(*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.)
💍 Second Marriage Wedding Speech Guide – What You Need to KnowSecond time around? Don’t worry — your wedding speech doesn’t have to be a rerun of your first. Whether you’ve previously been divorced or widowed, or your partner is tying the knot again, a second marriage wedding speech is a chance to celebrate love with all the wisdom (and wit) life has given you so far.
You may have more backstory, more characters to reference (hello, exes and stepkids), and more lived experience to draw on — but your mission remains the same: to write a speech that’s heartfelt, honest, and full of personality.
In this blog, we cover…
✅ What to say (and what not to say) if you’re divorced
🕊️ How to respectfully acknowledge a previous partner if you’ve been widowed
💬 Key second wedding speech etiquette
👨👩👧 Including children and stepfamilies in your speech
😂 Second marriage quotes to inspire you
🙅♀️ Advice for other speakers (best men, maids of honour etc.)
🛠️ The Speechy tools and services to help you get it right
If you’ve been divorced for over three years, rest assured, this is now distant history. Even if your first wedding was a large-scale declaration of undying love, people today accept that a lot of marriages just don’t work. You don’t need to use your wedding speech to explain this ‘failure’ or outline why exactly this marriage is made to last.
Of course, some people embrace the fact that they’re divorced, starting with lines such as ‘I should be good at this – I’ve done it often enough‘. If you’re recently divorced or you’ve been married several times, it may feel like it’s the elephant in the room and so humour can diffuse this. But in general, this ‘edgy’ approach isn’t for most. Certainly, don’t go into any specifics. This will only alienate the audience and sit awkwardly with those present.
It’s all about reading the audience (some of whom could still be friends with your ex-spouse). If your children are present and your references relate to their mother or father, the divorce will hold no humorous leverage with them, so just don’t!
In fact, if your children are present be careful about how any part of your speech will be interpreted. Phrases like ‘I never knew love until I met you’ can feel a bit brutal to young ears.
Firstly, we’d suggest taking a moment to pay a personal tribute to your previous spouse (perhaps with your children) in advance of the wedding. Read our Dearly Departed Guide to understand how this could work.
In the lead up to the wedding, be conscious of the fact the day itself may bring back memories from your previous wedding. Warn a close friend and use them if needs be.
When it comes to the speech, you may want to pay a small, heartfelt tribute to your previous partner. We suggest it should be along the lines of you still love them but you’re confident they’d want you to be happy and approve of your new relationship. You could even add a bit of humour with something like ‘Especially as they’re both foolish enough to support West Brom’.
Then, don’t feel apologetic for not dwelling on your past relationship any longer. Today is about a new love story. Relish it!
A second marriage speech is really no different from any other bride/groom speech. Read our etiquette guide blog post for the finer details.
Simply…
In many ways, a second marriage speech can be more straightforward – especially if it’s only recently that you thanked your folks for a lifetime of love and your friends for being great mates. Here, you get the benefit of concentrating on your new partner!
Of course, the exception to this is if you have children from your previous relationship. If they’re young, talk about them lovingly in your speech. Second weddings can be hard for children, so make sure they feel included. Maybe even get them to recite a poem or give a short speech as part of the day.
One thing we do encourage is to be open about how you’ve perhaps found an unusual route to love, or how you’ve found it later in life. You can be funny here and it’ll endear the audience to you even more.
If you’re not quite sure what to say, fortunately, there are plenty of great quotes which do this for you.
‘Being someone’s first love may be great, but to be their last is beyond perfect’ – Anonymous.
It’s a shame no-one knows who wrote that because we love it!
If you’d like a more humorous quote, here’s one from Lord Byron.
‘Like the measles, love is most dangerous when it comes late in life’.
… Hopefully, everyone’s had their MMR jab but still – the point stands.
Here’s another unknown quote…
‘One day someone will walk into your life and make you see why it never worked out with anyone else’.
And finally, for those situations where you may have, tragically, lost a previous spouse, here’s a respectful but hopeful quote which should reflect the mood of the day.
‘If life can remove someone you never dreamed of losing, it can replace them with someone you never dreamt of having’ – Rachel Wolchin.
For more great inspiration, visit our Groom Quotes or Bride Quotes. If you need further advice, then the Speechy team has written advice guides for groom, gay groom, bride and lesbian bride.
If you’re a best man or maid of honour speaking at a friend or family member’s second marriage, then we advise avoiding any reference to a previous marriage.
Even if you think your friend would approve of some edgy humour, his partner, or their family, may NOT!
Read our Best Man Advice or Maid of Honour Advice and generate some original, less obvious humour instead.
🎤 Ready to Nail Your Wedding Speech?
Whether you’re the groom, bride, or a proud parent, we’ve got everything you need to get started (and sound amazing doing it).
👉 Try our AI Wedding Speech Generator for instant inspo
📄 Download a speech template to guide your writing
📝 Already got a draft? Let us polish it with our Edit Service
💎 Want it done for you? Work one-on-one with our team through our Bespoke Speechwriting Service
Let’s make your words as unforgettable as the big day.
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.
