(*Of course, if you’re looking for more than ‘advice’, check out all the different ways the Speechy team can help you write & deliver a great speech. Or check out our new AI-powered team member, SpeechyAI.)
‘(Of course, if you’re looking for more than ‘advice’, check out Speechy’s bespoke speechwriting service. We also have a range of excellent speech templates that might be just what you need.)
(*Of course, if you’re looking for more than ‘advice’, check out our eulogy writing service or our eulogy template.)
(Of course, if you’re looking for more than ‘advice’, check out Speechy’s bespoke speechwriting service. We also have a range of excellent speech templates that might be just what you need.)
Let’s hit play…
For classic lovebirds and hopeless romantics.
“Why do I just wither and forget all resistance when you and your magic pass by my heart’s in a dither dear when you’re at a distance but when you are near, oh my…
Its not the pale moon that excites me That thrills and delights me, oh no Its just the nearness of you”
Glen Miller Orchestra, The Nearness of You
Use it when you’re trying to convey that unexplainable, magnetic pull between two people. Great for long-term couples still very much in love.
“At last the skies above are blue. My heart was wrapped in clover the night I looked at you”
“At last, my love has come along. My lonely days are over. And life is like a song.”
Etta James, At Last
Nothing says romance like Etta James. Perfect for nostalgic, sweeping speeches or a mother of the bride with soul.
“And I can tell by the way you walk that walk, And I can hear by the way you talk that talk… That I could give you all the loving in the whole wide world”
Etta James, I Just Want to Make Love to You
Told you, you can rely on Etta for some cool lyrics.
“You fill my heart with gladness, take away all my sadness, ease my troubles – that’s what you do.”
Rod Stewart, Have I Told You Lately
A heartfelt way to acknowledge your partner’s support and love.
“Someday, when I’m awfully low, when the world is cold, I will feel a glow just thinking of you and the way you look tonight.”
Frank Sinatra, The Way You Look Tonight
The ultimate compliment. Use it to melt hearts when talking about your first sight of your partner.
“And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”
The Beatles, The End
Poetic closure for any speech. Great way to end with a timeless truth.
“She may be the reason I survive The why and wherefore I’m alive The one I’ll care for through the rough and ready years Me, I’ll take her laughter and her tears And make them all my souvenirs For where she goes I’ve got to be The meaning of my life is she.”
Elvis Costello, She
Deep, reflective and dramatic. Works well in slower, more emotional speeches.
“Take my hand, take my whole life too, for I can’t help falling in love with you.”
“You’re all I need to get by. Like the sweet morning dew, I took one look at you, And it was plain to see, you were my destiny. With my arms open wide, I threw away my pride I’ll sacrifice for you Dedicate my life for you.”
Marvin Gaye, You’re All I Need to Get By
A declaration of total devotion. Good for telling the story of enduring love or support.
“I hope you don’t mind, I hope you don’t mind that I put down in words, how wonderful life is while you’re in the world.”
Elton John, Your Song
Beautiful to open or close a speech with. A universal crowd-pleaser.
“I could make you happy, make your dreams come true. Nothing that I wouldn’t do Go to the ends of the earth for you to make you feel my love.“
Bob Dylan, Make You Feel My Love
Heart-on-sleeve material. Works especially well in bride or groom speeches.
For couples who love a chorus and a good cry.
“Give your all to me, I’ll give my all to you. You’re my end and my beginning, even when I lose I’m winning.”
John Legend, All of Me
A go-to line for romantic grooms or brides. Works beautifully as a closing sentiment.
“Cause all of me loves all of you – love your curves and all your edges, all your perfect imperfections.”
John Legend, All of Me
Ideal for celebrating your partner’s uniqueness in a funny-yet-heartfelt way
“There’s no combination of words I could put on the back of a postcard / No song that I could sing, but I can try for your heart / Our dreams, and they are made out of real things / Like a shoebox of photographs with sepia-toned loving. / Love is the answer, at least for most of the questions in my heart / Like why are we here? And where do we go? / And how come it’s so hard? It’s not always easy and sometimes life can be deceiving / I’ll tell you one thing, it’s always better when we’re together.”
“You’re amazing just the way you are. And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while.”
“Time, curious time / Gave me no compasses, gave me no signs / Were there clues I didn’t see? / And isn’t it just so pretty to think / All along there was some invisible string tying you to me?”
“If tomorrow is judgment day / And I’m standing on the front line / And the Lord asks me what I did with my life / I will say I spent it with you.”
For poetic types and couples who fell in love at a festival.
“Every breath that is in your lungs is a tiny little gift to me.”
The White Stripes, Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
Quirky, poetic and full of low-key emotion. Great for alternative types.
“Come with me, my love, to the sea, the sea of love. I want to tell you how much I love you.”
Cat Power, Sea of Love
A minimalist line with max romance. A lovely lyric to open a speech.
“Please be mine, share my life, stay with me, be my wife.”
David Bowie, Be My Wife
Short, stark, and beautifully raw. Bowie fans or not, it hits home.
“Take my heart, don’t break it / Love me to my bones / All this time I’ve wasted / You were right there all along / You and I stargazing / Intertwining souls / We were never strangers / You were right there all along.”
