Photo Credit: Thomas William from Unsplash
So, you’ve been asked to be best man or maid of honor. Congratulations – you are now an official storyteller. The dog of honor is excused from storytelling.
There are usually several parts to a wedding speech, even in three to five minutes. You will want to start by introducing yourself, and you will want to end with a toast to the happy couple. And somewhere in between, you might want to mention a number of people or thank the hosts or the parents or, if you’ve had a little more than your share, the bartender.
Wedding Speech Stories You’ll Love to Tell
You, storyteller
But most of what goes between your introduction and the toast is storytelling.
Stories are what people remember. Nobody has ever looked back on a wedding and said, “You know that was an amazing introduction.”
But people remember the stories.
It’s not that easy for most people. I was discussing this with David Leonhardt, a wedding speech writer I know. He told me this is where many best men, maids of honor and even fathers and mothers of the bride or groom really struggle:
“I ask 10 questions before I start writing a speech for a wedding speaker, and the hardest one to answer is almost always the one about the stories,” David says. “People remember how their best friend was kind or funny or always liked scraping the cheese off other people’s pizza – true story – but they often draw a blank when coming up with real stories – the anecdotes that make a wedding speech memorable.”
Three Wedding Speech Story Types
To help you come up with ideas for your wedding speech, here are some story types that people love to hear.
You can come up with stories like these for everyone. Most wedding speeches require two or three stories, so you might want to call on each type of story once.
Of course, if you have a marathon story that lasts half an hour, like that time when you were travelling in Mongolia and got separated and spent days looking for each other, that story might be enough.
But as a general rule, it’s a good idea to mix and match different types of stories.
1) The roast – embarrassing stories about the bride or groom
Everybody loves a roast Well, usually. Make sure the roastee – the bride or groom – is comfortable being roasted. Or at least that they are unlikely to seek revenge or have immediate access to any sharp objects.
Do you remember the time when the groom was rejected by a prospective love interest five times? Or, perhaps even better, when he was rejected by five different women on the same evening. If you can spin that one, nobody will ever forget it. They will still be laughing at the tenth anniversary celebration.
Or perhaps you remember a time when the bride baked a birthday cake for someone in your friend group and it turned out hard as a rock. If you can vividly describe it, people might be laughing so hard that someone falls off a chair.
2) The other roast – bold stories about the bride or groom
Some stories are embarrassing because of the results. Others are embarrassing only to those who are shy.
Many great wedding speeches recall wild and daring things that the bride or groom did in their youth. Things that – we assume – they would no longer dare doing.
Like the time the bride ran naked through Covington Square on a dare – not a true story (that I am aware of).
Or the time when the groom decided he was fireproof (and thankfully was lucky, or that little “experiment” might have precluded his ever meeting the bride).
3) Impressive character stories about the bride or groom
These are not quite as entertaining, but they are also great stories to tell. Rather than being funny, these are usually inspirational…although they can sometimes be funny, too.
Is there a time when the bride showed undaunting courage? Or persevered through numerous setbacks?
On their own, these are good stories to tell. But if they highlight a well-known characteristic of the bride or groom, they really resonate. For instance, if the bride is known to be a highly organized, take-charge type of person, people will love a story of a time when she took those characteristics to extremes. If you can enhance the story with colorful language or even sound effects, it could be quite entertaining.
So, think about the bide or groom. Think about their characteristics. Are they shy? Brave? Slow to wake up in the morning? Bird enthusiast? Sleep walker? Generous to a fault?
Think about the well-known characteristics of the person. Then try to recall the stories to build around those characteristics. This can be especially effective if you can link that story and that characteristic to what a great spouse they’ll be.
For instance, you tell a great story of devotion, it shows how devoted the person is, and Wow! what a great catch as a spouse.
Three Wedding Speech Occasions
Anecdotes can crop up almost anywhere in life. Stories can come from childhood shenanigans. They can come from experiences on the job. They could come from one’s university days, from studying together or partying together.
I’ve heard vacation stories, family reunion stories, lots of partying stories, meeting the future in-laws stories, moving day stories, and so much more.
Anything people do in life could be bubbling with story potential.
1) Childhood stories
Wedding speakers often go back to when they were kids. This assumes that a best man or maid of honor has been a lifelong friend or even a brother or sister.
Kids do crazy things. Adults hold “grudges”, even the best of friends do. These can make great wedding speech stories
2) Partying stories
I think these are the most common stories. Things that happen with the aid of a little alcohol and the encouragement of the person who is supposed to be looking out for you, are often the most memorable.
Just remember, there might be small kids and octogenarians at the wedding. Not everybody wants to hear the exact words the groom hurled at the bouncer once he was safely on the other side of that fence.
On the other hand, if the bride or groom is a saint, you can always borrow some crazy stories from somebody else. Just insert the bride or groom’s name.
Just kidding.
3) Couple stories
Sometimes, couple stories are funny. Other times, these are more like “aaawwe.” If you have seen the newlyweds interact as they were dating – and especially if you were there for the first date – you have to tell that story. Seriously, if you don’t violence might break out.
Of course, you might not have met the newlywed. Brides and grooms often call on childhood or college friends to be their seconds. And they often live in different cities, with friendships kept alive through phone calls, texting, social media and maybe a visit or joint vacation every few years.
This might be the first time you meet the other half, or it might be the second or third time. You might not have any really great couple stories. Make that clear in your introduction, and it could save your skin.
If you are finding it tough to come up with ideas for a wedding speech, I hope these help you discover your inner storyteller.
Need help with your wedding speech? Contact David at The Happy Guy Writing Services to get started.
Hearts, Joy, Love!
Jean
Looking for fun ideas, or need help with your wedding plans? Contact me today at [email protected] or by phone or text at 937-581-3647!
