Being the best friend of the bride, the bridesmaid is the perfect one to offer the audience a personalized approach regarding the bride and to connect the happy couple to the guests in a more significant way.
If you have the honor to be the one in charge of it, don`t let yourself overwhelmed by the responsibility of the bridesmaid speech. There are many ways to transform your speech into something memorable in the positive way, of course. Whether you write down your speech or speak without the help of written cue cards, get creative and remember that you perfectly know what you are talking about.
The first rule is to start your speech by presenting yourself and pointing out the friendship between you and the bride. Not everybody present knows you, so this information is important.
As the couple chose you to play this important part, mention that you are honored to have this possibility and you thank them for that.
The best advice is to build your speech using your past with the bride, it doesn`t matter if you have know the bride since you were kids or you have met a few months ago. Share some special memories and moments, but try not to tell personal tales that might embarrass the bride. Flatter the bride and tease her a little. Don`t forget to compliment the groom and point out how lucky he is to be with the bride.
Humor always works in a bridesmaid speech if chosen well. You can tell amusing anecdotes about the bride and the groom or add a joke. Be cautious about the kind of humor you spice up your bridesmaid speech with. Even if it is funny, do not tell stories that can be humiliating. Also use simple and clean jokes that everybody can understand.
You can include a quote in your speech, but make sure it is appropriate and meaningful for the couple. A love quote or a short poem is one of the best choices.
Get nostalgic and tell a cute story about how the couple met. If you want to step up from the traditional bridesmaid speech, add it a song, a dance or a picture slideshow. Again, remember to not to embarrass anybody.
Finish your speech by saying some words of advice to the newlyweds and wishing them a happy life together.
Prepare your bridesmaid speech in advance and practice it several times. During the speech, try to stay calm and focused, but loosen up. For safety, take some note cards with you. Remember that the bride chose you for a reason, so your bridesmaid speech must be said mostly with your heart.
