Cue the applause, because it’s time for your maid of honor speech! While nothing feels better than being chosen as your bestie’s MOH, writing a maid of honor speech can feel more stressful than exciting. But don’t worry — we’re here to help! We’re breaking down all the essential FAQs, advice, and examples to show you how to write a maid of honor speech that will go down in family history. We even created a complete maid of honor speech template to get you started….so grab your pen and paper, and let’s get into it!
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Maid of Honor Speech FAQs
What goes into an epic maid of honor speech? You probably know the basics: you share stories about the bride, wish the newlyweds congratulations, and leave the room in a puddle of tears. But what about all those small details that take a maid of honor speech from good to great? That’s where we come in!
From the perfect length for a maid of honor speech to the best examples of what not to talk about, these are the FAQs that can make or break your time in the spotlight. We’re diving into everything you need to know to write a maid of honor speech that brings down the house (or at least the reception tent)!
P.S. This section is all about prepping you to write and deliver an unforgettable maid of honor speech. For a full maid of honor speech template (including specific examples), keep scrolling!
As the maid of honor, are you supposed to give a speech at the wedding?
You’ve planned a killer bach party, helped the bride pick out her dream dress, and made sure the walk down the aisle went off without a hitch. Now you have one final maid of honor duty to knock out of the park: a crowd-pleasing speech!
As the maid of honor, you are traditionally supposed to give a speech at the wedding. While it’s not a requirement, a MOH speech is a sweet tradition that allows you to congratulate your bestie in a formal and heartfelt way. So brainstorm your fave anecdotes, get your jokes ready, and prepare for a standing ovation!
Grab your to-do list, because we’re breaking down all the essential maid of honor duties in this ultimate MOH checklist!
When does the maid of honor speech happen?
Typically, the maid of honor speech takes place during the wedding reception, after the main course has been served and everyone’s in the mood for some more celebration! While there are no specific “rules” about the order of speeches, the MOH usually gets the spotlight after the parent speeches and before the best man, who kicks off the rest of the party.
What topics are best to incorporate into a maid of honor speech?
When writing your maid of honor speech, it’s best to stick to topics that highlight your relationship with the bride and celebrate this milestone moment in her relationship. While it makes sense to start with some stories about you and the bride, you don’t want to leave her new spouse out of the equation!
To begin, take a stroll down memory lane and reminisce about how you and the bride first met, the adventures you’ve shared, and the funny moments that brought you closer together. From there, you can share your perspective on how the couple’s love story unfolded, and gush about all the ways you’ve seen the bride change and grow since meeting her person.
In addition to these anecdotes, the maid of honor speech is also your chance to congratulate the couple on their special day and share some sage advice for their future journey. Keep it genuine and from the heart, and don’t forget to raise a final toast to the love birds!
Is there anything you shouldn’t talk about in your maid of honor speech?
Now that you know your maid of honor speech must-haves, let’s quickly go over the must-have-nots! These are the topics that you shouldn’t talk about during your maid of honor speech in order to keep the evening fun, positive, and light-hearted.
- Inside Jokes or Embarrassing Stories: That one anecdote from college that you and the bride find hilarious, but would probably make her grandmother blush? It’s probably best to skip it. When it comes to writing your maid of honor speech, avoid anything that might embarrass the couple’s families or leave guests scratching their heads. Instead, focus on universal and fun stories that everyone from the flower girl to the mother of the bride will love.
- Ex-Relationships: If there was ever a time to leave the past in the past, it’s during your bestie’s wedding! Now’s the moment to gush about the bride’s happily ever after with their new spouse, not their breakup with their high school sweetheart. Keep all those old chapters tucked away!
- Controversial Topics: Your maid of honor speech is about spreading the love and congratulating the happy couple, so stay away from any topics that could bring down the mood. Keep your focus on the love birds and save the discussions about politics and religion for another time. After all, you never know the beliefs of the people in attendance, and it’s always better to be safe than sorry!
- Adult Language or Jokes: Remember, this is a celebration, not a stand-up comedy routine. Avoid any crude jokes or adult language that would cause the kid’s table to cover their ears. If your maid of honor speech wouldn’t have a PG rating, it’s probably not right for such a formal (and family-oriented) occasion.
