Your BFF just got engaged and has tapped you to be her maid of honor. Congrats! But what does it mean?
If you’re new to the role, there are the huge maid of honor responsibilities that you need to be aware of like planning the bridal shower and bachelorette party, helping the bride into her gorgeous dress, and nurturing her through the big day. The reason we’re here is a meaningful speech.
Of course, you want to deliver an unforgettable maid of honor speech. That’s precisely what we’re going to help with!
Read through our updated examples of the best maid of honor speeches, get inspired, and get writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the maid of honor have to give a speech?
It’s definitely customary for the maid of honor to give a toast to the newlyweds at the reception, but usually, she gave a sweet speech.
How long should a maid of honor speech be?
You want to say a few essential things and include an anecdote or two. But, you also don’t want to talk for so long that other speeches will be rushed. You may also run the risk of losing the audience’s attention. The sweet spot comes in at 3 to 5 minutes. It’s not tons of time to work with, so you’ll want to be organized and confident.
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The Maid Of Honor Speech Outline
- The biggest worry that most maids of honor have is freezing and forgetting the speech. A great solution is breaking your speech into sections and writing them down on cards that you carry with you. As you practice your speech it will be easier to memorize, and having all the words with you will keep you from panicking.
- To get you started, stick to our basic Maid Of Honor Speech Outline:
- Introduce yourself (your name, your relationship to the bride, and how long you’ve known each other)
- Thank everyone involved in the wedding planning for their hard work
- Talk about the bride (why she’s a good person and friend, share a story to illustrate it)
- Tell the love story (The most romantic version of how the bride and groom met)
- Talk about the groom (Compliment him, why he’s great for your friend, what he does for her etc)
- Celebrate the couple (Why they’re so good together)
- Wish the newlyweds wonderful things for the future You could also insert a quote or a poem.
- Toast to the bride and groom – Raise your glass, say: “Here’s to the happy couple”, take and sip and voila! You’ve nailed it!
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Maid Of Honor Speech Examples For Best Friend
It’s hard to keep calm when your best friend is getting married! This is her day when you can tell just how happy you are that she found her one and only! Don’t be afraid to get a little emotional. Celebrate your feelings by adding some inspiring wedding wishes into your maid of honor speech for a best friend and don’t forget to drink in your good friend’s honor!
If you haven’t had the chance to meet me yet, my name is X. (Bride) and I have been best friends for about 10 years. We met in high school gym class, and we couldn’t stand each other at first. As you can see, things eventually changed for the better.
When (Bride) first asked me to be her Maid of Honor I felt flattered. But as the big day approached, she also told me to give a speech and a toast. I’m kind of the shy type and tried my best to get out of it. But, as (Groom) can tell you, it’s almost impossible to tell (Bride) No and get away with it.
I wanted to tell you both how absolutely spectacular you look today. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better-looking couple (except for maybe my boyfriend and I).
And I hope you’re all having a lovely evening and I’d like to I wish you two all the love and happiness in the world. How blessed you are to celebrate your love on this beautiful day. I know there are many happy years ahead for you. Let’s all raise our glasses to the bride and groom, and wish them a lifetime of love and happiness!
I never had a sister, but (Bride) has been like a sister to me for all these years. We have similar tastes, we like similar clothes… I knew (Bride) had found the one when (Groom) walked into her life. Well, I’m fine with that – she saw him first!
Actually, you could see that it was love at first, second, and third sight. He is her Prince Charming and it seems to me he gives her all she needs – a strong arm, a sympathetic ear, and his credit card.
I met (Bride) 6 years ago, as we tried to survive in the concrete jungle of NY. To thrive there, your tribe is essential. We are quite protective of each other, so I was a bit skeptical of (Groom) when he first came into the picture. But as time goes by, I can’t imagine anyone else but him to be her one and only. They say that anyone can be passionate, but it takes a real pair of lovers to be silly. Well, together, (Bride) and (Groom) are two of the goofiest people I know.
Hello everyone, my name is X, and by my dress, you can tell that I am the Maid of Honor today. For many years, we have been through thick and thin, and we have shared many memories. Today is another great day to add to our collection of sweet memories, so I’m really looking forward to the cake!
