For many guests, the wedding speeches at the reception will be the most enjoyable part of the whole occasion. If does not matter how well the speeches go, there is always a great surge in energy and a heightened atmosphere after the wedding speakers have revealed their feelings, words of advice, humorous stories and heartfelt messages of love. Allowing yourself to be vunerable to these feelings is the key to success at the podium.

Wedding speeches are a very humbling and leveling experience for most speakers. they are different from any other speaking occasion because the pinpoint a moment in time. The subject is emotional and the words are meant to enchant - two aspects that make them a recipe for great apprehension. Even with experience, people will say the strangest things when they get up to speak in front of an audience gathered to celebrate love. This pressure can magically make time and space leap into another dimension. However, the risk can be minimised if there is some minor preparation.  

Funny Wedding Speeches 

A funny wedding speech which is truly humorous and witty at the same time is one of the harder wedding speeches. Comedy is not easy and is definitely not anybody’s cup of tea. A funny wedding speech is not about including a joke or two in your speech. You need to apply your sense of humor to make your speech really funny and interesting.

One method to keep people's attention and entertain them at the same time is to break up the speaker's series of sincere thoughts with funny quips, quotes or anecdotes. This style works well because it gets a heartfelt message across while making people laugh at the same time. The order becomes serious / funny / serious / funny and so on. For example, the juxtaposition can be in one phrase : "Thank you all for coming together and helping us celebrate this great day in our lives - I particularly want to make mention of those people who knew I was going to be making a speech, but turned up anyway ! (Adapted from 'Sydney Wedding' magazine.)

 The best wedding speeches are those that blend humor with sentimental moments. Of course, if it’s too sentimental you’ll have guests crying in their beer and if you have too many jokes it’s not good either. To make your speech humorous a joke or two is fine but if it is composed entirely of jokes simply stop and add in a few serious and sentimental parts to make a well-rounded funny wedding speech.

How to Prepare Yourself to Give a Wedding Toast

Once you have decided exactly what to say to your best friend at his or her wedding, the next step is the all important preparation.  If you are really well prepared for giving the wedding toast or speech, you will do a great job no matter how nervous you are.

Step 1: Visualize

The first step is to visualize yourself at the wedding, holding a champagne glass in your hand, giving the speech. This is called visualization.

Visualization works best if you take a quiet moment, close your eyes, and picture yourself clearly giving a toast at your friend's wedding.  Fill in all the details in your mind, what you are wearing, the face of your friend watching you, the confident way you are giving the speech.  Give the visualization color and sound in your mind.

Visualize yourself giving the wedding speech once a day until the wedding.  When you get up to give the speech, you will have already given it many times before, and will feel comfortable speaking in front of a crowd.

 Step 2: Rehearse

Any time that you give any kind of speech, you should rehearse the speech.  Practice reading it outloud to yourself over and over until you think that you have gotten it down.  Then practice reading it in front of someone else, so that they can let you know if you are speaking too fast, and where to pause for effect. The more you rehearse, the more natural it will feel when you get up and give your toast at the wedding.

Step 3: Dress Rehearsal

Just like the dress rehearsal for any play, a dress rehearsal for the wedding speech you are giving will help you immensely.  If you can, go to the place where you are speaking, dressed in the clothing that you will be wearing, and take the props you will need, (written speech, wine cup) and go through the entire speech. A dress rehearsal works even better if there is someone there to listen to it.  Doing a dress rehearsal will settle the jitters you have about wearing different clothes, and standing up at a microphone or podium.  You can practice looking out at where the crowd will be seated or standing, and practice looking around the room.  Once you have a dress rehearsal, you will feel much more confident giving your speech.

 Step 4: Preparing Your Props Ahead of Time

With all that is going on with a wedding, it is very easy to forget your speech at home, or the special champagne cup you may want to use.  A few days before the wedding, pack your props for your speech, and put them with the dress or tux that you are going to wear so that you will not forget anything.  When it is time to rush and get ready, every thing will be in one place.

Step 5: Get Ready and Go!

If you have followed the simple steps on this page, you are ready to give your wedding toast to the bride and groom whether you are the best man, father of the bride, mother of the bride, maid of honor, or the father or mother of the groom. You can feel confident that you have taken every step that you can to get ready, and you will do very well, honoring the bride and groom and letting them know how special they are.