he was just as charming and flirtatious as he’d been that very first time. We laughed and we talked and we smiled until my cheeks hurt. Which is when I learnt love lesson number three.

You’re never too old to be giddy as a schoolgirl.

Of course, love lesson number four came hot on its heels.

The course of true love never runs smoothly.

Being an old fashioned broad, it never crossed my mind that my gorgeous, charming, flirtatious Latin lover could be dating other women. So when Milly casually mentioned on the phone that her and Samuel had bumped into Xavier on a date the night before . . . and I knew I’d been at home all night watching re-runs of Grey’s Anatomy . . . well . . .

Let’s just say, if the government really are monitoring our Facebook messages, then someone saw some very choice words that day!

But after a lot of grovelling, Xavier explained that he hadn’t thought we were exclusive. After all, hadn’t I told him over and over that I wasn’t interested in love? It was then I learnt love lesson number five.

Honesty is the best policy. Particularly when it came to being honest with myself.

I really wasn’t ready to hang up my heart just yet. I wanted to be with Xav. And so, we finally made things official.

Although we did have to blur the lines on that honesty policy a little. Turns out, if I ask Xavier if my outfit looks nice just as I’m leaving the house, sometimes a little white lie helps move things along. Same goes for me and my critique of his cooking.

The Romantic Tribute

And along the way, we’ve learnt some other little love lessons too. That no matter how much you adore a person, their snoring can lead to some very vivid murder fantasies. That sometimes it’s easier to just hire a cleaner. And I’ve learnt that Manchester United is the most superior football club in the world, and I must never say anything else, even if I don’t follow football at all.

But I’ve also learnt that opening up my heart again has been the most wonderful, delicious and exhilarating thing I could ever do. Xavier, you have brought so much love and light into my life. Knowing you will be waiting for me at home when I’m having a stressful day makes everything that little bit easier.

You’ve brought adventure to this old gal’s life, taking me to Cuba and Thailand and Bali, showing me all kinds of amazing sights – not least the sight of you in those tiny swimming shorts you wear.

And yes, between us, we have far too many dogs, and even the amount of children and grandchildren is starting to get out of hand. But I love every single bit of it. Before I met you, I truly believed I had more than enough love in my life. You have shown me that my heart is limitless.

And I know now that you can be wholly and completely in love at any age. And I’ll never be too old to learn more, and to love more.

I’m so excited to watch you grow even greyer, to welcome even more dogs and grandchildren, and for my heart to grow even bigger. Thank you for taking another chance on love, and for becoming my husband.

The Toast

If you could all please be upstanding for the toast.

To life’s lessons.

Speech written by Claire, Speechy writer

 

Remember the key to delivering a great speech is making it unique. Check out our bride speech advice if you want to write a speech that will add a fantastic moment to your day. Or ‘The Modern Couple’s Guide to Wedding Speeches’ has plenty more speech inspo for you! Or, cut to the chase, and find out how we can help. You can work directly with the Speechy team or utilise our new speechwriting tool, SpeechyAI.   You can read SpeechyAI’s newlywed speech example to get a sense of its ability & sense of humour!