The internet has numerous companies that offer to write your speech for you and while this may seem an easy option it isn’t a great idea. Firstly these “writers” don’t know you, everyone has a particular way of speaking and so there’s no way they can write for your speech patterns. Also they have never met the happy couple so how can they be qualified to speak to them? No matter whether you are the Father of the Bride, the Groom or the Best Man your speech should come from you.

If need be there are plenty of sites that can help providing you with a bonanza of one liners and ice breakers that you can weave into your speech without losing your own important words. But don’t be afraid to mix good humour with a hint of romance, there are many great quotes on love and marriage which can give your speech a touch of class. Let’s face it most guys have never had to write a speech before let alone ensure that it is littered with a few laughs to keep the crowd entertained.

Using databases to help bring your speech to life is a useful tip and can certainly fill in the blanks and give you some humorous hand grenades to throw when needed but keep in mind that ultimately it must be YOUR speech and YOUR words, it’s a special celebration and your chance to pay tribute to a couple who hold you in such high esteem.

Most of all don’t let the nerves get to you. A famous English comedian once commented that giving a wedding speech is a bit like making love to the queen, it’s a great honour but nobody really wants to do it. People recognise how hard it is to have to give a wedding speech, everyone at the wedding wants you to do a great job and so is on your side willing you to do well. So relax, enjoy and don’t let it give you too many sleepless nights. Stick to the basic rules and you will be celebrated as the hero of the hour. The Father of the Bride will have the adoration of his wife and beautiful daughter and admiration of his friends and relatives. The Groom will show why his new wife chose so wisely and be welcomed into the arms of his new family. For the Best Man…. Well get it right and you could well wind up with your pick of the bridesmaids!

For more expert tips and advice go to;

www.simplythebestman.co.uk

www.simplythefatherofthebride.com

www.simplythegroom.com

Could there be anything more terrifying? For many people speaking in public is the ultimate fear while others consider being in the spotlight their rightful place and crave any audience. However most guys fear having to write and deliver a wedding speech.

Traditionally the Father of the Bride gives the first speech, during which he ends by toasting the happy couple. It also seems to be tradition for the Brides father to give the longest and dullest speech possible and talk for longer than the ceremony lasted. This can be easily avoided with a few simple tips. Second comes the Groom who will publicly thank the bridesmaids, ushers and acknowledge both sets of parents.  The Best Man’s speech is usually given 3^rd and there is an expectation that this is the main act of what can sometimes be a rather dull part of proceedings. This speech will either be celebrated as the high point of the wedding or he’ll be removed bodily from the building by the bride’s angry brothers while the bride’s mother looks on scowling. The best man should not only mention the bride but he also answers on behalf of the bridesmaids and ushers for the kind words of the Groom.

Timing

At many weddings the father of the bride’s has been known to drag out a bit, well it’s only fair, he is the one that laid out all the cash so that a load of relatives he doesn’t like and strangers he’s never met and will probably never meet again can have a free meal and party at his expense. However there is no need for him to be dull and there is help at hand (see below). Most Grooms don’t prepare their speech and try to rush through it as quickly as possible, seeing as its his party the Groom can get away with delivering his speech however he chooses. The perfect wedding speech should last around 7 minutes.

Language

Swearing is a big “no no”. Just don’t do it. Remember this will be a very mixed crowd.

Jokes

Most of the time the real fun stuff comes from the Best Man however although he is there to ensure the groom gets a comedy roast what might seem really funny to a the Groom and his friends down the pub on a Friday night might not be the kind of thing that’s going to amuse the bride’s grandparents. If you are undecided about whether something is too close to the knuckle then its best to err on the side of caution.

The Basic Phases

All three of the wedding speeches can be broken down into phases, stick with this basic rules and you can’t go wrong. Here is an example of the Best Man’s speech phases.

