A wedding speech should be just less than ten minutes. That doesn’t sound long but actually, unless you have really great material, watching someone speak for that amount of time can leave guests secretly reaching for their phones and checking their Facebook updates. Especially those naughty ones on the single table. What you need is a few funny wedding speech props and here’s some ideas to think about…
Photos are a great way of adding laughs to your speech so get hunting! Get mates and mums hunting too. Remember though, that just because you’ve found a photo of the groom looking like a member of a Take That tribute act it doesn’t automatically mean getting the Powerpoint out. Any photos you use should reflect the story you’re telling rather than simply being an ‘add on’.
Try to find a theme that connects the photos and your speech, for example if the groom’s a fan of motorbikes you could chronicle his transport through the ages (from his old fashioned pram as a baby to his undeniably pink BMX as a teenager, through to his inflatable banana on his stag do). You could then conclude with a toast to ‘finding the ultimate travel companion’ and a photo of the bride and groom on his motorbike. All together now ‘ahhh’.
The teddy bear the groom’s mum packed when he went to university. That ‘interesting’ 3 foot painting the bride did when she was going through her ‘arty’ phase. The pair of burgundy flares that the groom refuses to bin. All the funnier for being put on display.
Think big. One best man played with the notion that the groom (who worked in the Foreign Office) was actually a spy. The best man produced the groom’s ‘Secret Dossier’ before asking ‘security’ (a.k.a. the ushers) to put on their shades and cover the exits as the reception venue went into ‘lock down’. With lighting and sound effects it created quite a moment and certainly had the groom worried!
Another example is a maid of honour who pulled out her poms poms and got the bridesmaids to perform an updated version of their sixth form cheerleading routine in honour of the newlyweds. Luckily she’d remembered to wear shorts under her dress before attempting the cartwheel!
Guests are actually a great prop; they’re free and you don’t have to worry about loosing them on the day. Involving guests in your speech is also a sure-fire way of grabbing their attention.
A simple idea is to get them playing a wedding version of the drinking game ‘Have you Ever?’ For example the groom could ask a series of leading questions regarding the guests experience of the bride – have you ever drunk jaggerbombs with the bride / been forced to eat a meal she’s cooked / been forced to listen to Taylor Swift on repeat for an hour? It’s a fab way of getting everyone laughing and illustrating a common bond.
Some people are opting to make their speech a visual aid in themselves. Wedding speech videos are certainly becoming more popular with some choosing to shoot & edit it themselves and others hiring professionals to do it for them.
Some might think a video is just a way of copping out on giving a speech but actually it can add a lot more depth, content and comedy if it’s done right.
‘Mockumentaries’ work well; where the presenter goes to visit the people and places which have been important to the newlyweds. It takes a bit of effort but if it’s presented tongue in cheek it can work a treat.
Check out our full range of Speech Templates.
Give us a call if you want to find out more about how we work, the services we offer and our DELIGHT GUARANTEE. We’re happy to give you 15 mins of our time with no obligation to work with us.
WhatsApp us, call Heidi on 07971 224 245, email hello@speechy.co.uk or request a callback.
