The wedding speeches order is getting more and more complicated these days as additional people clamber for a moment in the spotlight. The traditional 'three speech' approach (Father of the Bride Speech, Groom Speech & Best Man Speech) is still the most common, but Bride's, Maid's of Honour and others are now adding to the mix.
This article takes a look at the traditional wedding speeches order here in the UK but also highlights the various options open to those heading down a more modern route.
Traditional Wedding Speeches Order
At the vast majority of weddings, just the three men will take to the spotlight to give a wedding speech and toast. Where this is the case, the wedding speeches order should always be as follows:
The Father of the Bride Speech
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The Groom's Speech
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The Best Man's Speech
It should be noted that the above order applies to traditional UK weddings only and in other countries the order differs somewhat. In the USA for example, the order is often reversed with the Bride's Father providing the conclusion the speeches at a wedding reception.
Wedding Speeches Order inc. the Bride
At more and more UK weddings, it is becoming fashionable for the Bride to stand up and say a few words - and why not! On certain occassions, the Bride will join her Groom and make a joint speech, in which case the wedding speeches order outlined above should be followed. Where the Bride wishes to speak alone, there isn't really a set wedding speeches order, but the following tends to be the most widely practised:
The Father of the Bride Speech
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The Groom's Speech
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The Bride's Speech
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The Best Man's Speech
Providing an alternative wedding speeches order, the following could be used by those who wish to use the Bride's speech as somewhat of a surprise to the guests:
The Father of the Bride Speech
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The Groom's Speech
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The Best Man's Speech
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The Bride's Speech
Wedding Speeches Order inc. Maid of Honour
A tradition which has found it's way over here from across the pond, the Maid of Honour's speech is now becoming much more of a common occurance at UK weddings. Also known as the Chief Bridesmaid's wedding speech or the Matron of Honour's speech, the Maid of Honour will typically speak just after the Groom and before the Best Man. With this in mind, the wedding speeches order will be as follows:
The Father of the Bride Speech
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The Groom's Speech
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The Maid of Honour's Speech
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The Best Man's Speech
Wedding Speeches Order inc. Bride & Maid of Honour
Our final offering is for those weddings where both the Bride and Maid of Honour wish to speak. In cases such as this, the following wedding speeches order is recommended:
The Father of the Bride Speech
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The Groom's Speech
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The Bride's Speech
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The Maid of Honour's Speech
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The Best Man's Speech
If any other wedding speeches are to be given (one from the Groom's Father or a wedding guest for example), these tend to be made at the end of all others, but again this isn't set in stone. If you are aware of others wishing to say a few words on the big day, it is best to agree amongst yourselves a suitable wedding speeches order using the information within this article as a guide.
Recommended Reading
For those of you wanting to find out more, we've a whole host of other wedding speech articles on the site packed full of expert information and inspirational ideas, not to mention our online wedding directory that's filled with toastmasters, speech writers and more.
For friendly tips and helpful advice take a look at our wedding speech forum, or why not check out the 'related articles' and 'pages & websites you may like' below.
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