WEDDINGS

Bride speech examples

The five speeches below are made up. Borrow the order and the thank-yous, then swap in one true story about your partner.

A chatbot can draft a bride speech in seconds. It wasn't there the night you met, and it won't be the one holding the microphone in front of everyone you love. Below is a template, then five example speeches: a toast to your groom at the reception, a short one, a funny one, one for the rehearsal dinner and one that thanks your mom. After them: whether brides give a speech, when and for how long, who to thank, what to leave out and how to give it.

A bride speech template

Use these six beats for a reception speech. The examples below drop or change a few of them to fit the night. Fill in the blanks, then read it out loud and cut any line that doesn't sound like you.

Thank the person who spoke before you: "Thank you, ___." If you're the first to speak, open with "Good evening, everyone."
Thank both families: "Mom and Dad, thank you for ___. ___ and ___, thank you for welcoming me into your family."
Thank the guests: "Thank you all for being here. ___ came all the way from ___."
Thank your bridesmaids: "To my bridesmaids, thank you for ___."
Talk to your partner: "___, I knew on ___, when you ___."
Give the toast: "Please raise your glasses. To ___."

Confetti, a British wedding site, ran a guide to the bride's speech by the speechwriter Adam Cockerham. He calls a tribute to your parents and your partner's a great way to start, so the families come before the guests here. Keep each thank-you to a line or two, and spend the time you save on beat 5. One moment says more about your partner than a list of their best qualities. In example 1, it's a dead car battery in the snow. To learn the beats and rehearse them, see how to practice your wedding speech. For the speeches that may come before yours, see the maid of honor, father of the bride and groom speech examples.

5 bride speech examples

The names and stories are made up. The longest is under 200 words, which takes under two minutes out loud. If you're marrying a woman, change the names and pronouns. The beats stay the same, and example 2 is written for two brides.

1. To your groom, at the reception

Thank-yous first, then one story, then the toast. It opens on the maid of honor, Rachel. If you follow your dad instead, thank him for his speech.

Thank you, Rachel. I'm never doing karaoke with you again, and now everyone knows why.

Good evening, everyone. Mom and Dad, thank you for this day, and for every recital and pep talk that got me here. Paul and Diane, thank you for welcoming me into your family. Diane handed me an apron at my very first Sunday dinner, and I've been helping in her kitchen ever since.

Thank you all for being here. My cousin Ana flew in from Manila, and Grandpa Joe drove up from Florida because he doesn't trust planes.

To my bridesmaids, thank you for the planning, the patience and the emergency safety pins.

Nick, I knew the winter my car died on the way to my sister's graduation. You drove two hours through the snow with jumper cables you'd never used. We watched a video in the parking lot, and the car started on the third try.

That's you. You show up first and figure it out on the way. I can't wait to see what we figure out next.

Please raise your glasses. To my husband, Nick.

2. Short and sweet

Under 80 words, less than a minute with pauses. It suits a night with a lot of speeches, or a couple who would rather get to the dancing.

Good evening, everyone. Thank you to both our families for making today happen, and thank you all for coming.

Maya, the first time I cooked for you, I set off the smoke alarm twice. You opened every window, ate the whole plate and asked when I was making it again.

You've made every ordinary night better since.

Please raise your glasses. To my wife, Maya.

3. Funny

For a funny speech, Cockerham suggests a story about the two of you told from your side, like how you met or a romantic gesture that went wrong. Build up to the funny part in steps, and let your partner come out of it looking good.

Thank you, Ben. For the record, I asked for the second date.

Good evening, everyone. I'm Sarah. I've been given three minutes, so I'll talk fast.

Mom and Dad, thank you for everything, including the color-coded wedding spreadsheet. Mark and Julie, thank you for welcoming me into a family that plays Monopoly to win.

Thank you all for coming, and thank you to my bridesmaids for keeping me calm today. Mostly.

James proposed on a hike. He'd planned it for months. He had the ring, the speech and the perfect spot at the top. What he didn't have was a map. We reached the top just after dark, and he proposed by the light of my phone, which was at four percent.

James, I didn't need the view. I'd follow you up any mountain, even the wrong one.

