Maid of Honor Speech Outline: Writing a Maid of Honor Speech

A maid of honor speech is a speech the maid of honor or matron of honor gives during a wedding reception. The maid of honor, typically the bride’s best friend, sister, or a female relative, supports the wedding planning process by leading the bridal party and planning the bridal shower and bachelorette party. Maid of honor responsibilities also include delivering a maid of honor speech at the reception, which should be short and celebratory.

The maid of honor's wedding speech usually includes anecdotes about the bride, compliments about the groom, and well-wishes for the new spouses. Sometimes, couples opt for only family members to give speeches at the reception.

A maid of honor speech is typically four minutes long. Expert wedding planner Mindy Weiss recommends all wedding speeches and toasts should be short. “Too many speeches really interfere with the celebration and could become a little boring,” Mindy explains. “People love to hear themselves talk. Put limitations on people—give them a time limit.”

Traditionally, the speeches and toasts during a wedding reception begin with the father of the bride or the parents of the bride after the meal. Next, the father of the groom or parents of the groom can offer a wedding toast. Next comes the maid of honor speech followed by the best man speech. Following those toasts, other members of the wedding party can deliver remarks, such as any other bridesmaids or groomsmen who wish to speak.

Writing a maid of honor speech can be nerve-racking, but you do not have to be a professional speechwriter to craft a moving maid of honor speech. Follow this template for constructing a maid of honor toast:

• Begin with a story. Tell the story of how you met the bride or groom. Share a favorite memory or funny story involving the two of you. Talk about your friendship, why you have been friends with them for so long, and why you love them.
• Celebrate the couple. Focus the speech on the happy couple and their love story. Recall what it was like to learn they had met each other. Recall your first impression of the bride or groom and how you knew they were perfect for each other. Share why you believe they are well-suited for each other and why what they have is true love.
• Offer advice and well-wishes. Share any advice you have for the happy couple or general well-wishes. You can even share quotes about love.
• Toast the happy couple. End your speech by inviting everyone to raise their glasses and toast the newlyweds on their special day.

The maid of honor speech is a large part of the maid of honor duties. Follow these tips to ensure you have a perfect maid of honor speech:

1. 1. Add some humor. You can liven your speech with a joke or one-liner to help engage the audience. Skip inside jokes that require explanation and adult humor.
   
2. 2. Be positive. The maid of honor speech should be positive and light. Avoid saying anything negative about the couple in your speech.
3. 3. Keep it short. A maid of honor speech should be short and sweet, about three to five minutes long.
4. 4. Practice your speech. Give yourself enough time to write your maid of honor speech and practice it before the big day. For extra public speaking practice, offer to say some words at the rehearsal dinner.
5. 5. Speak from the heart. The best maid of honor speech is from the heart. It’s more important to be sincere than to try to impress the entire party.
6. 6. Use note cards. You do not need to read your entire speech word for word, but it can be helpful to write your speech (or at least bullet points) on note cards to ease your nerves. Make eye contact with the wedding guests and the newlyweds between glances at your cards.

Have a wedding to plan? Learn how to take on the process strategically. Discover Mindy Weiss’s approach to setting a budget, choosing a theme, and sending invitations when you sign up for the MasterClass Annual Membership.