I know you will have challenges as all relationships do. But you know what’s great about love and relationships and marriages? it is learning to grow together. Caring and sharing, and lots of tenderness. And maybe a bit of patience, or maybe even a lot. So let’s raise our glasses to the power of love, that makes all these wonderful things happen!
Today you start a completely new chapter of your lives. What can I say? Never forget the two most important replies: ‘you’re right, dear’ and ‘okay, buy it’. Love and cherish each other! These two are a rare find in today’s world. Here’s to the groom who has a bride so fair, and here’s to the bride with a groom who is so rare.
Best Friend Short Maid Of Honor Speech Examples
“Hello everyone, I’m [Name], the maid of honor. [Bride], you’re my best friend and I couldn’t be happier to see you marry [Groom]. You two are perfect for each other and I wish you a lifetime of love and happiness. Congratulations!”
“Good evening, all. I’m [Name], the maid of honor, and I’m honored to celebrate [Bride] and [Groom]’s special day. [Bride], you’re my best friend and I’m so happy to see you with someone as wonderful as [Groom]. Wishing you both a lifetime of love and happiness. Congratulations!”
“Hi everyone, I’m [Name], the maid of honor, and I’m thrilled to celebrate my best friend [Bride] and her groom [Groom]. [Bride], I’m so proud of you and I know that [Groom] is the perfect partner for you. Here’s to a lifetime of happiness and love. Congratulations!”
Maid Of Honor Speech Samples For Sister
How to write a maid of honor speech for sister?
Figuring out how to write a maid of honor speech for your sister can be truly confusing. To help put things into perspective, take a look at this great list of maid of honor speech for sister ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
As you may know, I am the bride’s younger sister. As we were growing up, I always wanted to be like her. Do the things she did, have the things she had – I was probably a bit annoying, I always wanted to tag along. She taught me how to care, how to share, and how to try to reach for the stars. And as I grew up I wanted to be just as beautiful, caring, smart, and successful as her.
(Bride) has always set an example for me to follow. Over the years she has shown me how to love and care. Today she shows me how to find a best friend, a partner, and a true lover, all in one person. I hope that I am just as lucky someday.
It’s a great happiness to find someone who loves you as much as (Groom) loves my sister. Today, I want to thank both of you for being a part of my life, and to celebrate the love you both share.
Like many sisters, we weren’t always best friends. I remember fights, screaming, and door-slamming, but I couldn’t have picked a better sister and a friend. Now that we are older, I can finally admit how happy I am to have grown up with such a great sister.
Having a sister is one of the greatest things in life. Having a little sister is even better because I liked to be bossy. (Bride) always wanted to be a bit more like me… But actually, there is so much that I admire about her! I have watched her grow into the gorgeous woman that she is. It is a great honor for me to be her big sister!
First of all, I want to thank you all for being here with us today. As most of you know I am (Bride’s) sister. As we grew, we were as close as can be. We were always in trouble and I remember wondering if there will be a guy brave enough for someone as wild as my sister is. Well, here he is!
My sis has just tied the knot. And I do believe that (Groom) is her perfect match. And today I realize that all she needs is a guy who will love her just the way she is, with all her craziness. Their commitment to each other inspires all of us because that’s what we call true love. So let’s raise our glasses to this amazing couple!
I want you to know that it took me 3 weeks to write this speech over and over again. And I couldn’t think of anything perfect enough to describe just how much I love you. I couldn’t find words to define the kind of sister you are to me. This is your big day and there is so much I want to say…
I Googled a lot of maid of honor speech examples. The one piece of advice I kept finding over and over again was to start off with a quote. I did some research and I think their love is best described by Dr. Seuss:
“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because the reality is finally better than your dreams.”
Love, be true to her; Life, be dear to her;
Health, stay close to her; Joy, draw near to her;
Fortune, find what you can do for her,
Search your treasure house through and through for her,
Follow her footsteps the wide world over –
And keep her husband always her lover. – By Anna Lewis, from “To the Bride”
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Funny Wedding Speeches From Maid Of Honor
Sometimes the hardest part of being a maid of honor to your bestie might be writing the wedding speech. Speaking with your friend face to face is always easy, however, making toasts or speeches in front of a group of people would be totally different and not as easy. This is why anecdotes and funny wedding speeches maid of honor could help you cruise through your speech while giving the wedding guests a laugh at the same time.
