Here’s How to Nail Your Maid of Honor Speech (Examples Included!)

how to write a maid of honor speech

Writing a killer maid of honor speech is no easy feat, nor is delivering one — especially when you think about what you’re up against. The entire internet.

You can’t even search for inspiration without being bombarded with over-the-top, super creative speeches. That joke you crafted? Someone already made it, but they delivered it with a choreographed dance. That ending line you thought up? Someone already used it, but they timed it perfectly to a smoke machine. Every idea you had? They’ve all been done way better than you were ever going to do them.

Or at least that’s what it seems like.

While you’re free to go all-out, there’s not really a need to. A great maid of honor speech really only needs a few elements to make your best friend happy. And even if you completely fail, they’ll still love you for trying your best. So let that sink in and hopefully calm your nerves!

Here are the things to include, along with several bridesmaid speech examples. Using these tips from real life maids of honor, we can help you keep your cool and give a toast that both your bff and wedding guests will love! So raise your glass to the happy couple, because here we go.

SEE MORE: Wedding Speech Disasters

Make It About The Couple, Not You

Lois, who was her sister’s maid of honor, advises that after introducing yourself and sharing what your relationship is to the bride, make the toast less about you and all about the couple. While guests will no doubt fall immediately in love with your winning personality, they traveled here to celebrate the bride and groom, so it’s best to make sure your maid of honor speech does the same.

“Take your moment to share, speak from the heart and be yourself while you’re doing it,” Lois said. But “don’t steal [the bride’s] shine in the process. It’s her special day.”

Anna, who was a maid of honor once and loves helping friends write their MOH toasts, agrees.

“It’s fine to share how you know the bride, and maybe a brief childhood story, but make the speech more about the bride/couple than your friendship with her,” she said.

WGM Says: As far as some guests are concerned, you’re a stranger. It might be obvious, but be sure to mention your name, that you are the maid of honor, and how you know the bride!

Keep It Brief

If you want to be a favorite of both the couple and their guests, keep your speech tight. A maid of honor toast that’s 2-3 minutes is your sweet spot: just long enough to share a heartwarming story or two, but not so long that it drags and everyone begins to check their watches.

Maid of Honor Anna is equally as passionate about brevity as she is about keeping things about the couple.

“Remember, it’s supposed to be a heartwarming and brief TOAST, not a 30-minute dissertation on your inside jokes,” she said. Keep it “short, sweet and to the point [with] one or two classy jokes and absolutely nothing embarrassing.”

You Might Also Like: Don’t Forget these Maid of Honor Duties

Skip The Inside Jokes

Like Anna, maid of honor Claire has found that inside jokes are best reserved for times when you aren’t holding a microphone.

“I’d definitely skip the inside jokes,” she said. “Don’t mention them, because people won’t get it and that’ll be awkward.”

Few things are more uncomfortable than a single person laughing at a joke told in a room full of people. So if you do want to tell a joke, Claire recommends going for something that will make your guests laugh along with the bride and groom and “make sure it hearkens back to a quality about the bride/couple that people will find relatable.”

Speak From The Heart

While speaking in front of a crowd can be nerve-wracking — and holding note cards with a few points you don’t want to forget is more than fine — reading a prepared speech line by line usually comes off as a little too rehearsed. Rather than over-preparing, Molly, who was her friend’s maid of honor a few years ago, believes that the best thing you can do as the MOH is speak from your heart.

“I planned one joke at the beginning, just to break the ice I suppose, but honestly didn’t plan much else,” she said, adding that she just “spoke from the heart about how much I loved my friend and how happy I was for her,” without sounding like I was “reading off of a phone.”

And if you fumble your words because of emotions or get a little choked up along the way? Don’t worry! The honesty of the moment will move the couple far more than the most beautifully written speech ever could!

Be Yourself

When it all comes down to it, you were chosen by the bride to be her maid of honor because of who you are, so what she wants to hear and see more than anything in your toast is you! Maid of honor, Samantha, exemplified that in her toast and gives this piece of advice to all maids of honor to be.

“A lot of people try to make it too humorous or too heartfelt or whatever,” she said, “but stick with what is comfortable for you. The bride picked you because she wants YOU, not what any other maid of honor is. Just be you, let your personality lead you and focus on why you love the bride and the couple. It’ll all come together if you stay true to that.”

Real Maid of Honor Speeches

Looking for real life maid of honor speeches? Don’t miss these popular videos that got millions of likes!

