Small Wedding Speech

Recognise the Romance of a Small Wedding

Small weddings aren’t a compromise – they’re a celebration of intimacy, authenticity, and serious vibes. Forget the Googled wedding gags, the obligation invites, and the need to perform for distant cousins and dad’s golf buddies. A small wedding is your chance to deliver a speech that’s personal, funny, and heartfelt – no filter required.

With only your favourite humans in the room, there’s room for giggles, revelations, and real moments. No need to tick off etiquette boxes. Just give people the feels.

Here’s your guide to planning, writing and delivering your speech…

✨ “Love doesn’t have to be loud to be heard.” – Heidi Ellert-McDermott, The Modern Couple’s Guide to Wedding Speeches

Planning the Speeches for a Small Wedding

Rethink the Speech Schedule

Don’t bunch all the speeches up. Space them out like a tasting menu.

• One before the meal
• One after the starter
• One post-main

Just tell the caterers. That way, your guests stay engaged and your speeches feel like a part of the day, not a box-ticking chore.

Try the Scandi Toasting Tradition

Borrow a tip from the Danes. In smaller weddings, spontaneous toasts are golden. Let guests know in advance that they’re welcome to propose a toast – keep it light, under three minutes, and heartfelt. You can give them a prompt like:

• “Share your best piece of marriage advice”
• “Tell us what love means to you”

Not only does it ease the pressure on the traditional speakers, but it brings in more love and more voices. Win-win.

Writing a Speech for a Small Wedding

Opening Lines That Don’t Suck

Bin the formalities. Just start talking to your friends. And say something that gets a laugh early on.

Example Starters

• “Thanks for coming to our tiny-but-mighty wedding. No DJ, no hog roast, but luckily no one had to sit next to the rugby lads.”
• “Welcome to our not-so-big day. It’s small, but it’s filled with huge love and at least four bottles of prosecco.”
• “There might not be 100 people here today, but you lot make up for it in style, sass, and shameless dance moves.”

Want more original openers? SpeechyAI might be for you.

Resist the Search Engines

Please, for the love of Beyoncé, do not Google “funny wedding speech jokes.” Everyone’s heard them. Especially your guests who’ve been to more than two weddings.

Instead, find your laughs in the details:

• His obsession with that one weird soap
• Her inexplicable dislike of umbrellas
• That time you got locked out of your Airbnb in your pants

Want help crafting punchlines? Read our guide to writing funny wedding speeches.

Want more inspiration? Check out our bespoke speech writing service or edit service. 

In-Jokes Are Finally Allowed 🎉

At a 150-guest wedding, in-jokes flop. At a 15-guest wedding, they fly.

Mention the cottage trip where half of you got food poisoning. The failed escape room attempt. The time your partner cried during a dog food advert. These are the stories that matter – and that everyone here remembers.

Invite your guests into the storytelling: “I’m sure someone here remembers what I said that night because I… definitely don’t.”

Don’t Fear Going Deep

An intimate room allows for big emotions. You can be sentimental without sounding like you’ve nicked your vows off Love Island.

Can’t find the right words? Borrow someone else’s. Here are some great romantic quotes to try:

• ”You are the finest, loveliest, tenderest, and most beautiful person I have ever known—and even that is an understatement.”
  F. Scott Fitzgerald
• “I knew when I met you an adventure was going to happen.”
  A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh
• “It was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together.”
  Sleepless in Seattle

More quote inspo? Head to our Groom Speech Quotes or Bride Speech Quotes blogs.

Toasts for a Small Wedding

One of the most charming features of a small wedding? Everyone gets a front-row seat to the love—and that includes the toasts. Whether it’s the groom, the bride, a best mate, or an adoring auntie, these short and sweet toasts are designed to fit the vibe: intimate, warm, and lightly toasted (in every sense).

A Few Small Wedding Toasts to Steal

• “To love – may it be modern enough to survive the times and old-fashioned enough to last forever.”
• “Here’s to the kind of love that makes you feel like the luckiest weirdo alive.”
• “To small weddings and big feelings.”
• “To laughter, late-night snacks, and loving someone even when they steal the duvet.”
• “Here’s to this moment, these people, and a love story that just got its best chapter yet.”

Invite your guests to raise a glass with one of these, or better yet, make one up on the spot – it’s a small crowd, and they’re already on your side.

Delivering a Speech at a Small Wedding

Make the Most of the Cosiness

There’s no stage, no mic, and no pressure. That means… no excuses.

• Use your hands – gestures make storytelling better.
• Make eye contact – this is a conversation, not a monologue.
• Use your voice – lean into quiet moments and raise the tempo when you’re delivering a laugh line.

If you’re referencing someone, look them in the eye. Want a reaction? Raise an eyebrow. It’s subtle theatre and it works.

More delivery tips? Check out our how to deliver a wedding speech guide.

Final Words

Your wedding speech isn’t about tradition, protocol, or impressing people. It’s about celebrating love in a way that feels real to you.

If you’re speaking at a small wedding, you’ve already won the intimacy game. Now just tell your story. Have a laugh. Shed a tear. And say what matters.

We’re here if you need help turning those stories into something unforgettable. Explore our speechwriting services below…