As a close friend of the bride, you would have a lot of material for wedding speeches bridesmaids, you just need to know how to put them all together. A few sample wedding speeches for bridesmaids would give you the right kind of inspiration to get you on your way.
Well, for those of you who I haven’t had the chance to meet yet, my name is [NAME]. [BRIDE] and I have been best friends for around the last 10 years. We first met at work one day, when she stole my carrot cake out of the fridge in the lunchroom and I threw away her pineapple yogurt cartons in revenge.
I never had a sister, but [BRIDE] has been my stand-in sister for all these years. You could say we are even closer than sisters. We don’t fight like sisters, but we do wear each other’s clothes. Somehow she can still fit into my clothes but I can’t fit into hers anymore. I’m sure that is just because her dryer must be shrinking them.
I knew [BRIDE] had found the one when [GROOM] walked into her life. Sure, she dated a few guys…after I was done torturing them.But [GROOM] was different. Unlike those jerks, he was kind and thoughtful. And he had a job.
You could see that it was love at first, second, and third sight. Clearly [GROOM] is charming and it seems to me he offers her what she needs – a strong arm, a kind ear, and an American Express Black Card.I trust [BRIDE] and [GROOM] completely. I remember the time I asked them to watch my dog Benji when I went skiing in Europe. They were so nice to help out. I got back and Benji was so happy to see me. He was 40 pounds lighter and now he sees a therapist twice a week.
Of course, we are having fun today. The test of this relationship will be over the long term. Will she still love [GROOM] when he leaves his underwear on the floor and cuts his toenails at the dinner table?The answer is no. God, please, disgusting.
No, seriously, I know they will have challenges as all relationships do. And [GROOM] will learn what all men learn eventually. Keep your wife happy! Happy wife, happy life.
No, really, what’s great about love and relationships and marriage is learning to grow together. The communication it takes to keep a marriage going is massive. But half the fun is working things out, talking, communicating, and launching kitchen appliances at each other – real love.
Today has been a great day. Family and friends are here, the sun is shining and the champagne is flowing. And we’ll need it to get through this chicken dinner.
Funny Lines For Maid Of Honor Speech
“I did some research on how to give the perfect maid of honor speech, and the first tip I found was to imagine everyone in their underwear. So, here we are, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my nightmare!”
“Being the maid of honor is like being a ninja. You have to be quick on your feet, prepared for anything, and ready to attack at a moment’s notice. But instead of throwing shurikens, I’m armed with embarrassing stories about the bride.”
“As the maid of honor, I’ve been given the responsibility of keeping the bride calm and relaxed throughout the wedding planning process. Which is why I’ve been slipping her Xanax in her coffee every morning.”
“When the bride asked me to be her maid of honor, I was thrilled. But then I realized it meant I had to give a speech in front of all these people. So if I faint halfway through, just drag me off stage and make it look like part of the act.”
“The bride has always been the yin to my yang, the peanut butter to my jelly, the wine to my cheese. And now she’s found her perfect match in the groom. I mean, he’s no cheese, but he’s definitely a nice bottle of red.”
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Sample Wedding Speeches For Bridesmaids
Wedding speeches from the maid of honor are usually not lengthy and take two to three minutes tops. This is why you would need to create your draft, and edit until you have just the right words put together to express just how you feel. A list of example wedding speeches maid of honor could act as a template of sorts, helping you figure out just how to structure your speech.
Some of the best wedding speeches maid of honor, shine a light on the friendship between the bride and her maid of honor, as well as the beautiful personality of the bride. Most introductions begin with the story of meeting the groom for the first time. The intro is usually a good time to inject a funny quote, poem, or actual occurrence. Speeches are generally not as difficult as we imagine. So, you can relax, go through these samples, and create one of the best wedding toast speeches made of honor.
Hi everyone, I am one of the bridesmaids at this wedding and I just wanted to say how happy and lucky I am to be here to celebrate [bride] and [groom’s] wedding with everyone. Today, everything looks effortless.
From the beautiful wedding ceremony to the food, music, and decorations at this venue, every little detail was planned by [bride] and [groom.] And lots of time was spent shopping for dresses and doing fittings. When you get to peek behind the scenes, you see how much work really gets put into planning a wedding. There were a lot of late nights and hours spent working on this wedding and I have to say that it all turned out quite beautifully. Let’s all give a round of applause for [bride] and [groom.]
