MOTHER OF THE BRIDE SPEECH
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT Planning Your Mother of the Bride Speech
Traditionally, wedding speeches fell upon the fathers of the bride and groom, but as we’re all modern souls here, we say, “To heck with tradition!”. More and more brides are welcoming a mother of the bride speech, as often, it’s the mama bears who have the best marriage advice – not to mention a funny anecdote or two! If you’re planning on saying a few words at your daughter’s wedding, I’ve put together everything you need to know about planning your mother of the bride speech.
Mother of the Bride Speeches
Do:
- Enlighten everyone with a nickname you have/had for your daughter.
- Make her blush by revealing her childhood crush.
- Share her weirdest/most annoying habit.
- Tell a story from her childhood that will have everyone in fits of giggles.
- Enlighten everyone about when the now-groom first entered the picture and if there are any funny stories around that (awkward introductions, etc.).
- Share a funny tale or two from your own experience with marriage.
Don’t:
- Share anything too personal/embarrassing. It’s your daughter’s special day and she should feel amazing through every step of it.
- Include humour that exceeds the boundaries of lighthearted jibes. No one wants to be the butt of the joke.
- Include anecdotes involving exes; this might not be welcomed.
- Be cynicle. Not everyone has great experiences with marriage, but that shouldn’t be included within the speech, however well-meaning.
- Say anything that you wouldn’t want said at your own wedding.
From sharing your hilarious stories of your child’s antics, to imparting marriage-related wisdom
Standing up in a room full of people and delivering a speech (even if the bubbly has already begun to flow) can be daunting, but with a little pointer here and there, you’ll be on your way to having the wedding crowd in the palm of your hand!
PERFECT FOR
the mother of the bride
Short Mother of the Bride Speeches
No one likes to sit through a Shakespearean-length monologue – especially when everyone’s dying to tuck into the delicious wedding feast, so short really is sweet.
When planning a speech of a shorter nature, keep it focused on three or four points:
- Introduction of who you are and thank the guests for attending.
- Some kind words about your daughter/how thrilled you are for her upcoming marriage.
- An amusing story – who was her first celebrity crush and how do they compare to her partner (for example)?
- Closing remarks: another quick thank you, raise a glass, etc.
Mother of the Bride Toast
Most weddings feature more than one speech, so it’s important that the speakers liaise with each other beforehand to agree on who is going to be the last speech-giver, AKA, the one who will raise a toast.
The toast is arguably the most important part of any wedding speech, so choose your words wisely and in a way that will make everyone excited to raise their glass in honour of the newlyweds.
The closing remarks should be centered around the toast, so you can include a few amusing words of wisdom or a heartfelt tribute before asking the crowd to raise a glass.
PLANNING A MOTHER OF THE BRIDE SPEECH
Top Tips
The mother of the bride speech at any wedding is often memorable, but it’s important to make sure it’s memorable in a good way. Here are a few ways to make sure yours is a hit:
Q&A
How do you start a mother of the bride speech?
Always kickstart the mother of the bride speech by introducing yourself and thanking everyone for coming.
Even if you know most of the guests, an introduction is a strong way to open. After this, you can base the rest of your speech on whether you want to make it funny, moving, or somewhere in-between.
What should I say in my daughter’s wedding speech?
When writing a wedding speech, you have flexibility to include whatever you want: quotes, anecdotes, poems, bits of marriage advice, and so on.
The bottom line of any wedding speech is that it is supposed to pay tribute to your daughter on her wedding day, as well as welcoming the groom into the family.
What should a mother say to her daughter on her wedding day?
Whether funny, cheeky, or moving, a wedding speech should always be a declaration of love, as well as well-wishes for the happy couple’s future life together.
Should the mother of the bride give a speech?
While it’s not traditionally on the mother of the bride to deliver a wedding speech, more and more modern mums are choosing to say a few words on their daughter’s big day.
