Maid of Honor Speech

Start with the bride; end with the couple. Of everyone at the wedding, you have the best insight into how much your bestie's partner has changed them for the better. Your maid of honor speech needs to be about the friend you knew long before meeting their soulmate, and then pivot to what role they have played in their life. Maybe your friend is even funnier now, or maybe you've simply never seen your BFF so happy. This is also a great way to incorporate their new spouse into the speech if you don't know them that well; speak to the way that they complement each other or how your BFF's new spouse has made them a better person.

Pepper in anecdotes. Stories do a better job of getting your point across than blanket statements do. Each anecdote you share should have an underlying theme that ties all the short stories together. Reveal that theme near the end of your speech, and you’ll achieve a strong emotional impact.

End with a positive outlook. The nature of this speech is not so much about your relationship with your friend, but the bond the couple shares. Make sure all of the separate components of your toast draw a positive conclusion, ending in how happy the couple is together and your best wishes for their marriage.

Brainstorm. Kick-start the creative process by writing down any memories, emotions, or ideas that make you think of your BFF. We recommend free-writing for 20 minutes. When you’re done with this exercise, you should have some quality material that you can weave into the form of a speech. This allows you to create a blueprint of all the major points you want to make—more or less creating a roadmap for your ideas—and then fill it in with supporting information.

Ditch generic praise. Use entertaining and engaging stories to show the bride’s personality. There's a big difference between simply saying, "She is such a great friend!" versus telling a story that illustrates just that.

Remember it isn't about you. While a lot of the anecdotes should be about your time with your friend, you should not be the focal point. After you briefly introduce yourself (remember: most of the people probably won't know who you are or your relation to the couple), you shouldn't be making any additional references to yourself. You're simply the vehicle to explain why the newlyweds are so fantastic.

Do not mention exes. No one wants to be reminded of past relationships, particularly in front of their family, friends, and new life partner. Keep the tone of your speech positive, and it will reflect positively on you also. You don't want to come across as though you're trying to roast your friend.

Keep it short. The longer your speech, the more opportunities you'll have for people to start losing attention. Keep your speech under five minutes. Anywhere between two to five minutes is great.

Pause. Be sure to pause for a few seconds after each joke to let the audience laugh. When you start speaking right afterward, you won't allow people to laugh or even understand the next line. Keep in mind that starting the speech on a funny note can help you capture the audience's attention for a minute or two, but the meaningful content will keep them enthralled until the end. Your goal should be to have guests laughing and wiping tears away by balancing humor with sincerity.