Components Of Maid Of Honour Speech
Only during the modern ages was the maid of honour speech integrated into the other three customary wedding speeches. Because of its brief history, there are no rigid rules and no traditional structure to be followed in creating and delivering this speech. Nevertheless, there is a general idea to what this speech contains, these include the following components.
The introductory lines - You can do whatever you want with your introductory lines. You can crack a joke, tease the couple gently or make a witty reference if you like. But one component shouldn’t be missing – an introduction about yourself. This is because there could be some people in the audience who don’t know you. Tell them your name and how you are related to the bride or the groom. After a little introduction, give your thanks to the bride for selecting you as her maid of honour and maybe drop hints why you accepted the invitation to deliver a speech.
The body of the speech - Maids of honour normally dedicate their speech to the bride. In fact, save for some sections of the speech, the body of the speech talks mostly about the bride. It gives insights into the bride’s nature, her experiences and behind the scene scoops on the relationship of the bride with the groom, from the female’s perspectives of course. In the recent years though, many maids of honour have started to describe the groom as well.
It is also in the main body of the speech that anecdotes, usually funny, are mentioned as well. A quick advice on choosing anecdotes – pick stories that are tasteful. Avoid choosing ones that could embarrass or demean either the bride or the groom.
The main body is also the appropriate section for talking about the significance of the occasion to the lives of the couple. After a long description of the couple, this speech discusses the importance of the ceremony with a touch of personal view.
Wrapping up the speech - The speech is wrapped up after all the necessary details are mentioned. The conclusion for this part often goes in the line of letting the couple know that they are perfect for each other or other relevant topics. These can also conlude with best wishes for a happy life together that are condensed into a poetic but short line. These sort of inspire the newlyweds to look forward to a wonderful future together. Although of course, the speech can be wrapped up according to your taste.
The final toast - Once the speech is finished, the a toast is offered by the maid of honour on behalf of the bride. The toast can take the form of a regular toast or a funny but meaningful one liner.
The maid of honour speech, like the father of the bride’s speech, is in most cases sentimental. More often than not, it remembers precious little memories while encouraging the newlyweds to look ahead for a happy future together.