[Bride] and [groom,] thank you for such a wonderful day. I raise my glass to the two of you and wish you nothing but the best in your life together. May each day be full of love and laughter between the two of you.
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Short Maid Of Honor Speech Examples
Writing a short maid of honor speech can seem like a daunting task, but with a bit of preparation and creativity, you can deliver a memorable speech that honors the couple and celebrates their love.
- Start by introducing yourself and briefly mentioning your relationship with the bride. This will help the audience understand your perspective and why you were chosen to be the maid of honor.
- Take a moment to express your gratitude for being a part of the special day and your well wishes for the newlyweds.
- Say a few words about the bride and groom, highlighting their qualities and how they complement each other. You can talk about their journey as a couple and your hopes for their future together.
- End your speech by raising a toast to the newlyweds.
Greetings to all of you. I’m [Name], the maid of honor. I would like to express a few words about the lovely bride and groom. [Bride] has always been a wonderful friend to me, and it’s an honor to be her maid of honor today. And [Groom], I am delighted that you are joining our family. You two are a perfect match, and I wish you all the happiness and love in the world. Let’s raise a glass to the happy couple!
Hello, everyone. I’m [Name], the maid of honor. [Bride], you look breathtakingly beautiful today, and I feel grateful to be a part of your extraordinary day. [Groom], you’re a fortunate man! [Bride] is intelligent, gorgeous, and has a heart of gold. I am confident that you both will have a lifetime of love and happiness together. Congratulations on your special day!
Good evening, all. I’m [Name], the maid of honor, and for those who don’t know me, it’s lovely to meet you. I have known [Bride] for several years, and I have never seen her as happy as she is with [Groom]. You two bring out the best in each other, and it’s evident that you are destined to be together. It’s an honor to stand here today as a witness to your love and commitment. Congratulations to the joyful couple!
Short Examples Of Maid Of Honor Toasts
As a Maid of Honor, you might want to check some tips for giving good wedding speeches A toast is basically well wished to the newlyweds and their family, followed by a signal for guests to raise their glasses.
If you are unsure what exactly to say, here are some beautiful maid of honor toast examples to inspire you. As the maid of honor, you need to find the one speech, that is short and sweet, and resonates with you!
Great Maid of Honor wedding speeches often includes great quotes. Of course, you want to make sure to make it personal – as we mentioned above – by introducing yourself, complimenting the bride and groom and the rest of the family, a cute story, and an invitation to the guests to raise their glasses. But, famous quotes have a way of painting a picture that our own words can’t seem to do on their own.
These beautiful maid of honor toast examples are sure to inspire.
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight. Philippians 1:9
Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Here’s to love, laughter and happily ever after.Romans 12:10
As (Groom) and (Bride) start their new life together,
Let’s toast to the new husband and wife!
Here’s to the husband
And here’s to the wife;
May they remain
Lovers for life.
Here’s to the health of the happy pair; may good luck follow them everywhere;
And may each day of wedded bliss be always as sweet and joyous as this.
May you grow old on one pillow.
May their joy be as bright as the morning, and their sorrows be shadows that fade in the sunlight of love.
Let’s drink to love, which is nothing—unless it’s divided into two with someone you love.
May your joys be as sweet as spring flowers that grow.
As bright as a fire when winter winds blow;
As countless as leaves that float down in the fall;
And as serene as the love that keeps watching over us all.
How To Write The Best Maid Of Honor Speech Ever
As the maid of honor, it is best that your wedding speech starts with a brief introduction, then talk about the bride, and then end with the couple. You can wrap the speech up beautifully with a wedding toast that they will love.
If you’re planning to deliver one of the best maids of honor speeches of all time, you’ll definitely have to check out this list of DOs and DON’Ts before you get started.
Do: Open your speech with a self-introduction and your relationship with the bride. There are guests at the wedding who might not know you very well. Let them know how much you mean to each other.
Don’t: Feel the need to be comical. A sweet, emotional story means so much more than a bunch of silly, inside jokes that everyone might not get. There will be a time and place for your special BFF humor, but leave it for the after-party.
Do: Tell everyone what an amazing person the bride is, how she is ALWAYS there for you, whenever, wherever! Also, it would be a nice opportunity to thank the rest of your girls for being a big part of the special day.