Here are even more tips for writing the perfect maid of honor speech for your bestie

Before you put pen to paper (or, ahem, keyboard to paper) you’ll want to keep these guidelines in mind:

Introduce yourself and explain how you met the bride

Guests want to hear if you’ve been BFFs since kindergarten or if you’re cousins who grew up down the street. Talk about why she’s such an amazing friend and how lucky you feel to be standing beside her. This can be as sentimental or silly as you make it, depending on you and the bride’s personalities, but remember that sweet never fails while attempts at humor can occasionally fall flat.

Don’t forget the personal details

While you should definitely talk about how you met the bride as mentioned above, you’ll want to keep the personal details coming.

For example, when writing your maid of honor speech, focus on incorporating personal details into sentences where you might normally say something generic.

Instead of “[bride’s name] is amazing,” try something along the lines of [I’ve been close with [bride’s name] for X years, because she’s extremely [caring, hilarious, loyal, etc.]” and follow it up with a quick story that illustrates how she’s [caring, hilarious, loyal, etc.].

Adding personal details to a general compliment is a great way to appeal to both the bride and all of the guests (even the ones that aren’t from the bride’s side). What you don’t want to do is tell a story or a joke that only the bride is going to understand. Keep the inside jokes for your texts!

This also applies to their partner. What do you love about them together? What was your first impression of the pairing (avoid phrases that sound like jokes but are really just insults: out of his/her league, downgrade/upgrade, etc.)? When did you realize they were perfect for each other? Where do you see them in 20 years? (As long as it’s not separated!)

SEE MORE: The Dos and Don’ts of Giving a Best Man Speech

Keep the Jokes to a Minimum

In a maid of honor speech, landing one joke is hard; — landing more than three is nearly impossible. It’s important to keep in mind that you don’t know everyone on the guest list, so something that’s funny to you could be offensive to someone else.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t show off your sense of humor! Just make sure you choose the right jokes. And pro tip: Make sure you’re pacing yourself. After you tell a joke, take a pause. If you talk too quickly, you won’t give enough time for the laughter to fill the room!

And Definitely Don’t Talk About Exes

You may find stories about the bride’s ex-boyfriends hilarious, but the maid of honor speech is not the time or place to bring them up. Save your jokes for the bachelorette party, where the bride’s embarrassment is up for grabs! Nobody wants to be reminded of their or their spouse’s ex’s on their wedding day.

Show it to Friends

You should absolutely show your MOH speech to a friend or two so you can get some feedback. There’s a shockingly good chance that you might think a speech is great, but when other people read it they aren’t on the same page. Instead of taking that risk, show your speech to a few friends and make sure it’s as good as you think it is.

Create an Outline…and Practice!

Even the best writers and speakers need to do several drafts (or five) before they get a great toast. The best way to start any speech is to create an outline, which could look something like this:

Intro:

  • Your name and your connection to the bride
  • Why you’re so happy to celebrate the couple (mention their names) today

Background:

  • How the two of you met
  • Your first impressions of her
  • An important memory you shared together and the bond you have now

The Meeting:

  • The first time the bride told you about their now-spouse
  • What your first reaction was and any anecdotes you want to share

The Love Story:

  • How you saw it unfold
  • When you knew it was true love
  • How the bride has changed for the better, and the special qualities they bring out in each other.

Happily Ever After:

  • Why you think this love story is so special
  • Advice from you, her best friend, to her partner
  • What you wish for the couple
  • Consider wrapping up with a love quote/lyric/movie saying (“like that famous line from Katy’s favorite movie, “it was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, meant they were supposed to be together.” Pssst. It’s Sleepless in Seattle!)

Once you write the speech, you’ll want to make sure you practice saying it out loud at least a few times a week leading up to the wedding. Consider recording it on your phone and saying it in front of the mirror, so you can see how you look. The more comfortable you are making the speech, the more you can make eye contact with the couple and guests at the wedding reception while you’re doing it!

Have an Ending

This isn’t 8th grade geography, so don’t end your speech like you’re concluding a PowerPoint presentation: “So… um, yeah!” Offer your well wishes, followed by something that prompts guests, like “Here’s to the newlyweds!” or “Cheers!”

Maid of Honor Speech Overview

Here’s a CliffsNotes version of how your Maid of Honor speech should be structured.