• Introduction. Introduce yourself and your relationship to the groom. This is a good place to try your first joke to relax yourself and your audience.
• The formal bit. Reply on behalf of the bridesmaids, ushers, etc. Compliment the bride’s parents on the great day and their hospitality. And compliment the bride.
• The Roast. A few gags or a relevant story at the groom’s expense.
• Words of wisdom. Offer some words of advice or insights into marriage, this is a good place to deliver some killer jokes or quotes.
• Time to be nice. Before you wrap up and now that you have given the groom such a hard time its then time to offer some sincerity and best wishes for the future.
• Postman. Read out any messages or cards from those who couldn’t make it on the day.

Toast. Finish your speech by asking everyone to stand and raise their glasses to the newlyweds. This might have been done by the father of the bride but no one will mind toasting the happy couple a second time and it’s a great way to bring your speech to a close.

For more expert tips and advice go to;

www.simplythebestman.co.uk

Now you are well on the way to organizing your ‘Perfect Wedding’ the flowers, car, venue, photographer etc are all booked and ordered, but now you’re stuck on the smallest thing of all – the wedding favours.

The problem is that giving a personalised favour can be extremely expensive, especially if you go down the route of getting something small engraved with the guest’s name on.  Yes you can pick the particular item up cheaply, but then you want to personalise it so how about getting it engraved with the wedding day and individual names on, shouldn’t be too much, but remember you have 60+ guests at the wedding breakfast, and what about the evening guests and children, you need to give them all a wedding favour.  Then think about what happens to that favour once the wedding is over and the guest takes it home with them.  It gets put in a cupboard away from sight, and then gets forgotten about, which means you’ve forked out all that money for something that gets hidden away.

So how about buying something edible, you can go to the shop and buy loads of chocolate bars, which will work out cheap, but they’re not personalised or unique.  You could then perhaps put these in favour boxes which could be personalised, but again what happens to the favour boxes.  How about if you can get a chocolate bar with a wrapper that’s the same colour as your wedding theme, personalised with the individual names on, a personal message from the happy couple and a picture of your own wedding rings, venue or car – and most importantly your choice of flavour for very little expense now that’s much better than buying a bar of milk chocolate from your local shop, isn’t it?

Article by Jenny of Jen’s Wrappers

Having made the decision to get married, the newly betrothed need to assemble an army of helpers to make sure the day goes without a hitch. This army are often the bridal party, close family and friends to whom you can delegate some of the responsibilities.  First on the list is the best man and maid or matron of honour.

Best Man

Among the best man’s responsibilities are organising the stag party, get the groom to the church, act as a legal witness to the ceremony, look after the ring and pay the fee for the service and any services or suppliers to be paid on the day, this can be with money previously given to him in marked envelopes.  He also organises the ushers, gives a speech at the reception when he would thank the bridal party and has the first dance with the chief bridesmaid.

Maid of Honour

The maid of honour or chief bridesmaid starts working immediately with the bride-to-be, helping to choose outfits, assisting with invitations and checking arrangements with photographers, florists and caterers. Responsibilities on the day, she will assist the bride-to-be in getting dressed and will sometimes travel with her to the church. The chief bridesmaid would traditionally also hold the groom’s ring if he is to be given one, and look after any younger bridesmaids and pageboys in the bridal party.

The Bride’s Parents

The mother of the bride is traditionally the hostess at the reception and head of the bridal party, all the guests are introduced to her first by the ushers, or she may introduce the guests herself to the happy couple. Her main responsibilities are to support her daughter and help her with choosing the dress and the wedding venues, and liaising with the groom’s family. The bride’s father takes on most of the funding, although these days the cost is usually spread between both the families, and the couple often take on a large part of the expense as well. The bride’s father has the pleasure of escorting his daughter down the aisle to give her away. He has the dubious pleasure of making the first speech at the reception.

The Groom’s Parents

As the bulk of the costs were traditionally borne by the bride’s parents and the groom, the groom’s parents had little to do in the organisation of the wedding. They are expected to meet with the bride’s parents to help decide on a suitable date, provide a list of guests from their side of the family, and welcome the guests in the greeting line prior to the wedding breakfast . Nowadays they often have greater involvement in the expenses, and are generally on hand to help with most aspects of the wedding.

The top table is traditionally seated by the bridal party as a way of thanking them for their help and support and carrying out their responsibilities to make the day run smoothly.