On Friday, I have the honor of being Maid of Honor in my wonderful, dear friend Anne’s wedding. I have a few other friends in similar situations who have asked me, How do you write a maid of honor speech?

Well, I’m no writer…wait…ok, so here are the steps that I took.

Brainstorm and research:

Go through old emails between the two of you for inspiration. Maybe there are some early ones from when her and her beau started dating or fell in love? You can make a joke about how you two are close and can trust each other with your deepest thoughts and secrets, except for today, when you’re sharing her emails.

Ask her family for intimate stories about her childhood or things that will make it more personal.

Go through old photos that might spark memories.

And then write all these things down so you have a big mess of thoughts, stories and emotions regarding your friend.

Organize:

So now it’s time to make some sense out of all this! Keep in mind that you don’t want it to be too too long. And if you’re not funny, now’s not the time to try out your latest stand-up routine. (But that’s really a whole other issue, isn’t it: people who aren’t funny but think they are.)  Leave the funny to the best man. He’s also the one who should delve into the groom’s past gaffs. Let the bride be elegant today – not the butt of your jokes about that time at Mardi Gras.

Try to think of three or four major points about her personality that you can compliment and maybe share a little story about. And mention the groom a bit too – anything that gives the guests a deeper understanding of why this couple is together – cuz that’s what the day is all about.

Finish the speech with a toast to the bride and groom.

Practice:

Make sure the speech rolls of your tongue – so practice giving it a few times. If you stumble anywhere, you may want to change the words to something that’s easier to deliver. As you read it, you might think of funny little asides to throw in here and there, but if they don’t come naturally, don’t force it. (I’m the queen of forcing things and I just feel idiotic afterward. Learn from my mistakes.)

Put the speech on pretty paper or notecards (you can even consider putting it in an envelope for the bride to keep afterward) and you’re all set. My last piece of advice, which is more of a reminder to myself: don’t forget it on the wedding day.

Tags: Relationships, Wedding

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 7th, 2010 at 4:11 pm and is filed under love&money. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.