(*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.)
At Speechy, we’ve worked with thousands of couples and wedding parties. We’ve sat on Zoom calls where grooms admitted they hadn’t written a word three weeks before the big day, and with fathers of the bride who swore they’d “just wing it” until their daughter begged us to intervene. We’ve seen every mistake – and every magical moment.
As Speechy’s Founder, Heidi Ellert-McDermott, author of The Modern Couple’s Guide to Wedding Speeches, puts it:
“The best speeches aren’t the ones that follow a formula. They’re the ones that capture who you are as people and tell your story in a way that feels fresh.”
Here’s what those experiences have taught us: the best wedding speeches aren’t about ticking boxes. They’re about doing something original, personal, and memorable.
Forget what you’ve seen at every other wedding. This is your chance to do something a bit more creative, a bit more you. Whether you’re aiming for humour, heart, or a bit of both, this guide will help you shake things up and leave a lasting impression.
In this blog we’ll cover:
Where to Get More Wedding Speech Inspiration
Why Joint Speeches Work
We’ve noticed a big rise in couples opting for joint speeches, and honestly, they’re often the highlights of the weddings we attend.
One couple we worked with in Manchester delivered their joint speech like a comedy double act — he set up the jokes, she landed the punchlines. Their guests were crying with laughter within seconds.
Tips we give our clients:
Write together, but divide up lines.
Let your personalities bounce off each other (think more Richard & Judy, less Ant & Dec).
Practise out loud. We once had a couple record themselves on their iPhones, then email us the clip so we could tweak their timing. It worked brilliantly.
Real opener we wrote:
“We promised to share everything from now on – so that includes the speech.”
Check out our Joint Speech Advice for more inspo
In much of Europe, it’s common for anyone to stand up and raise a toast. The spontaneity creates a lovely sense of community.
We’ve helped couples who wanted this vibe but were nervous it might flop. Our solution? We suggested appointing a confident friend to act as “cheerleader MC,” encouraging shy guests to chip in. It worked — and one of the bride’s uni friends ended up giving a one-minute toast that everyone said was the most moving part of the night.
How we advise clients to set it up:
Tell guests in advance: “There are no formal speeches – just love, laughter, and spontaneous toasts.”
Space them out — usually between courses.
Keep the mic visible and ready to grab.
Pro tip we give nervous couples: Keep the wine flowing and suddenly everyone has a story to share.
We’ve lost count of the weddings where we’ve seen speeches dumped in one big block. Guests fidget. Kids get restless. The energy dies.
We recently worked with a London couple who wanted their speeches to feel like entertainment, not admin. We helped them spread their speeches throughout the meal — one before starters, one between mains and dessert, one before the cake. The result? Guests stayed engaged, laughing throughout the meal, and the photographer captured a dozen natural reactions they’d have missed otherwise.
Why it works:
Guests digest both food and emotions.
Energy stays high.
Each speech feels like its own event.
Check out our full low down on the pros and cons of different scheduling options.
Who Can Get Involved?
Why This Works
The unexpected voices often get the biggest reactions. A child sharing their version of love, or a nan with classic comic timing – it all adds personality.
It also reflects modern relationships more accurately – your chosen family counts too.
What Can They Say?
Keep it short and sweet:
This is the advice we repeat most often in client workshops. The best speeches don’t feel like a shopping list of thank-yous; they feel like stories.
We once worked with a groom who swore he “wasn’t funny.” We found out he and his bride had once got lost in Venice at 2am after missing the last Vaporetto and so we built the whole speech around that story. By the time he delivered it, guests were howling with laughter and then wiping away tears as he linked the story to why he knew she was “the one.”
That’s the power of telling one vivid anecdote.
We’ve had clients ask us to script video speeches or even rewrite their words into song lyrics. Sometimes it’s genius, sometimes… less so.
Video speeches: We helped one best man record a short film with clips of the groom’s friends sending in “advice.” It was under three minutes, slickly edited, and hilarious. Guests loved it.
Musical speeches: We’ve also seen one best man pull out a guitar and sing. It worked because he was actually talented, the lyrics were funny, and it lasted under four minutes. We’ve also seen attempts that dragged on and had guests sneaking off to the bar. High risk, high reward.
Every season we get at least a few couples or best men asking us, “Should we make this into a song?” Our honest answer: only if you can pull it off.
When it works, it’s unforgettable. But when it doesn’t, you’ll lose half your audience to the bar.
When it works:
You’re actually musically talented (Grade 2 recorder doesn’t count)
You don’t take it too seriously — the comedy has to come first
You keep it short (under 4 minutes is the sweet spot)
The lyrics start funny, then end with heart
What we’ve seen with clients:
A groom in Brighton rewrote Wonderwall with lyrics about how he first wooed his bride at a karaoke night. It killed — mostly because he got the whole top table singing the chorus.
A best man in Glasgow performed a rap to the tune of Lose Yourself. He roasted the groom’s dodgy football skills, then ended with a line about him “finally scoring in life.” Guests were on their feet.
Less successful? The nervous uncle who tried to croon through a Frank Sinatra classic. It dragged on for six minutes, and by verse two, people were already clinking glasses to drown it out.
Tips we give our musical clients:
Start with a funny hook (first two lines should make people laugh)
Keep verses snappy and relatable
End with a heartfelt line that makes the silliness worth it
Always test-run it with a brutally honest friend
Heidi’s take:
“Musical speeches can be brilliant, but don’t do it to go viral. Do it because it feels right for you as a couple. And rehearse — more than you think you need to.”
Here are 10 we’ve used or seen work with clients:
A “Top 5 Lessons in Love” format
A mini quiz for guests (“Who remembers the groom’s haircut in 2009?”)
A fake Amazon “review” of the groom
A speech delivered as chapters of a book
A call-and-response toast (works with joint speeches)
A grandparent cameo with one killer line
A speech structured around favourite films or songs
A short group speech by siblings
Props — a childhood teddy, a festival wristband, a photo
Ending with a “marriage survival kit” gift
If you’re still not sure what direction to take, check out our curated collections of real speech videos and expert tips. These pages are packed with inspiration to help you craft a speech that genuinely reflects you and your wedding.
Bride Speech Videos – From funny to heartfelt, see how brides are grabbing the mic and smashing expectations
Groom Speech Videos – Real-life examples of grooms who’ve kept it personal, punchy and properly original
Father of the Bride Speech Examples – Watch how dads balance emotion with wit
Best Man Speech Tips – Get ideas from the pros on how to entertain without embarrassing anyone (too much)
👀 Warning: Watching these may lead to a sudden surge of creative confidence.
Great wedding speeches don’t have to be predictable. In fact, they shouldn’t be.
We’ve worked with grooms who thought they “weren’t funny,” fathers who swore they’d “keep it short” (and didn’t), and brides who thought speeches weren’t “for them.” Every single time, the magic happened when they made it personal, specific, and unique.
As Heidi always reminds our clients:
“Guests forget the flowers and the favours, but they’ll always remember how your speech made them feel.”
Remember:
Ditch clichés
Get specific
Surprise your audience
Need help crafting something truly different? Explore Speechy’s bespoke wedding speech services or use our virtual speechwriter to get started.
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.
