Quotes are a great way of helping mums sum up a lifetime of love in a few eloquent sentences. While plagiarism is never allowed, quoting clever people is.
Some people have that amazing knack of articulating feelings that seems impossible to describe. Exploit their talent.
Here’s the Speechy team’s collection of great quotes for mums to use when paying a fitting tribute to their daughters. We’ve picked out some sentimental ones but the humorous ones are our favourites.
(*Of course, if you’re looking for a bit more help with your speech, check out our mother of the bride speech template or our bespoke speech writing service. We’re 5 star rated for a reason).
A word of warning before we begin… Using quotes is a great way of adding gravitas to your speech but don’t let it make you lazy.
Use the quotes as an addition to what you want to say, rather than a substitute for your own words. Write your speech first, then see if a quote or two can make it better.
1 – Make the quotes meaningful
Think about the songs, the films, the books that mean something to you both. Do any of these lend themselves to a great quote? Guaranteed, your daughter will love you more for it.
2 – Don’t overload your speech with quotes
Two maximum as a general rule. One at the top and one towards the end.
3 – Quote recognisable names (or at least provide some context)
It’s always good to quote people that you’ve actually have heard of (or at least respect after you’ve looked them up on Wikipedia). You’ll find there’s loads of great quotes by people you’ve never heard of, but do you really want to qualify them by saying they were written by a ‘relationship consultant’?
4 – Don’t just use quotes for the sentimental bit
Quotes can also add humour where it’s needed.
5 – Get expert advice
Check out our Mother of the Bride Speech Advice for the full low down on how to package your quotes up in a great speech. Write it yourself, or find out how you can work with one of our wordsmiths to create your very own bespoke speech.
Touching Mothers of the Bride Quotes
“Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold.” Zelda Fitzgerald
All a mum knows, is it can hold a hell of a lot more once it’s been handed over to her daughter.
“I knew when I met you an adventure was going to happen.” A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh.
That moment you met your daughter for the first time. Summed up by a honey munching bear.
Check out more lovely quotes from the bear.
“It’s not what we have in life, it’s who we have in life that matters.” Author Unknown
Hard to quote ‘Anons’ but sometimes worth the effort. Just say ‘As someone once said…’ and share the sentiment.
”Some people arrive and make such a beautiful impact on your life, you can barely remember what life was like without them.‘‘ Anna Taylor
A good way to introduce stories about your daughter’s childhood… think about ‘the impact’ she made as a toddler and a teenager. Plenty of room for laughs.
’You are the finest, loveliest, tenderest, and most beautiful person I have ever known—and even that is an understatement’’ F. Scott Fitzgerald
He meant it romantically. You mean it without romance getting in the way.
”You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” AA Milne, Winnie-the-pooh
Yes, Winnie-the-Pooh. So good, he gets two entries in our collection of mother of the bride quotes.
And we bet this quote can be applied to your daughter.
Marriage Advice Mothers Can Give
“A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.” Mignon McLaughlin
We’re not suggesting the newlyweds will ever argue, but just in case..
“To keep your marriage brimming, With love in the loving cup, Whenever you’re wrong, admit it; Whenever you’re right, shut up.” Ogden Nash
Wise man Ogden. You might not have heard of this old school American poet but he actually does a fine line in comedic wedding advice.
“May she share everything with her husband, including the housework.” Unknown Proverb
The women in the audience might already know this one!
“When marrying, ask yourself this question: Do you believe that you will be able to converse well with this person into your old age? Everything else in marriage is transitory.” Friedrich Nietzsche
You might want to give a few examples of the sort of nonsense the happy couple normally chat about. Will they still be talking about Game of Thrones and arguing about who built the Ikea bed wrong when they’re in their 90s?
“Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like volcanoes and then subsides. And when it subsides, you have a to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part.” Louis de Bernieres
It’s certainly poetic, but hey, it’s a wedding so you’re allowed.“What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility.” Leo Tolstoy
Again, feel feel to provide examples of the areas the happy couple might need to work on!
Classic Wedding Speech Quotes
“I love being married. It’s so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.” Rita Rudner
It’s a classic but it works.“Who, being loved, is poor?” Oscar Wilde
Suggested back ref – something related to the cost of a wedding.
“Never go to bed on an argument. Stay up and fight.” Phyllis Diller
Still love this quote. And we follow her advice every night.
Funny Wedding Speech Quotes
“People are weird. When we find someone with weirdness that is compatible with ours, we team up and call it love.” Dr. Seuss
Surely this quote applies to every single couple getting hitched!?
”Now remember! As far as anyone knows, we’re a nice, normal family.’ Homer Simpson
Said, with a wink to your daughter, as you welcome the groom to the family.
“What I say is that, if a man really likes potatoes, he must be a pretty decent sort of fellow.” A. A. Milne
It really only works if the groom likes his Maris Pipers.
“Watching your daughter being collected by her date feels like handing over a million-dollar Stradivarius to a gorilla.” Jim Bishop
Gone are the days when we watch our daughters go out on dates but the fear of them still applies.
Love is a lot like a backache: it doesn’t show up on X-rays, but you know it’s there.” George Burns
Your peers will get this one.
‘Yeah, you know, boys, a nuclear reactor is a lot like a woman. You just have to read the manual and press the right buttons.’ Homer Simpson
And quite frankly, what mother of the bride speech would be complete without a Homer Simpson quote?
The Speechy team do more than hunt down cool quotes.
We’re a team of BBC trained TV scriptwriters by trade but these days we help people around the world craft amazing wedding speeches. We’re rated ‘excellent’ on Trustpilot and here are some of the ways we can help you…
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