Wedding Speeches and Toasts - Introduction - You'll have to make a speech!

Sep 29, 2026

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Wedding Speeches and Toasts provides practical guidance on planning and delivering wedding speeches and toasts. It explains why speeches matter, distinguishes a speech from a toast, and outlines traditional roles for different relatives and attendants while noting modern flexibility in who can speak. The book also covers etiquette principles for avoiding offense, choosing speakers in advance, and timing speeches around meals, cake cutting, and formal announcements at the reception.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLifestyle

FormatPDF

Pages100

Reading Time2 h 34 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Etiquette

Preparing the Speech

Delivering the Speech

Pre-wedding Speeches

Wedding Speeches

Jokes, Comic Stories & Anecdotes

Quotations

On the Day

Index

AMILY MATTERS # WEDDINCSPEECHESANDTOASTS LALANSBUR AMILY MATTERS WEDDINCSPEECHESANDTOASTS ANGELA LANSBURY Text Ward Lock Limited 1988llustrations Ward Lock Limited 1988 First published in Great Britain in 1988by Ward Lock,an imprint of Cassell,Villiers House,41/47 Strand,London WC2N 5JE Reprinted 1988,1989,1990(twice) All Rights Reserved.No part of this publicationmay be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system,or transmitted,in any form or by any means,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,or otherwise,without the prior permission of theCopyright owners. Text filmset in Monophoto Sabonby MS Filmsetting Limited,Frome,SomersetPrinted and bound in Great Britainby William Collins Sons &Co Ltd,Glasgow British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Lansbury,Angela Wedding speeches and toasts 1.Public speaking 2.Weddings I.Title808.85'933PN4121 ISBN0-7063-6642-5 Introduction·6Etiquette·8 Preparing the Speech·16Delivering the Speech·22Pre-wedding Speeches·29Wedding Speeches·37 Jokes,Comic Stories &AnecdotesQuotations·68On the Day·90Index·96 'You'll have to make a speech!'are words you may wishnever to hear.But whether you are the bride,bride-groom,bride's father,mother,best man,chief brides-maid,matron of honour,or family friend,the occasion isalmost upon you and you may need to make a speech.Have no fear.It can be fun,and this book is here to helpyou. Why make a wedding speech?To express thanks,giveinformation,and,quite simply,because it is a tradition.And you also have a unique opportunity to pay publiccompliments to those you love most. What is a speech and what is a toast?You can have aspeech without a toast,and a toast without a speech,butat a wedding it is usual to combine the two. Traditionally,the first speech,usually given by thebride's father or an old family friend ends with theproposal of a toast to the health of the bride andbridegroom.The second speech is given as a reply to thefirst by the bridegroom and is concluded with theproposal of a toast to the bridesmaids.The best manthen replies on behalf of the bridesmaids,and willconclude his speech by proposing a toast to the parentsof the bride and groom. The modern wedding,however,is much more flexibleand women are welcomed to play a part.The bride mayfeel more comfortable making the speech on behalf ofherself and her new husband,for example.Or the job ofreplying to the toast of the bridesmaids could be takenon by chief bridesmaid rather than the best man.Theimportant thing to remember is to decide well in advancewho will be speaking when,and of course to let themknow so that they have plenty of time to prepare. As well as giving general advice on the preparation and delivery of a speech,this book includes samplespeeches.These can be used to model your own speechon.In chapter 4 pre-wedding speeches,in particularthose to be given at engagement parties and stag parties,are dealt with.In chapter 5 model speeches for thewedding day itself are given.Those in a hurry who wanta readymade speech can start reading there.Afterwards,or instead,read through the chapters on the etiquette ofwho could and should speak,on preparing and deliver-ing the speech,and the chapters on anecdotes andquotations in order to make your speech truly personaland original.Finally there is advice about ad libbing onthe day,which can give you the confidence to cope withany unforeseen forthcoming disasters and delights. The purpose of etiquette is to provide an easy set of ruleswhich we can follow when we are in a hurry and want tomake sure that we do not give offence to anybody.Forexample,we would not wish to neglect to thank thehosts,or fail to recognize the presence and importance ofan honoured guest.The rules are most useful on formaloccasions like weddings,and particularly when theyhappen only once in a lifetime.But because lifestyles arechanging constantly the rules of etiquette are changingtoo -a little slower than lifestyles perhaps,but st

FAQs

Why should you give a wedding speech?

A wedding speech helps express thanks, share information, and show public compliments to loved ones. It also follows a tradition that creates a meaningful moment for the celebration.

What is the difference between a speech and a toast?

A speech can be given without a toast, and a toast can be given without a speech. At weddings, they are usually combined.

How are speeches traditionally timed during a wedding reception?

Speeches made after seated dinners begin once the meal has finished and are often preceded by a toastmaster announcement. If the meal ends with tea or coffee and cake, speeches follow the cake cutting.

Sep 29, 2026

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