Myles Smith, Stargazing
Good for telling the story of how love was hiding in plain sight.
P.S. Remember, if you need help working out how to include lyrics in your speech or you just want to create a speech so good it deserves its own Greatest Hits album -the Speechy team is here to help. Check out our products and services and see how our award-winning team of wedding speechwriters can help you nail the moment.
For messy, intense, beautifully chaotic love stories.
“If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you. When mountains crumble to the sea, there will still be you and me.”
Led Zeppelin, Thank You
For couples who’ve weathered storms and still stand strong
“Now and then when I see her face, she takes me away to that special place…”
Guns N’ Roses, Sweet Child O’ Mine
For the partner who still makes you weak in the knees — even in leather.
“Let the frozen cities crumble, crumble and fall / That’s alright, I don’t mind at all / Let ’em all tumble right into the sea / Well, that’s just fine, that’s alright with me / Since you came down the line / I can’t sleep at night, I got one thing on my mind / That’s every day, every night / I wanna be with you.”
Bruce Springsteen, I Wanna Be With You
Romantic rebellion — choosing love over all else.
“Oh darling / There’s something happy and there’s something sad / ‘Bout wanting somebody, oh so bad / I wear my love darling, without shame / I’d be proud if you would wear my name.”
Bruce Springsteen, I Wanna Marry You
Old-fashioned sentiment with rock’n’roll cool.
For the couple that can’t not dance.
“You weren’t lookin’ for me, I wasn’t lookin’ for you / That’s the thing about love, it’s gonna do what it do / And I’ve never been the scientific type / There’s a force goin’ on, girl, that I can’t deny.”
Post Malone, Fallin’
Laid-back love logic. Use when you want to highlight the randomness of meeting ‘the one.’
“Snap n’ clap n’ and touch your toes / Raise your hands, now body roll / Dance it out, you’re hot to go / H-O-T-T-O-G-O.”
Chappell Roan, HOT TO GO!
Perfect for high-energy, fun-loving couples. Could also be a toast cue.
“Footprints along the sand / Whispers of sweet romance / Sound of a wedding band / Holding hands in the street / No need to be discreet / Finally feeling free / It’s not wrong / To want the world for someone / It’s not a feeling you can run from / ‘Cause we love who we love.”
Sam Smith, Who We Love
Great line for inclusive weddings, or to acknowledge unconventional journeys to love.
For speeches that sound like they’ve been written in candlelight.
“Oh, you are in my blood like holy wine / You taste so bitter and so sweet / I could drink a case of you, darling / And I would still be on my feet.”
Joni Mitchell, A Case of You
For deeply romantic, beautifully messy love stories.
“I may not have the softest touch / I may not say the words as such / And though I may not look like much / I’m yours.”
The Script, I’m Yours
Self-deprecating charm at its best.
“For you there’ll be no crying / For you the sun will be shining / ‘Cause I feel that when I’m with you / It’s all right, I know it’s right / And the songbirds keep singing like they know the score / And I love you, I love you, I love you like never before.”
Eva Cassidy, Songbird
Elegant, lyrical and ideal for heartfelt vows.
“Remember not to get too close to stars… They’re never gonna give you love like ours.”
Billie Eilish, ilomilo
For intense modern romantics.
“I want you to stay / ‘Til I’m in the grave / ‘Til I rot away, dead and buried / ‘Til I’m in the casket you carry / If you go, I’m going too / ‘Cause it was always you, alright / And if I’m turnin’ blue, please don’t save me / Nothing left to lose without my baby.”
Billie Eilish, Birds of a Feather
Add this if you want to speak to deep loyalty.
“You, you light my red fire babe / Hot white and blue / And I, I think that you / I think you’re so cool, babe / Loving everything you do / You say we’re gonna run away / Put on your sundress, summer day / Flying around on the highway / Spin me ’round, kiss me in your Chevrolet / I love you more with each and every day.”
Lana Del Rey, On Our Way
Works well for couples who fell in love on the road, or in summer.
“I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more, just to be the man who walked a thousand miles to fall down at your door.”
The Proclaimers, 500 Miles
Only works in a Scottish accent. Otherwise… maybe don’t.
You’re rarer than a can of dandelion and burdock.”
Arctic Monkeys, Suck It And See
For the speech that wants to say ‘I chose you because you’re different — and brilliant.’
Sometimes you just want to dive in and explore. These lyric directories are great places to search for lines that match your vibe, genre, or favourite artist.
Genius – For verified lyrics and in-depth meanings behind the songs. Great for discovering poetic lines in unexpected places.
👉 https://genius.com
AZLyrics – Straightforward and reliable, this site has a huge back catalogue, from obscure indie bands to pop giants.
👉 https://www.azlyrics.com
Lyrics.com – A handy directory with song searches by artist, decade, and keyword.
👉 https://www.lyrics.com
The Speechy team are TV-trained scriptwriters/comedians by trade & we’ve helped 1,000s of speakers around the world deliver their dream speech.
Our advice has been quoted everywhere from The New York Times to Grazia and from Forbes to The Observer. Our founder has also featured on the BBC Sounds’ Best Men podcast with Jason Manford and written ‘The Modern Couple’s Guide to Wedding Speeches’, published by Little, Brown.
