Wedding speech guides
Plain, practical answers to the questions people ask before they stand up to speak: who goes first, how long to talk, what to say and how to stop shaking. Each guide is free to read, with no sign-up.
Order of wedding speeches in Ireland and the UK (and how it's changing)
Who speaks first at a wedding in Ireland and the UK, what each speaker does, sample running orders for modern weddings, and how to choose your own order.
How long should a wedding speech be? Times and word counts for every role
Wedding speech times and word counts for every role, from best man to mother of the groom, how to turn words into minutes, and how to cut a speech down.
Is it OK to use AI to write your wedding speech?
An honest answer on using AI for a wedding speech: what guests notice, what AI should not do, how to keep your own voice, and what to ask about privacy.
How to use ChatGPT for a wedding speech, and where it falls short
How to get a good wedding speech draft from ChatGPT: a prompt that works, follow-ups to try, where a general chatbot falls short, and when it is all you need.
Best man speech jokes that won't upset the mother of the bride
Over 40 original, clean best man speech jokes and lines, grouped by where they go in the speech, plus the jokes to avoid and how to make a line your own.
Short maid of honour speeches: 10 examples under two minutes
Ten short maid of honour speech examples, each under two minutes, for sisters, school friends, flatmates and more, with a simple structure to write your own.
Wedding toast vs wedding speech: what's the difference?
What is the difference between a wedding toast and a wedding speech? How long each should be, who gives them, toast etiquette and five example toasts.
How to calm your nerves before a wedding speech
Practical ways to calm wedding speech nerves: how to prepare in the weeks before, what to do on the day and in the last few minutes, and what to do if you cry.
How to collect stories from friends for a wedding speech
How to ask friends and family for stories for a wedding speech: who to ask, when, questions that get real answers, a message to copy, and how to choose.
Planning several wedding speeches: running order, timings and avoiding repeated stories
How to plan several wedding speeches: who owns the running order, a timing budget, the brief each speaker needs, and how to stop two telling one story.