Jittery about your matron of honor speech at your best friend’s wedding? Don’t worry! This article will help you prepare for the big day! Read on to find out.
So, your best friend has asked you to be her matron of honor at her wedding. You’re elated but at the same time, you’re skeptical about how you’re going to carry out such a huge responsibility, that too, in front of a crowd! Being a matron of honor is one of the most wonderful roles that you can play as a woman. It entails a whole lot of planning and responsibilities as well. As if that was not enough, you have the speech to worry about. This Wedessence article will come to your rescue with some useful tips.
Ideas to Write the Matron of Honor Speech
The very fact that you’re the matron of honor means you’re quite close to the bride. This is, in itself, a tank of resources that you can use in the wedding speech. The following ideas can be used for your speech.
► Childhood Stories: If you and the bride have been friends since childhood, you obviously have a long list of childhood stories that you can share with the people at the wedding. Funny stories are well-appreciated but make sure they are not embarrassing for the bride or her family.
► Relationship of the Bride and Groom: You obviously know the groom well from the time your friend started dating him. You can say something about how their relationship has evolved with time and has been nurtured by both of them equally to reach the turning point of marriage! Use anecdotes from your lives together as friends to show how their love blossomed in front of you.
► Compliment the Couple: A wedding is the happiest day in one’s life. The bride and the groom look stunning on that special day. So it’s a good idea to begin with what an attractive couple the bride and the groom make and move on to how their love makes them glow.
► Humor: Humor is one of the best ways to start and end a speech. It is a tool that you can use throughout your speech to ensure that your audience does not get bored. A word of advice would be to use humor only if you are confident that you will be able to pull it off. Be careful while using humor in your speech. Jokes about the couple that no one will understand, or worse, offend them have no place in it! If you have funny stories involving ex-flames or spouses or any other family-related story, it’s better to keep them for a more private occasion, NOT the wedding reception!
► Words of Advice: You are already married and know what a married life is all about. You can use this as a bonus and give the lucky couple some valuable advice that they can use. Make these simple and DO NOT sound patronizing. Induce a little humor in this as well so that it does not get boring and you get your point across as well. Avoid terms like ‘you should…’ and ‘you must..’. They may make you sound overbearing. Instead, use words like ‘I suggest….’ or simply ‘Just do this or that…..’.
► Spiritual Words: In case the couple is spiritual, you can use a spiritual angle. A spiritual tone can work wonders for a matron of honor speech. Quotes or verses that match the wedding sentiment will be well-appreciated by the couple, the families, and all the guests present as well.
A Sample
| “Good afternoon everyone! I’m ________ and I’m X’s matron of honor! First of all, I want to thank X for giving me this wonderful privilege of being her matron of honor. I have a few things that I’d like to say to you and to my lovely friends X and Y.
I’m so happy that X and Y have recognized and realized that they are truly made for each other. I’ve never seen a couple more in love than X and Y. And, it makes me feel so great that they’re ready to step into the blissful sanctuary of marriage. I’ve known X since we were little girls. We’ve shared almost everything in our lives! From pencils and toys in school, to study notes in high school, and to shameless gossip in college, it has been a wonderful trip! I still remember the day she came and told me that she had found the guy she was going to marry. She just waltzed into the house and announced it! I was so mad thinking that she had kept a huge secret from me. She then explained that she’d just found him, she’s yet to meet him, talk to him, get him to fall in love with her, and eventually marry him! Well Y, she did a pretty convincing job, didn’t she? [smile looking at the groom] I’ve seen X and Y evolve as a couple. I’ve seen them laugh like idiots and argue like cats and dogs. I’ve seen how they respect each other and I’ve seen how much they care! I’ve seen them going through some pretty rough patches, but they always came out shining in the end. I’ll say it’s her perseverance and his immense kindness that has kept them together until now, and it’ll be the same two qualities that will keep them together forever. They say that the world moves for love. It kneels before it in awe! Anyone who sees this lovely couple before me today will have no choice but to agree. X, I love you. And, I can’t think of a better person for you to marry than Y. Y, you better keep my best friend happy or you’ll have me to answer to! [grinning at the groom] All I want to say is congratulations to two of the most fortunate people I know. Two people, so deeply in love, it’s rare!” |
I’m sure you’ll come up with something great to write for your friends! If you’re too nervous, carry note cards so that you don’t fumble while speaking. Ask the band to play some great wedding songs after your speech so that it complements your speech. Just remember, a whole lot of sentiment, a dash of humor, and a pinch of advice are the best ingredients for a perfect matron of honor speech. Good luck!