Don’t: Make the bride look bad by saying things like “We thought this day would NEVER come.” That might sound funny at the hen party, but the wedding reception is not the place.
Do: Share her love story and how she met the groom and maybe an amusing (but not humiliating) anecdote or two about their courtship. The newlyweds would love to hear such tribute to their love.
Don’t: Compare the groom to her former boyfriends. That might bring up some bad feelings and memories and it is definitely not the time or place.
Do: Describe what you love about the groom, his greatest attributes, and how much he means to the bride. You may want to include how the bride has changed(for the better of course) since she met the groom. Speak from your heart and mention how she became happier etc. It’s time to get emotional!
Don’t: Be trite and say things to the groom along with the lines of “Call me when you get divorced.” You don’t want people throwing objects or start booing.
Do: Make the toast about BOTH the bride & groom, not just amusing stories of the bride. Usually, it’s a good idea to start the speech by talking about the bride and finish the speech by talking about her and the groom as a couple.
Don’t: Get sidetracked and make the speech all about you. It’s HER day, not yours!
Do: Wish them a happy future, filled with love, a lifetime of joy, and so forth.
Don’t: End your speech with phrases like “Cheers” and “Drink up!” You want to end on a sentimental note, not a cheesy one!
Do: Wrap it up with an inspirational or sentimental quote. Let everyone know that the speech is over: give a toast to the couple or congratulate them on their wedding.
Don’t: Forget to prepare a great closing line. Do NOT end your maid of honor speech abruptly and awkwardly.
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How To End A Maid Of Honor Speech
When figuring out how to write a maid of honor speech, keep in mind that the latter part of the speech should be where you talk about the couple. In that vein, it’s also important to know how to end the speech flawlessly. Here are a few tips.
- Keep it short and sweet. While you might have a lot to say, there are time slots for each speech, so keeping things short would be best.
- Use sentimental wedding quotes. You might have a maid of honor speech template you follow but adding inspirational quotes to your speech is a great way to wrap things up.
- Finish with a toast. At the very end, it is custom to raise a toast to the happy couple.
10 Maid Of Honor Speech Tips
Overall, here are some guidelines to make your Maid of Honor Speech shine like diamonds:
- Write it out in bullets rather than complete sentences: this will help your speech flow better. Rather than reading your speech word for word from a piece of paper, practice your speech enough times so that it’s pretty well committed to memory. The bullet points will keep you on point while your memory of what you want to say will keep the pace natural and more entertaining.
- Keep it short: no one wants to hear you ramble on forever.
- Practice your speech aloud beforehand: Record it and play it back, read it to a friend, this way it will flow more naturally. You might want to read it to other bridesmaids because they know the bride well and can help you change the speech.
- Speak slowly & clearly: Most people tend to talk faster when they are nervous.
- Don’t forget to breathe: Pause and take a breath at the appropriate moments. Recording yourself is a great strategy to get it right!
- Have a relaxed stance: Don’t stand with your knees locked, stand up straight and relaxed. Breath in and out before the speech and try to calm down a bit.
- Stay sober! You may think a few drinks will make you feel at ease, but it will only derail you and slur your words. The bride will never forgive you for being trashed during your speech. You are her best friend, and for the guests, you represent the bride. Don’t let her down!
- Make eye contact with the happy couple: don’t just stare at your notes. Occasionally lock eyes with the bride and groom so they know your speech is from the heart and not just words on a sheet of paper.
- SMILE! Even if you are a bundle of nerves, even if you don’t feel like it – fake it till you make it. Did you know a smile releases hormones of happiness that help you relax?
- Don’t be afraid to show emotion: let the bride know how much you mean to her.
Maid Of Honor Speech Template
If you want to make sure that you deliver the best maids of honor speeches you can’t forget about the presentation. To help out we’ve prepared a great maid of honor speech template just for you.
How to start a maid of honor speech? Most bridesmaid speeches start the same: Greet the audience and introduce yourself, then move on to your relationship with the bride. Ending a maid of honor speech can be a little more complicated. The best bridesmaids’ speech examples end off with well-wishes for the new couple and a simple toast of champaign. But, don’t be scared to add your own personal touch.
We hope that now you have everything you need for your perfect maid of honor speech. So just keep all of this in mind as you prepare and deliver your maid of honor speech, and you will be amazing. Make the bride proud she chose you!
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