Please raise your glasses. To my husband, James.

The one joke at James's expense is the map, and he still comes out of it well. He planned for months and got his yes. The speech turns sincere before the toast. If the best man speaks before you, ask him ahead of time which story he's telling, so you have an answer ready.

4. At the rehearsal dinner

The host of the rehearsal dinner gives the first speech. Zola notes that for a bride and groom, that's traditionally the groom's father. The couple can also say a few words of thanks and toast their wedding party.

Thank you, Frank. And thank you, Frank and Linda, for hosting tonight.

Ten years ago, Ethan's parents and mine met for the first time over a very long dinner at a very small restaurant. Tonight we have a bigger room, and nobody has to share a chair.

To everyone who traveled, thank you. My college roommates flew in from three time zones.

To my bridesmaids, thank you for a year of fittings, playlists and late-night texts. Tomorrow you're in charge of keeping me calm, and I'm sorry in advance.

Tomorrow I get to marry Ethan. Tonight I just want to thank everyone who got us here.

Please raise your glasses. To our wedding party.

5. With a thank-you to your mom

If your mom raised you on her own or did most of the planning, give her a beat of her own before you turn to your partner. Keep it to a few lines so you can get through it.

Good evening, everyone. Thank you all for being here.

Before I say anything to Leo, I need to thank my mom. Mom, you raised my brother and me on your own. You worked nights and still made every school play. When I called you at midnight to say I was engaged, you were already awake. You said, "I know. Leo asked me first."

Thank you for showing me what keeping a promise looks like.

Carol and Mike, thank you for welcoming me into your family. And to my bridesmaids, thank you for everything this year.

Leo, you asked my mom before you asked me. That told me everything about the man I was marrying.

Please raise your glasses. To my husband, Leo.

Giving it together with your partner? Example 5 in the groom speech examples splits the beats between you.

Does the bride give a speech?

She doesn't have to. Zola lists the usual toasts at a reception: a welcome from the parents, a blessing, then the best man and the maid of honor (Zola on who gives speeches at weddings). A toast from the newlyweds can follow. Zola calls it a modern practice, not as common in all cultures, and suggests a bride can also toast her partner on her own.

In Britain, the traditional speeches come from the father of the bride, the groom and the best man. Confetti says the bride's speech is newer to that order, and more and more brides like to say a few words (Confetti on the order of wedding speeches). Cockerham says he spends more and more of his time writing one speech in particular: the bride's (Confetti's guide to the bride's speech).

When does the bride give her speech?

In Zola's order, the newlyweds' toast comes after the best man and the maid of honor. In the traditional British order, Confetti says newer speeches like the bride's usually come after the groom's and the best man's. It adds that the order is entirely up to you.

Confetti also suggests asking whoever speaks before you to introduce you, so you know when it's your turn. A week or so before, ask the other speakers which stories they're telling, so nobody tells the same one twice. Then give the order to your planner or DJ.

How long should a bride speech be?

Ask your partner and your planner how long you have. Cockerham follows a 7-minute rule. He says speeches pack a punch between five and seven minutes, and that attention starts to drift after that. He puts the average speaking pace at about 130 words a minute. You'll rarely need seven minutes, since every example above runs under two. In Zola's guide to rehearsal dinner speeches, a professional speechwriter says all the speeches together shouldn't go past 20 minutes (Zola on rehearsal dinner speeches).

Time yours by standing up and saying it out loud, so the count includes your pauses. If it runs long, shorten the thank-yous before you touch the story.

Who to thank in a bride speech

Confetti lists who a bride can thank: her father for his toast, both sets of parents, her partner's family for welcoming her, the guests, her bridesmaids and the suppliers. At a traditional British wedding the groom leads a toast to the bridesmaids, and Confetti says that toast can go in the bride's speech instead (Confetti's guide to the groom's speech). A simple order to follow:

Whoever spoke just before you, if anyone did.
Your parents.
Your partner's parents, for welcoming you and for anything they hosted.
The guests, and anyone who traveled a long way.
Your bridesmaids or wedding party, and anyone who helped on the day, like the officiant or a reader.
Your partner, last, just before the toast.

Thank people in groups and name only a few.

