The maid of honor duties include a toast raised for the bride. Traditionally, the maid of honor (also known as the matron of honor), delivers her speech during the first half of the party while all guests are present and this speech would be focusing on the bride.
Maid of honor speeches or toasts should typically include funny incidents and stories of friendship and love that are highly emotional in nature. Unless you are a natural and spontaneous speaker, it is okay to rehearse for the speech and even have notes prepared for the moment.
Maid of Honor Speech Ideas
You may keep in mind the following tips while preparing for a maid of honor speech.
- Though the duration and effort spent on the maid of honor toast is rather short compared to the overall duties of the maid of honor, take this job very seriously and embrace it with privilege and maturity
- Cover all aspects of a speech – i.e. starting with how excited you are having this privilege to toast, address all main individuals in the gathering, personalized memories between you and the bride, encouraging quotes and incidents about life to show the newly-wed the exciting path ahead, offer well wishes and conclude with a toast without forgetting to take a sip yourself and thanking everyone
- Establish eye contact with the bride: Most of the time during your speech, you should look into the eyes of the bride unless you are addressing the gathering or the groom at times
- The personalized incidents and stories could be more exciting if a closely kept secret or embarrassing situation (as long as it is positive and everyone enjoys it) is disclosed e.g. things that you know about the groom and the bride
- Praise the groom and bride a lot and mention how beautiful they look together and how lucky they are to belong to each other. In between, you could pull the bride mentioning her funny and naughty habits
- Mention the special moments of meeting with a lot of stress. E.g. how and when the bride and groom met, how you started knowing the bride (e.g. in the school together), a funny incident while growing up together etc
- A word of advice from your experience and life which should stress on how blissful marital life is and wish them all the happiness for a long wedded life together
- Famous closing remarks or quote: You may opt for a famous closing remark or appropriate quote that people remember for a while
- Close with the toast and wishing the beautiful couple once again and thanking the gathering. Typically, the whole speech should not take more than two to three minutes but if you wish to pause when the bride and you get emotional or wait for the claps to be over, it is okay to prolong it to up to five minutes
- Practice a lot and be composed but emotional: To deliver the perfect maid of honor speech, you need to rehearse your main points in the right sequence as many times as you wish until you make it perfect. Do not sound artificial and in haste – If you just think about those beautiful moments together, you will naturally become emotional that adds to the punch of the moment
Sample maid of honor Speech
Here is an example of one of those sister maid of honor speeches.
To my big sister (bride), Since I came to this world, I have known you – not just as a sister but as a good friend and somebody to lead the way for me. When we were little girls, you taught me how to make play dough stuff and helped me clean up the mess that I would always create. You protected me from bullies in school and on the playground. You showed me – the shy and confused little one – how to go about things on my first day in school and have always helped me with my homework and crafts.
You taught me how to put on makeup and groom myself. You were always there with me when I went through all those difficult situations that every girl goes through and walked with me to counsel me through my relationships.
And today, you begin this new chapter in your life with (mention the groom’s name), the luckiest man on earth today! How beautiful you both are looking together and I must say that heavens choicest blessings are there with you both today.
While I will still look forward to your guidance, let me take this auspicious moment to wish you and (groom’s name) the most wonderful and prosperous wedded life together. You always are and will be the best sister and now you are the best man and lady tonight!
“There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved”
(Toast)
Enjoy your role and privilege of being at the center of attraction – of course after the bride and the groom!
