(*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.)
A daughter of the bride speech is special because it reflects one of the most complex and intimate relationships of all. It can:
Acknowledge a lifetime of memories and shared moments
Express approval and joy at your mum’s new marriage
Add a deeply personal and often humorous perspective
Give the day a beautiful, multigenerational moment
Whether you’re delivering a full-on speech, a witty poem, or a few heartfelt lines, your role can be as powerful as the traditional father of the bride.
The mother-daughter bond is like no other – part friendship, part mentorship, part full-blown sitcom. It’s filled with love, history, and plenty of passionate opinions. That’s why your speech matters. It’s your chance to say, “I see you. I love you. And I’m proud of you.”
If you’re an adult daughter, this is your moment to give your mum the spotlight and maybe gently tease her too. You can tease her about her morning moods, her obsessive list-making, or her strange love of true crime podcasts. You’re also uniquely placed to offer a few tips to her new partner. (“Rule one: Never suggest she ‘calm down.’ Ever.”)
If you’re a mum inviting your daughter to speak, even a few lines from a child can be deeply moving or hilariously insightful. We’ve seen six-year-olds offer bespoke relationship advice, and teens deliver cool, confident poems that steal the show. Whatever their age, their voice will add something memorable to the day.
Scroll to your role for more insight…
As an adult daughter, you have the unique task of telling your family’s story from the inside. No one knows your mum better, and no one can tease her quite as lovingly.
A strong daughter of the bride speech follows a clear, simple structure. Here’s a format that works every time:
Welcome Everyone
Say hello and thank everyone for coming (especially if you’re the first speaker).
Establish Your Theme
Set the tone and idea that will run through your speech – this could be about your mum’s unique qualities, your family dynamic, or her epic journey to love.
Tribute to Your Mum
Share stories that capture her personality and your bond. Think beyond adjectives – tell us about the time she stayed up all night making you a costume, or how she reacted when you got your first tattoo.
Tribute to Her Partner
Say what you admire about them, or share a story that shows their connection with your mum. Gentle teasing welcome!
Thoughts on Their Relationship
Reflect on how they balance each other, what makes them a great couple, or what they’ve taught you about love.
Toast to Their Future
End on a warm and optimistic note. Keep it short, sincere, and raise a glass.
And remember, don’t just describe your mum – show her. Use stories, quotes, and specific memories. A list of compliments is lovely, but moments of connection are what really resonate.
Finally, don’t make it all serious and sentimental. The best speeches combine tenderness with humour. A light-hearted moment after an emotional one gives your audience a chance to breathe – and shows just how well you know your mum.
A speech theme is the central thread or idea that ties your entire speech together. It helps you stay focused, gives your speech structure, and adds that storytelling magic that really holds the audience’s attention. Instead of just jumping from one memory to the next, a theme helps you frame everything in a cohesive and meaningful way.
Need inspiration for your speech theme? Here are a few narrative frameworks that work beautifully for a daughter of the bride speech. Choose one that reflects your relationship with your mum or her love story.
The Unofficial Life Coach – lessons, mantras, and mum’s wisdom (solicited or not)
Survival Guide for Living with Mum – a humorous how-to for the groom
Love Rewritten – how your mum’s new marriage is a beautiful second act
From Role Model to Romantic Heroine – celebrating her journey to happiness
These themes help give your speech structure and meaning. They allow you to blend humour, sentiment, and storytelling in a way that feels personal and well thought-out.
Pick one or create your own – and use it to guide the stories you share and the way you wrap up your toast.
Need inspiration? Here are some one-liners and themes that work well in a daughter of the bride speech. These can sit neatly within your tribute to your mum or your reflections on her new relationship.
“I was going to start this speech by saying how proud I am of my mum. But instead, I’ll start by warning [groom’s name]—she always wins at Scrabble and she never forgets a slight.”
“Hi everyone, I’m [name], daughter of the bride and lifelong recipient of her unsolicited fashion advice.”
“When I was little, I used to think weddings were just about cake. Today, I know they’re about love, new chapters…and cake.”
“Mum always told me to trust my gut. Which is funny, considering hers has such a soft spot for chocolate and romantic comedies.”
“I’m so proud of the woman my mum is, and genuinely delighted she’s found someone who loves her, even if he’s now the one she’ll nag about loading the dishwasher correctly.”
“Growing up, Mum taught me that love should be patient, kind, and ideally include shared snacks. She’s clearly found someone who’s willing to hand over the last chip.”
“Mum’s always been my role model. And today, she’s raised the bar again – by proving it’s never too late to find your person, or to dance badly in public.”
“When I was a teenager, I thought my mum knew nothing. Now I’m older, I realise she was usually right and somehow still cooler than me.”
These examples show that humour and heart go hand-in-hand. The best speeches make people laugh, then tear up – sometimes within the same paragraph.
Want your speech to feel polished and memorable? Use a callback.
A callback is when you introduce an idea, phrase, or image early in your speech, and return to it near the end. It creates a sense of structure, gives your speech emotional weight, and makes your ending feel satisfying.
Callbacks work because they show intention and storytelling confidence. The audience recognises the link and it makes your speech feel clever and complete.
