Awesome Rehearsal Dinner Speech Ideas for Everyone

There is usually a rehearsal a day before the wedding ceremony, and this event typically culminates in a rehearsal dinner. It is a way of bringing friends and family to participate in the wedding activities together before the big day. It is also an avenue of showing appreciation to everyone involved. Hosted traditionally by the parents of the bride or groom, an important part of this dinner is the rehearsal dinner speech. Sometimes, hosts have a problem pinning down their thoughts for this speech or keeping it as short or as long as they will like.

Below we have several samples and tips for rehearsal dinner speeches to help you with this particular aspect of rehearsal dinner speech etiquette.

Brides Often Ask

Who Gives Speech At Rehearsal Dinner

The speeches usually start with words from the father of the groom. The groom’s parents often host the rehearsal dinner, so the mother of the groom is often the next to speak. Other rehearsal dinner speech examples include all the members of the wedding party. The special attention would be on the guests that won’t be speaking at the reception. That means that quite often the best man and the maid of honor keep silent. The mic goes to other guests giving them a chance to deliver a perfect wedding rehearsal dinner speech.

How To Write Rehearsal Dinner Speech

Now that we know who gives a speech at rehearsal dinner it’s time to learn the secrets of writing one! A good wedding rehearsal dinner speech example would have the same template. Moving or funny, but the main points of a wedding rehearsal speech are always the same.

1. Introduction
   First, the speaker should introduce themselves. It is always a good idea to start with what your relationship with the couple is.
2. Thank you and welcome
   Don’t forget to thank everyone for coming and make them feel welcome at the event.
3. Quote
   A famous quote would give your speech its unique charm.
4. Anecdote
   A romantic or amusing story about the couple would make your speech more personal.
5. Marriage advice
   A quote or some marital advice would work nicely.
6. Congrats and toast
   Time for congratulations and a toast for the couple.

Wedding Rehearsal Dinner Speech Tips

1. Tip 1: Knowledge is power
   It might be a good idea to learn more. Who is going to be present, what is the venue, and who else is going to be speaking? These details are important.
2. Tip 2: Keep it nice and simple
   Sometimes less is more. Don’t let everyone fall asleep listening to your endless speech.
3. Tip 3: Don’t spoil the fun!
   If you are invited to make a speech you definitely know some hilarious stories about the couple. Do keep the awkward ones for another event. Now it’s the couple’s time to shine.
4. Tip 4: Holy Matrimony
   Do mention the upcoming big event in your speech, even if you decided to go for funny rehearsal dinner speech examples.
5. Tip 5: Rehearse
   Take your time to read and record the speech. Watch the recording several times – it will help you feel more confident.

Questions To Ask Yourself

There are several questions that will help you decide if your speech is going to be a success.

1. Are the stories I want to include appropriate to the situation?
   Is the speech favorable for the couple? Is it appropriate for the older generation, the couple’s colleagues, or children’s ears? Would the couple be comfortable with what you are about to disclose in front of their friends and family?
2. Is my speech a comfortable length?
   Not too short, not too long, and ticking all the boxes. Write your speech plan before you write the speech, and stick to it.
3. Is the speech about the couple?
   The wedding rehearsal dinner speech is supposed to include quotes and stories. But are they relevant to the situation? People came to celebrate the couple. Don’t forget to keep the speech about them.

Rehearsal Dinner Speech Examples

For those who might wonder how to write a rehearsal dinner speech, below are a few examples of different kinds of rehearsal dinner speeches for different attendees. Most speeches are short, straight from the heart, but sometimes the speaker might choose to add in some marriage quotes or even romantic quotes for good measure.

Wedding rehearsal speeches are customarily given by the father of the groom. He will introduce himself, welcome everyone, talk about his son, the bride, and the couple. He will also thank everyone who helped, give advice, and toast to the couple.

[Groom,] as your father I am very proud to know you. I have had the rare pleasure of watching you grow from a little baby into a wonderful young man. You cannot possibly know how pride I am of you and how much I love you. Congratulations to you and your lovely wife on your wedding day.

Having a son has been my greatest blessing in life. In many ways, [groom] is like my mini-me and my twin. But over the years, he has grown and he has become his own person. While I have tried to teach him many things over the things, he has taught me caught a few important things as well. [Groom] is someone who really cares about people and he will always go the extra mile for the people in his life. I know that my son will make an amazing husband and God-willing, a spectacular father one day. Let us all raise a glass to [groom] and his lovely bride, [bride.]

Here are some hopes and dreams from a devoted father to his loving son on his wedding day. I hope that the two of you live a life together that is long. I hope that this shared of life of yours is full of joy, laughter, abundance, love, and many other good things. May you always have each other to lean on.

The father of the bride comes after the groom’s father. In such speeches at wedding rehearsal dinners, he’ll thank the guests and daughter’s parents-in-law. He will also welcome the new son-in-law and make a toast to them.

[Bride] and [groom,] as I look at the two of you in your beautiful dress and your nice suit, I am reminded a bit of my own wedding day where there was plenty of excitement, love, and of course some nervousness as well. Take it from someone who has been married for many years. Being in a successful marriage requires falling in love many times, and always with the same person.

