Bride's Speech

Magicboo

I have sort of assumed I'm going to do a speech at our wedding mostly because a) I can't keep my mouth shut b) all our pals know that and would expect nothing less and c) the H2B is a bit shyer than me, so I'll probably do all the thank you's and other expected speech bits!
I'll probably make it like LEJC's friends-except the comment about this time round, as it's my first (& hopefully last) time although in all probablity, after my first comment about the H2B, I'll start blubbing and sit down!!
If you want to do a speech Twirlypink, do it!! For no other reason than you want to. Last time round has nothing to do with it. It's how you feel now that matters and nothing else.
x

LEJC wrote: »

My best friend remarried a few years ago and did a speech after her new husband....she tapped her glass and made a lighthearted joke that things were going to be "different this time round as she did tradition before" she then proceeded to kind of take the grooms speech format and put it in a girly prespective...how they met...how she felt when he proposed and how happy that so many of her friends and family had supported her and convinced her to marry her husband...and above all how she truly loved him...
It came across as a lovely personal gesture and very heartfelt....I know she wanted to do it mainly because she wanted things to be so different from her first wedding......

tartantotty

I am intending to make a speech, and to use the time to thank my family, and H2B for all the support they have given me, over a very turbulent and fairly traumatic few years.
I have never really publicly acknowledged my family for helping pull me through a time that could have gone either way, and the same with H2B, so I thought it would be nice to do it when everyone close to us was there.

However, I have just come back from my best mates mums house, with the intention of drinking tea, and ended up supping copious amounts of champers instead (it was free, would not have been MSE to refuse!:rotfl:), so I may not be so enthusiastic in the morning!:eek::beer::rotfl:

twirlypinky

thanks guys, great advice as always! x

Maydot

I made a speech when I got married waaaay back in September and I'm so glad I did. Hubby didn't want to make a long, prepared speech and his Best Man (his son) had one which was ok but didn't cover the things I wanted to say!

I read what I had written (apologised to the guests about reading it but I knew there was no way, what with all the planning "chaos" that I would have time to remember it word for word!)

I thanked everyone who had helped me so much with the wedding (I wanted everyone to know how much it meant to me) and also my wonderful brother and his partner for being my "adopted" Mum and Dad for the day (both my parents have passed away). As it was 2nd time round for both of us we have 3 grown up children and I took the opportunity to tell them, publicly, how much we loved them all - its not something you get the opportunity to do very often..so I grabbed it! I hadn't banked on that reducing 3/4 of our guests, and my daughter to tears but they were happy tears

I thanked my hubby for sticking with me through everything (not a good couple of years health wise) and never letting go of my hand and I found a lovely quote for him...."To the world you are one person - but to one person you are the world" (cue more tears from guests!)

I finished up by asking everyone to remember their friends and families and loved ones and proposed a toast to them all.

It sort of makes it sound like the whole thing was a bit morose but I managed to keep it light and included a few little jokes (like thanking my brother for not demanding 2 camels in exchange when he gave me away....was funnier on the day...promise! )

Even now I meet up with guests and they still mention my speech, so my advice is go for it. I had no idea what I wanted to say until I sat down in front of a blank Word document and started typing...it all sort of came together once I got going! Best of Luck and have a Wonderful Day!

twirlypinky

That's really lovely, what a nice thing to say! I might have to pinch your quote though, please don't sue me!

xxx

ambyence

I'm really umming and ahhing about making a speech. It's sooo not me - I hate being the centre of attention, and the idea of public speaking terrifies me. But at the same time, I want to thank everyone for making the effort to be there.

Maydot - "To the world you are one person - but to one person you are the world" - this brought a tear to my eye!
(I may have to steal this quote too )

I wrote this a few weeks back... if I do actually do a speech, I will probably need some courage (i.e. wine) beforehand, even though I mean every word

"Thank you all for being here today; it means so much to both of us that so many of our family and friends are here to share this special day with us.

I’d like to take a moment to remember those who are no longer with us, in particular our dearly departed grandparents, who we would have loved to share this day with. We light a candle in their memory. Hopefully somewhere they are looking over us and smiling.

My bridesmaids, my best friends; I hope you all know how beautiful you look today. I am honoured to have such amazing people in my life, supporting me on this very special day, as well as every other day. I love you all and thank every one of you for your friendship.

Thank you so much to our parents, for being so supportive of us since the beginning. Special thanks to our mums, who have provided the cake, which based on past experience, is going to taste amazing! Also, thank you to my Mum and MIL for frogmarching me into the wedding dress shop; if it wasn’t for you two, I’d probably have been standing here in jeans and a t-shirt.

Finally, thank you to my new husband. He must be either exceptionally brave and/or exceptionally foolish to want to marry me. My more indulgent friends have said that he is lucky to have me. The way I see it, we are lucky to have each other."

Maydot

Ambyence and Twirly....Please use the quote, I wish I was clever enough to have made it up but I found it trawling a quote's site on the internet so I can't take the glory for it! I can't even remember if it was anonymous or if someone famous said it but it is a lovely quote and fitted the occasion perfectly.

Cat72

Hi I understand your nerves at making a Brides speech.
I got married in July and was going back and forth about making a speech- especaily as im shy at these things. On top of that it is not sometimes the done thing here- scotland lol- plus my OH family were really hostile to us throught the whole wedding plan and on the day- they never spoke to me or him once on day. Except his mum grapping him to tell him what to do and what she wanted.

On the day I just said to the toastmaster I was not sure I would give a speech and he just gave me a nod before the best man finished his to see if I still wanted to- to which I nodded back.

If you are having a smaller wedding maybe do the same with your hubbie2b, so he can introduce you if you are feeling like doing a speech.

My hubbie was v shy so I thougt it might help him. Plus the best man was his bro and he was an idiot and refused to tell us what he had was going to say. So I left it open to catch up the things he had missed.
I remember being told always talk from your heart as people always listen- so I did this. I thanked everyone for helping but especailly my friends and some people who had travelled over. I then said " enough of the boring stuff now to the good part presents ! " and gave the bridesmaids their pressies, which broke it up. I finished by having a toast to my dead parents- which I really struggled with but felt I had to do this for me.

So dont get caught up in what to say, or saying clever things - say what you feel on the day. Keep it short- be you and im sure everyone will love it. Im now really proud I did it, so go for it.
Good luck x

twirlypinky

Thanks for all the advice. I'm going to write it all down before hand, and I really am not going to tell anyone. If i tell H2b that i intend to make a speech it'll put a lot of pressure on him to make one, and what we're doing isn't that formal really. Also, i can back out without anyone knowing if i don't tell anyone. x