Wedding Rehearsal After-Dinner Speeches
Public Speaking Tips and Topics for the Wedding Party Speech
Nov 14, 2009
On the evening before a couple gets married, typically they have a wedding rehearsal that is followed by a formal or semi-formal dinner for the wedding participants. Out-of-town guests are often invited as well. After the dinner, a speech is usually given by the bride, groom, or member of the immediate family.
What should speakers include in an after dinner speech at a wedding rehearsal dinner? Here are a few tips and topics to consider.
The Purpose of the Wedding Rehearsal After Dinner Speech
This speech fulfils several functions. First and perhaps foremost, the speech is an opportunity to formally thank the groomsmen, bridesmaids, ushers,and everyone who has invested time, effort, and money into the wedding. Thus, the speaker needs to humbling and gratefully. While a simple "thank you so much" will suffice, appreciation can be shown further with stories of specific things the participants have done to help out the couple, or humorous and sweet stories of the role of the participants plays in the couple's life.
Another purpose of the speech is to unite the wedding party into a mini-community. The people in this group may all know each other well, but chances are the group has at least a few strangers who are being brought together for the first time.
Finally, an important purpose of the wedding dinner rehearsal speech may be to lighten the mood. Wedding planning can be very stressful, and the dinner is an opportunity for everyone to relax before the big day tomorrow. A little gentle humor in the speech, as long as it's not derogatory or inappropriate, can help get a tired, grumpy group of people in a better mood.
Wedding Rehearsal After Dinner Speech Tips
So what makes for a good wedding rehearsal after dinner speech? Here are a few tips.
- Keep it fairly short. The speech should be long enough to thank and acknowledge people and lighten the mood, but there's no need to go on and on. There will be plenty more speeches tomorrow.
- Avoid inside jokes that only some members of the wedding party will know. This kind of humor will make people feel left out.
- Don't talk about the bride and groom too much. Keep in mind that tomorrow, there will be wedding toasts that do this.
- The speaker should not talk much about himself or herself, so as not to come across as self-absorbed or rude.
- Consider asking everyone present to say a little something.
- After the speech is a good time to hand out any wedding party gifts.
- Remember to be appropriate. Avoid vulgar language, and don't tell stories about wedding participants that are insulting or embarrassing. Also, avoid discussing sensitive family politics, ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends, and other inappropriate topics.
- Avoid excessive alcohol consumption before the speech.
Wedding Rehearsal After Dinner Speech Topics
So what should a wedding rehearsal after dinner speaker talk about? Remember, the main point is to thank family and friends, so they should be the main focus. Here are a few ideas of stories and other things to include:
- Stories about how the couple knows each of the participants.
- A single funny or touching story about each of the participants. Acknowledgments of specific things various people did to help with the wedding planning.
- A short story about other people's weddings, especially parents and grandparents.
- Include a quote that has special significance for the couple or others in attendance. Song lyrics work for this too.
- Mention individuals who have passed away or who otherwise could not be there, such as a deceased parent or a sibling who is in the military.
Wedding rehearsal after dinner speeches are simple and heartfelt. Remember to thank everyone and show appreciation, and to tell some stories and express some sentiments that bring together the group. Have fun, relax, and help to preprare everyone mentally for tomorrow.
 |