Here are three great callback examples to inspire you:
Opening: “Mum once told me that love is like gardening – messy, unpredictable, but worth it.”
Ending: “And today, seeing her so happy, I think she’s finally found the one who’ll happily get muddy with her.”
Opening: “As a teenager, I used to roll my eyes when Mum said ‘everything happens for a reason.'”
Ending: “Now, watching her marry the man who clearly makes her light up – I get it. Everything really does happen for a reason.”
Opening: “Mum always believed in second chances – second helpings, second opinions, and second dates.”
Ending: “And today proves she was right all along – because this second chance at love looks pretty perfect to me.”
Opening: “Mum’s catchphrase is ‘I’ve got this.’ Whether it was fixing a leaky tap or talking me through a breakup, that was always her line.”
Ending: “And today, seeing her take this leap with so much joy, I think it’s safe to say – once again – she’s got this.”
Callbacks don’t have to be dramatic or poetic – they just need to connect the dots. Set something up early, and pay it off at the end. It’s a simple technique, but it adds real storytelling punch.
We work one-on-one with adult daughters to help them create standout speeches that reflect their personality and family story.
Whether you need a fully written script, editing support, or maybe the help of our SpeechyAI tool – we’ve got you. Our team will help you balance humour and heart, avoid clichés, and make your speech one to remember.
We can also offer feedback on tone, structure and delivery in our Delivery Coaching Sessions
No one is expecting a long, personalised speech from a little one. Something short and sweet will get a few ‘awws’ and some affectionate laughter.
Keeping it simple often creates more impact.
A contribution, however small, from your little girl, will add some good-natured humour to the speeches and make her feel central to the day.
“Kids are naturally hilarious. We once had a 7-year-old say, ‘Love is when someone gives you their last Haribo.’ I mean, come on.”- Heidi
We don’t have any specific products or services for young ‘uns as it shouldn’t be complicated!
Cute, not curated, is what you’re after.
Many teens cringe at reading anything too soppy, so look for something more humorous than emotional. Here are a few of our favourite funny wedding poems.
The older your daughter, the more likely it is she’ll be able to prepare the speech herself, or perhaps work with a writing team like us to craft something really special. We once worked with a 15-year-old who used Star Wars quotes to define what love really means at his mum’s wedding. Guests will be charmed by a teenager’s ‘unique’ perspective on matters of the heart.
Aim for a speech length of no more than three to five minutes – every speech is funnier and more memorable when it’s cut right back. It may be wise to get an adult to check out the speech before it’s delivered.
Bear in mind that many public speakers – definitely not just children – freeze when faced with a room full of expectant faces. Nothing involving children ever goes exactly to plan, but go with the flow and laugh at whatever happens!
Teenage daughters can follow a basic but effective structure. Here’s one that works well:
Say Hello & Set the Tone
Keep it casual, introduce yourself, and maybe drop in a funny line.
Talk About Your Mum
Share a moment, habit or story that sums her up—loving, dramatic, obsessed with labelling everything.
Talk About Her Partner
If it’s your dad, make sure he gets an equal tribute. If not, reflect on your relationship with your new stepdad. Keep it honest and light. If he’s earned your respect, let people know.
Reflect on Their Relationship
What do you see in them as a couple? How do they make each other better?
Finish with a Toast
Keep it short and heartfelt—or short and funny!
Even teenage speeches benefit from a central idea. A theme helps the speaker stay focused and gives the speech structure and character.
Here are five themes that work brilliantly for teens:
Mum: The Original Influencer – exploring the ways your mum shaped who you are today
Things I’ve Learnt from Mum (Despite My Best Efforts) – humorous and heartfelt lessons passed down
The Real-Life Superwoman – highlighting all the times your mum came to the rescue
Love, Actually (But for Real This Time) – reflecting on your mum’s relationship like it’s a romcom
Plot Twist! – how your mum’s love story surprised and inspired you
Use the theme to guide what stories or jokes to include, and help the speech flow naturally.
“Hi, I’m [Name]- the teenager who’s watched her mum cry at every episode of Bake Off and still somehow thinks love is worth the emotional risk.”
“When Mum told me she was getting married again, I had one question: ‘Will there be cake?’”
“I may not know much about love, but I know a lot about my mum and that’s pretty much the same thing.”
“When people say they look up to their mum, they usually mean metaphorically. I mean it literally – she still wears heels to do the school run.”
“This speech has been reviewed by one adult, three memes, and one very judgmental cat.”
“To Mum, her new husband, and the kind of love story you only get with a second draft.”
“To happily ever after and the snacks we share along the way.”
“To the couple who prove that romance isn’t dead. It just needs good lighting and coffee.”
“To Mum, for showing me how to love boldly, laugh loudly, and never settle for anything less.”
“Here’s to love, laughter, and letting Mum always have the last word.”
These touches help even a short teenage speech feel thoughtful, funny, and full of personality.
Teenagers often know what they want to say – they just need help saying it well.
Whilst our bespoke speechwriting service might be a bit OTT for a short speech, our Edit Service might help add an extra layer of polish to their effort.
Teenagers also, generally, love working with our SpeechyAI tool and it’s an affordable way to access the team’s speechwriting secrets!
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.
