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Let's face it, blokes are rubbish at communicating, yet as soon as there's a wedding all the women keep quiet while the father of the bride, groom and best man all get given a microphone and then rattle off a serious of anecdotes, jokes and 'funny' stories with varying degrees of success.
Thankfully, it's now becoming more and more popular for brides and bridesmaid speeches during the wedding reception, but if you've never given a speech before, let alone a bridesmaid speech (in front of the happy couple and all their nearest and dearest, yikes!) just where do you begin to pen a bridesmaid or maid of honour speech?
Writing a bridesmaid speech can be hard, where do you start? The first thing to do is decide on the type of speech you want to give and then set about researching it and gathering any props or extras you might need. But to help get you started here are nine bridesmaid speech ideas...
Speeches are hard. If talking and being funny were easy we'd all be stand-up comedians, but it's not. Giving bridesmaid speeches can be just as hard as writing them, so here are our top tips to help you deliver your speech with confidence.
So, let's get into the nuts and bolts of writing your bridesmaid speech...
Length - A good maid of honour speech should be no longer than seven minutes and no shorter than five, make it too short and it will seem dodged. Make it too long and it can get boring or uncomfortable for people who are dying to get to the bar.
Introduction - Remember not everyone will know who you are so start by introducing yourself and explain how you know the bride and groom.
Not Too Mushy - Remember it's not the Oscars and no one wants to see you blubbing so try to keep it light and fun.
Add A Story - Use stories or funny anecdotes people might not have heard about before (nothing too risqué).
Mention the Groom - Don't focus on the bride so much that you forget to mention her new mister.
Finale - If you don't know how to end your speech, asking everyone to raise a glass to the bride or someone else who doesn't normally get toasted (her mum?) makes a nice ending.
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