When you are a parent, you always want the best for your child. My daughter was no different. So it should come as no surprise now that I am thrilled that she has met the person of her dreams. Someone who is her equal, her better half, and a wonderful person. [Groom,] I welcome you into my family and I know the two of you will keep each other very happy.

I have always wanted the best for [bride.] From the best teachers and schools to friends that were a good influence on her, you can be sure that I always wanted my daughter to have the best things in life. But she found [groom] all on her own. You can call it fate or pure luck, but whatever the cause, I am glad that they have found each other.

It’s not customary for the best man to say a speech. But if he must, he will keep it between two to three minutes. He’ll thank everyone, say something sweet about the couple, throw some jokes and make a toast.

So the big day is tomorrow and I am a bundle of nerves. I can only imagine how [bride] and [groom] are feeling. But it is a happy occasion and it will be a day full of love and celebration. I know that I do not just speak for myself when I say that I cannot wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Hello everyone, can I have your attention for a moment? I would just like to thank [bride] and [groom] for putting their hearts and souls into this wedding, this special day that we have all been anticipating for a very long time. Thank you both for including us in this special day. Tonight’s rehearsal and dinner is just a taste of the celebration that is yet to come. Let us all raise a glass to the lovely couple and the upcoming wedding day.

A lot of blood, sweat, and tears has gone into planning this wedding. And tomorrow is the big day. So thank all of you for coming here to support [bride] and [groom], who both mean so much to me. I cannot wait to celebrate this wedding with all of you.

The maid of honor is close to the bride. So she’ll use the opportunity to say stories relating to her experience with the bride. She will give anecdotes about the couple, and she will finish by toasting to a happy future.

Hi everyone, I am a friend of the bride, and after getting to know him, I have become quite good friends with [groom] as well. Watching the love that has blossomed between these two has just been magical and I am so happy that my dear friend has found the perfect match for her.

As I look around this room, it warms my heart to see all of the love in here that people have for [bride] and [groom.] If you have been in a wedding before, you know that it takes a lot of hard work and planning. It truly is a group effort and this rehearsal is the last thing on the to-do list before the big day. I know [bride] and [groom] are so happy and grateful to have you all here and I am so lucky to get to meet and eat with all of you.

As I look at the face of close friends and family members that are here at this rehearsal dinner, I am happy to know that [bride] and [groom] have such a great community behind them. To have that type of support from the people that you love is truly invaluable. Believe me when I say that this wedding would not have been the same without all of you.

The bride and groom are centers of attraction. They have a duty to thank everyone that helped prepare for their day until that point. They will also gush about each other and how they can’t wait to tie the knot.

While getting through a wedding rehearsal is certainly not the most fun thing that you can do on a Friday night, it will certainly help with the wedding tomorrow. I also want to thank you all for your enthusiasm, and for showering us with your love. Your support means the world to us. Now we get to relax and eat and I promise you that tomorrow is going to be a fun day that we will all remember.

I want to thank all of you for making it to tonight’s wedding rehearsal. It is a crucial part of making sure that the wedding tomorrow will go smoothly. I know that many of you could be doing something else really fun tonight, but instead, you are here helping us get ready for our big day, and for that, we are very thankful.

Hello, everyone. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming to the rehearsal dinner. It means to world to us that all of you are here with us tonight to help us prepare for our wedding. Now eat, drink, enjoy yourselves, and get a good night’s sleep. We all have a huge day ahead tomorrow.

She seldom gives a speech at the wedding, so here’s her time to shine. She’d state how proud she is, bless him and his wife to be, and thank everyone present. See the mother of the groom’s wedding rehearsal speech samples below.

I’m Lizette, the mother of the groom and I thank everyone for being here for my son and his wife. Bryan, you’ve always been a son after my heart, one I’m proud of. And I couldn’t be more proud of the man that you’ve become. Being your mom, my joy knows no bounds that you found the one, Alicia, who will love you forever. I am certain that you’ll cherish, respect, and love her till eternity. I’ve got a great son and I’m thankful for everyone who gave a hand in raising him.

I fell in love the first day I laid my eyes on you Bryan. From a charming baby to a bubbly toddler and a curious smart child. And then like a dream, the next thing I knew, Bryan is a man.
The man you’ve become is one I’m proud of. Everything you’ve done has made your family proud. And as you set off into a journey of forever bliss, I couldn’t be happier. I wish you only the best marriage has to offer.

The mother of the bride’s speech is an emotional one. An avenue to show your daughter just how much you love her. This is also a perfect time to remind everyone of the exceptional relationship she has with her dad.

Hi everyone, I’m Lisette, the bride’s mom. It’s common knowledge as parents that we love our kids with our hearts. And watching them grow up can be bittersweet. They make you so proud but you keep losing those little moments when they depended on you. Now my baby is a lady, and I’m delighted she found a groom deserving. May they both have a healthy, long, happy and fulfilled life together.