What to leave out

Exes, yours or your partner's.
Wedding night and honeymoon jokes. Your grandparents are listening.
A story that would embarrass your partner. A romantic gesture that went wrong works if they come out of it well.
What anything cost.
Inside jokes. If most of the room would need the backstory, cut it.
A roll call of suppliers. Cockerham says there's no need to list paid services like the photographer.
A second set of vows. The big promises belong in the ceremony.
Someone who has died, unless you and your partner have agreed how to mention them.

How to give it

Learn your opening line and the toast by heart, and keep the beats on a card for the rest. Confetti says you don't have to memorize your speech, and notes on a card mean you have something to look at if your mind goes blank. How to memorize a speech has a method.
Use a paper card. A phone can lock itself or light up with a text halfway through your story.
Practice with a stopwatch, as Cockerham suggests. Stand up and say it out loud.
Keep the microphone in front of your mouth when you turn to your partner. If it stays where it was, nobody hears your best line.
Look at your partner while you talk to them, and at the room for the thank-yous.
Wait for each laugh to finish before your next line.
If your voice catches, stop and take a breath. Then start the next beat.
For the toast, lift your glass, end on whoever you're toasting and stop talking.

For a day-by-day rehearsal plan, see how to practice your wedding speech. If your voice shakes when you're nervous, see how to stop your voice from shaking.

Rehearse your speech with an AI coach in Charisma Lab

Charisma Lab is a speaking coach on your iPhone. In Speak, tap the center and tell the coach you're practicing a bride speech. Say it out loud one chunk at a time, like the thank-yous, the story or the toast. A pause of about two seconds ends a take, so end each chunk where you'd wait for a laugh. You hear the take played back, then the coach tells you what to fix and sends you back in.

To see whether you rush the thank-yous, open Voice Cam on the home screen and record them. Each recording runs up to a minute, with the camera or audio only. As you talk, it shows an estimate of your pace in words per minute, along with your pitch, volume and pauses. Setup is free and includes a short live session with the coach. After that, the app needs Pro, which is $14.99 a month in the US. See pricing.

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FAQ

Does the bride have to give a speech?

No. At an American wedding, a toast from the couple is optional, and Zola calls it a modern practice. In Britain, more brides now speak, and Confetti says the order of speeches is up to you.

When does the bride give her speech?

In Zola's order, after the best man and the maid of honor. In Britain, Confetti says it usually comes after the groom's and the best man's speeches. Ask your planner where you fit.

How long should a bride speech be?

Confetti's speechwriter favors five to seven minutes and warns that longer speeches risk losing attention. Each example above takes under two. Time yours by saying it out loud.

What should a bride say in her speech?

Thank whoever spoke before you, if anyone did, then both families, the guests and your bridesmaids. Tell one story about your partner and give the toast. The template above has a line for each.

Who does the bride thank in her speech?

Both sets of parents, the guests, her bridesmaids and anyone who helped on the day. Save your partner for last, right before the toast.

What should a bride say to her groom?

Tell him about the moment you knew, and what it showed you about him. Example 1 above shows one way.

Does the bride toast the bridesmaids?

She can. At a traditional British wedding, the groom leads the toast to the bridesmaids, and Confetti notes it can go in the bride's speech instead. At the rehearsal dinner, example 4 above toasts the whole wedding party.

What does the bride say at the rehearsal dinner?

Thank the hosts, the guests who traveled and the wedding party, then give a toast. Zola says the couple can toast their attendants there. Example 4 above shows one way.

Can the bride and groom give a speech together?

Yes. Split the beats so each of you thanks your own family, and rehearse the handoffs out loud. Example 5 in the groom speech examples shows one way.

How do you start a bride speech?

Thank whoever spoke before you, if anyone did, then your parents and your partner's. For more ways in, see how to start a speech.

How do you end a bride speech?

Ask everyone to raise a glass, then name whoever you're toasting and stop talking. At the reception that's usually your partner, as in example 1. How to end a speech has more on toasts.

Can a bride speech be funny?

Yes. Tell a story about the two of you from your side, and build up to the funny part. Then give one sincere line about your partner just before the toast.

More practice guides

Updated November 2, 2026.