Section Description Example
Introduction Introduce yourself and your relationship to the bride. “Hi, I’m [Your Name], [Bride’s Name]’s sister and lifelong partner in mischief.”
Shared Memories Recall fond memories or anecdotes about the bride or both of you together. “Remember when we tried to bake a cake for Mom’s birthday and ended up with a kitchen disaster?”
Meeting their Spouse Share your first impressions or fun stories about their spouse. “When [Bride’s Name] first introduced [Partner’s Name], I thought, ‘Who’s this guy who can match her vibrant energy?'”
Well Wishes Share your hopes and dreams for their future together. “I hope your journey is filled with love, laughter, and countless adventures.”
Conclusion Wrap up your speech with a memorable ending. “To [Bride’s Name] and [Partner’s Name], here’s to a lifetime of joy and wonderful memories. Cheers!”

Maid of Honor Speech Examples

Looking for even more Maid of Honor speech inspiration? Feel free to use all or parts of these examples, below, for your own speech.

College Besties

Hello everyone! I’m [Your Name], and if you’re wondering how [Bride’s Name] and I met, well… let’s just say that freshman orientation and an ill-timed prank involving confetti cannons was our destined meeting spot.

We quickly learned two things that day:

  • Neither of us was good at pulling off pranks.
  • We were going to be inseparable.

And that’s precisely what happened. From cramming for exams together in the tiniest of dorm rooms to our occasional (read: frequent) midnight ice cream runs. College wasn’t just about earning a degree; it was about discovering a friendship that, I dare say, was more intricate and challenging than any thesis we ever wrote.

[Bride’s Name], from the moment we bonded over that failed prank, I knew we were destined for a lifetime of laughter, deep talks, and a shared inability to refuse a good dessert. Over the years, I’ve seen you grow in so many ways. From mastering the art of making microwave mug cakes to navigating the challenges of adult life, you’ve done it with grace, humor, and the occasional touch of mischief.

Then came [Partner’s Name]. At first, I wondered, “Could he handle the whirlwind that is [Bride’s Name]? Would he appreciate her unique brand of humor, or her habit of doing impromptu dance breaks during study sessions?”

But soon, it became clear. [Partner’s Name], not only did you dive headfirst into her world, but you also brought your own dance moves, adding a few steps to her already delightful dance routine.

Today, as I stand here, it’s not just as [Bride’s Name]’s college partner-in-crime but as a witness to a love story that started amidst textbooks and has now blossomed into this beautiful day.

[Bride’s Name] and [Partner’s Name], may your life together be filled with laughter, spontaneous dance breaks, and maybe a few more successful pranks than the ones we tried in college.

Here’s to a future that’s as bright and unpredictable as a confetti cannon!

I love you both!

Sister Act

Hello everyone, I’m [Your Name], and for those who might not know, I’ve had the privilege of being [Bride’s Name]’s partner in both crime and childhood since, well, forever.

Now, growing up with [Bride’s Name] was a mix of adventures, fairy tales, and let’s not forget – the time she cut my hair thinking she was the next big stylist. Spoiler: she wasn’t. But despite that ill-fated hairdo, one thing became clear – [Bride’s Name] was always a visionary, someone who looked at the world with wide-eyed wonder.

We’ve shared many firsts. From the first time we tried to bake and ended up with what can only be described as “rock cookies”, to our first heartbreaks, where we realized that chocolate really does cure almost everything.

Then [Partner’s Name] entered the picture. I remember when [Bride’s Name] first introduced him. My first thought was, “Well, he’s brave. He’s willingly entering our world of family inside jokes, and yearly reenactments of our childhood dance routines.” But [Partner’s Name], you not only stepped into [Bride’s Name]’s world, you danced right alongside her, adding your own unique rhythm.

It’s been beautiful to watch. From the way you both laugh at the same silly things (that no one else finds funny) to the way you look at her with so much love that even I, her lifelong protector, knew she was in the best hands.

[Bride’s Name], from our days of playing house to today, where you begin building a real home and life with [Partner’s Name], I couldn’t be prouder. Our shared past has been a tapestry of memories, some hilarious, some profound, but all priceless.

To [Bride’s Name] and [Partner’s Name], may your journey together be filled with the same joy, laughter, and genuine love we’ve celebrated throughout our family’s history.

Let’s raise our glasses! To the beautiful couple, and to a future that promises countless moments worth cherishing.

Are you writing a maid of honor speech? Let us know how it’s going, below, and be sure to follow us on Instagram for more great wedding ideas!

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