Most of the time, there are four people who give speeches during weddings. These are the father of the bride, the groom, the best man, and the bride herself. These four people need to be extra careful about words they intend to say, and they also have to be extra considerate of the people around them. Most of these speeches have humor injected in them. These speeches are not meant to drag the guests. In contrast, these must liven up the wedding’s atmosphere. The speakers must remember to not get carried away. Their jokes must intend no harm, and must not offend anyone. Here’s a short guide on the etiquette required for wedding speech jokes.
All of the speakers must refrain from telling anecdotes and experiences that bring back certain negative memories to the guests and the newlyweds. To avoid these, they must be aware of the major negative imprints on the guests’ memories – they must research. All of the speakers must never, ever (there cannot be enough reminders in the world to emphasize this) mention past relationships as these may cause conflicts between guests, or even between the bride and groom.
Wedding speech jokes, especially those about the bride and groom, must not be about issues sensitive enough to cause the conservative people to faint. If ever one wants to state a sexual joke, he or she must remember to be subtle enough and use language that’ll be accepted by everyone (and be safe enough such that the kids still don’t understand it).
It is also a necessity to say your “thanks” amidst all these jokes. The people who made the event possible are, in fact, those who made your telling these jokes possible. As much as possible, don’t leave out any prominent names when thanking. It’d be good if these people remained out of the “others” group. It’s also great if you could say a wish or two for the couple, and propose a toast to everyone.
Despite the fact that wedding speech jokes are what liven these speeches up, the speakers must always remember to follow the unwritten rules of respect and appropriateness.
Filed under Wedding Speech Tips by on Sep 25th, 2009. Comment. 
Whenever someone looks for volunteers to do a certain job, especially big ones, the (usual) initial impulse of those being asked would be to decline due to fear of embarrassment (or not meeting all the people’s standards). Many people fear huge responsibilities mostly because they’re afraid of ruining their unblemished reputations. One such act that’s evaded by many, many people (men specifically) is the best man toast. This toast is a very special role given to a very special person. You shouldn’t fear it – in fact, you should treat it an honor to be chosen to do it.
The best man toast is a wedding ritual that requires one to get the attention of all the guests, introduce oneself, and relate his relationship and experiences with the bride and groom. One has to be careful when relating this speech, though. You, of course, wouldn’t want to humiliate or embarrass the newlyweds on their special day.
A good start to this speech is a short introduction of oneself, and one’s relation to the couple. Remember that all throughout the toast, one must show good sense of humor, ingenuity, and creativity. One cannot settle for clichés that’ll leave the other guests thinking, “he’s impersonal”.
The middle of the toast should be the bulk of stories and accounts relating the changes that happened to the couple during the time before their marriage. The best man might want to involve himself in the stories too. It is important to remember, however, that the focus must be the couple, not the best man. Also, avoid retelling tales that can hurt or bring back bad memories to the guests and/or to the couple (avoid ex-girlfriend stories, ex-fiancé deaths or things like that).
To wrap the speech up, one can say a wish or blessing for the newly weds, raise one’s glass up, and say congratulations.
Just remember that the only thing the best man toast demands from the best man is to pour his heart out. When what one says is honest and sincere, one can never go wrong. Now, the next time someone asks you to do this special toast, face them with your head held high, and accept the proposal.
Filed under Wedding Speech Tips by on Aug 25th, 2009. Comment.