The prayers for my daughter never cease, just like every good mom. This isn’t because she makes me unhappy, but because I’m naturally worried and want her to have the best. She’s honest, giving and empathic and I wanted her to experience only happiness. But you see, I didn’t know what I prayed for till I saw her groom. My ever happy daughter now has a permanent sparkle in her eyes, one I’ve never seen before. She’s complete with him and this is my biggest blessing.

How To Write Rehearsal Dinner Speech

Whether you are giving a father of the bride speech or even a maid of honor speech, there are a few straightforward guidelines you can follow.

First begin with the basics like saying hi, introducing yourself, and welcoming everyone to the rehearsal dinner. Next, you can express your joy for the upcoming nuptials of the bride and groom, your reason for gathering. Below are examples of some rehearsal dinner speech ideas which could also be used as a base for wedding toasts. Remember to keep it brief.

Hi, everyone, and thanks so much for being here tonight. I’m the groom’s dad, George, and I hope you all are looking forward to this beautiful wedding as much as I am.

Good evening everyone and thank you very much for being here to celebrate Jessica and Tony’s wedding. My name is George. I am the groom’s father and I am so excited to be a part of such an important occasion.

Next, you could tell a story; this would be a good place to insert some wedding quotes. For some funny rehearsal dinner speech ideas, you could include some anecdote related to the couple on how they met, or something sentimental from either of their childhoods. Could be a sweet memory of the girl the bride used to be or the boy that the groom was.

Try to finish with something sentimental. Say something heartfelt about the couple or the wedding and your wishes for them. Another way to conclude would be with one or two wedding toast quotes and have the guests raise their glasses to the happy couple.

Wedding Rehearsal Speeches Toasts

The rehearsal dinner is intimate and more casual, hence the wedding rehearsal speech toast could be longer and humorous. There’s no hard-fast rule about who gives the toast but it’s celebratory and ends the speech. See some samples below.

• A people so rare, two hearts so pure, two spirits uniting to become one forever. Here’s to my best friends as we get ready to ball.
• A toast to the wittiest, to the prettiest, and the truest of all who are true. Here’s to you who is all of them in one
• A toast to my sweetheart, bottle, and forever friend. The first of them is beautiful, the second of them is full, and the last ever faithful.
• I don’t need to regale you with the awesomeness that’s Juliet. But I can tell you for free that Bryan’s mom and I are quite excited to welcome our daughter-in-law. Here is to Bryan and Juliet!
• Bryan and I have enjoyed a lifetime of friendship and something that stands out is that he’s a lucky man. I mean, look at Juliet tonight and you’ll agree with me. Please raise your glasses with me in a toast to them. May they remain lucky for the rest of their beautiful lives.

Sample rehearsal dinner toasts story ideas

Below are sample story ideas you could use when giving your best man speech, father of the groom speech, or other.

• The couple’s engagement story
• A funny story about a parent or sibling’s first impression of the bride or groom
• The story of how the couple met
• A double date you went on with the couple and what happened
• The story of how you met your own partner. You could end this with something sentimental like, “I hope the two of you are as blessed in marriage as I have been”

The Difference Between Rehearsal Dinner and Reception Speeches

A kind of informal wedding reception, the rehearsal dinner usually takes place the night before the wedding, just after the wedding rehearsal. Therefore, the tone of the rehearsal dinner is typically very different from the tone of the wedding reception.
And so many things differ between rehearsal dinner speeches and reception speeches.

• The first difference is usually timing. Being an informal affair after perhaps a long day, there might be no rigid schedule for the exact timing of speeches at a rehearsal dinner. These speeches can be made during the course of the dinner or at its conclusion. Speeches and toasts at the wedding reception, however, usually have a more defined timing. They are usually made after the bride and groom have arrived, and before guests begin to have their meal, and then during the transition from appetizer to the main course or to dessert.
• The order in which speeches are made at the rehearsal dinner is also less informal than at the wedding reception. At the rehearsal dinner, after the host, usually, the father of the bride or groom is done with his speech, any other guest who wishes to speak can follow. At the wedding reception, however, it is customary that the father of the bride speaks first, then the best man and maid of honor, and then the groom or the host of the event to conclude the segment.
• The choice of beverage also differs at each event. While at wedding receptions most couples choose to have champagne for toasts, at rehearsal dinners, there is usually a mix of drinks from water to mixed drinks and sodas, in light of the more relaxed affairs. Speeches at rehearsal dinners might also run a little longer than five minutes due to the lack of urgency, but reception toasts and speeches are usually required to last three to five minutes tops as everything is on a schedule and time.

Rehearsal dinner speeches are usually nothing to fret about as you are with people of your inner circle, friends, and family mostly. This single time before the wedding is a time to relax, enjoy each other’s company and be thankful for the time together and the avenue for a celebration. And so whether you are giving a maid of honor speech or dinner speech best man, it might be much simpler than you imagined.

If you are searching for anything from mother of the groom rehearsal dinner speech examples to rehearsal dinner speech examples bridesmaid, the tips and samples above would be a great place to start.