How long should a maid of honor speech be?
The best maid of honor speeches are around 3 to 5 minutes long. Anything more than 5 minutes (around 750 words), and you risk losing the audience’s attention. Anything shorter, and you won’t have the chance to hit all the essential talking points. Try to think of it as the length of your favorite song — short, catchy, and memorable!
While shorter is typically better (especially if speeches are happening later in the day), you also don’t want to rush it. Since the maid of honor traditionally speaks before the best man, you may want to include a bit more context about the happy couple and their love story in your speech. And don’t worry if your toast is longer than the best man’s speech — it comes with the territory!
Is it necessary to include jokes in your maid of honor speech?
While jokes are a great way to lighten the mood during a maid of honor speech, they definitely aren’t a requirement. It’s more important to write a maid of honor speech that’s authentic to you, so don’t feel pressured to crack any one-liners if that’s not your style!
If jokes don’t feel natural, keep the mood high with fun anecdotes, heartfelt memories, and thoughtful words of advice instead (we especially love that last one for big sisters!).
And if you are The Funny One in the friend group, just remember to keep your jokes tasteful, light-hearted, and appropriate for the occasion. Save your stand-up comedy routine for the after party!
Our Top Advice for Writing the Best Maid of Honor Speech
Ready to put pen to paper? We’re here to help! Just like your bestie’s love story is totally one-of-a-kind, the best maid of honor speeches are also unique and personal.
But not every maid of honor is an experienced wordsmith. So to help you write a maid of honor speech that’s perfect for the love birds, we’ve rounded up the top do’s, don’ts, and must-know advice for your moment in the spotlight!
1. Start With a Maid of Honor Speech Outline
Type A maid of honors, rejoice! Before you write your maid of honor speech, it’s always best to create an outline for the essential topics that you want to cover, from the story about how you and the bride first met to your final wishes for the newlyweds. This helps you ensure you’re not leaving anything out, while also mapping out the flow of your speech.
When writing your maid of honor speech outline, the more detail the better. Include specific jokes and anecdotes you want to tell during each section, plus your transitions from topic to topic. This process may feel like an English homework flashback, but it’s a tried-and-true way to keep your MOH speech concise and impactful.
P.S. To make this step a little easier, we’ve included a simple maid of honor speech template (and some crowd-pleasing examples) that you can copy down below!
2. Take The Venue and Formality of the Wedding Into Consideration When Writing Your Maid of Honor Speech
Just like you tailor your outfit to fit a dress code, you should also consider the formality of the wedding when writing your maid of honor speech. For formal or black tie optional affairs, it’s best to avoid speeches that feel too casual. Instead, try to maintain the vibe of the celebration and venue to keep that wedding magic going.
To determine the tone for your maid of honor speech, we also suggest taking the guest list into account. For example, a large wedding with everyone from distant relatives to coworkers in attendance calls for a more formal MOH speech than an intimate backyard ceremony with the couple’s nearest and dearest. And when in doubt, don’t be afraid to ask the couple for their preferences!
Still looking for your perfect maid of honor dress? Check out our complete guide about where to buy bridesmaid gowns online!
3. Craft a List of Noteworthy Memories You’ve Had With the Bride (And the Couple)
You know those memories that still make you laugh out loud or shed a tear, even years later? They’re the anecdotes that will make your MOH speech one for the ages! To narrow down the best stories for your maid of honor speech, start by writing down all your favorite memories with the bride (and her S.O.).
Think of this list as a brain dump, rather than a finished product. Have some fun reminiscing about milestone moments you’ve spent together, your favorite adventures as a dynamic duo, and the sentimental stories that define your relationship. As the bride’s bestie or sister, you have an insider perspective into what makes her so awesome, so focus on unique stories only you would know!
Once you’ve crafted a long list of your favorite memories, pick out two or three crown jewels to write into your maid of honor speech. Voila!
4. Sprinkle Some Tips or Advice into Your Maid of Honor Speech
You and the bride have been giving each other advice for years, so why stop now? Writing a few heartfelt words of wisdom into your maid of honor speech is a sweet way to send your bestie off into this next chapter. Think about meaningful quotes about love and marriage, or lessons you learned from your parents or another happy couple. This is especially meaningful if you’re the bride’s older sister or her best friend who’s already married!
To avoid turning your maid of honor speech into a lecture, be sure to balance serious advice with more light-hearted examples. You can even add some funny tips for the bride’s partner — they should be warned about what to do when she’s hangry, after all!
5. Only Include Event-Appropriate Jokes That Appeal to a Wide Audience
Your speech isn’t just for the newlyweds. It’s also for the entire guest list — so it’s important to keep everyone in mind when writing jokes for your maid of honor speech. When in doubt, stick to crowd-pleasing, playful jokes that even grandma and grandpa would love. This is especially true for large weddings where all types of guests are in attendance!
For smaller soirées, you have a little more freedom when it comes to writing your maid of honor speech, but you still want everyone to feel like they’re in on the joke. Avoid anything potentially offensive or ultra specific, such as inside jokes that only you and the bride understand. (Unless there’s a great anecdote to go along with them!)
6. Practice (And Try to Memorize) Your Maid of Honor Speech
As the saying goes, practice makes perfect, and this is especially true for maid of honor speeches! You don’t want the first time you give your speech to be on the wedding day, with 50 pairs of eyes staring up at you. Avoid those extra nerves by practicing your MOH speech at home before the big day.
It can also help to do a dress rehearsal before your time on the mic. Get dressed up, grab a makeshift microphone, and invite a few friends over to be your fake audience. Bonus points if they’re also in the wedding party — a little insider feedback never hurts!
It’s also best practice to memorize your maid of honor speech, for the aesthetics if nothing else! After all, there’s nothing worse than having someone hold a phone in front of their face in wedding photos. Plus, you tend to be more present when you’re not reading your speech verbatim, which will help you connect with the audience and nail your delivery.
7. Take Pauses Throughout Your Speech
We get it: when you’re in front of a crowd, it’s only natural to want to get your speech over with as soon as possible. But talking too quickly can be a serious speech killer! Instead, try to take a few pauses as you give your maid of honor speech to let your words really sink in.
Not only will this slow down your delivery, but it’ll also give everyone the chance to soak up what you’re saying. Take a pause after a sentimental moment for maximum impact — or after a great joke to give guests time to laugh. You’ve taken all this time to write a killer maid of honor speech, so give it the spotlight that it deserves!!
The Complete Maid of Honor Speech Template and Examples
You didn’t think we’d make you write your maid of honor speech all on your own, did you?! To take the pressure away from a blank page, we’ve created a complete maid of honor speech template that you can use to build your one-of-a-kind speech, plus some specific examples to get the ball rolling.
Think of this maid of honor speech template as a jumping-off point — you can make it as funny, heartfelt, simple, or complex as you’d like! Ultimately, your maid of honor speech will be personal to your relationship with your bestie and her love story with her partner, but this template will ensure you don’t leave anything out as you’re writing it.
So get cozy, grab a pen, and let’s dive into this maid of honor speech template and examples!
How to Start a Maid of Honor Speech
The best way to start a maid of honor speech is by introducing yourself and giving a quick backstory of how you know the bride. This could be as simple as saying “I was the bride’s college roommate” or as fun as telling your meet-cute story.
While this is a standard template for how to start your maid of honor speech, it’s not the only option! Make the intro your own by adding a unique detail, like a quote from the bride’s favorite rom com or a clever one liner that will get everyone laughing. For more inspo, check out the maid of honor speech introduction examples below!
Standard maid of honor speech introduction template: “Hi everyone, I’m [your name], the maid of honor and [the bride]’s best friend of 25 years. We met on the first day of Kindergarten when we both reached for the same pink marker, and I’ve been an adopted member of her family ever since.”
Heartfelt maid of honor speech template for older sisters: “Good evening everybody, I’m [your name], [the bride]’s maid of honor and big sister. I’m so excited to officially welcome [her partner] to the family. I couldn’t be happier to call you my new sibling.”
Funny maid of honor speech template for younger sisters: “For those of you who don’t know me, what a shame. I’m [your name], the maid of honor and [the bride]’s little sister turned best friend. I want to start by acknowledging the most important people here today. The bar staff.”
Set the Tone With a Fun Joke, Crowd-Pleasing Anecdote, or Sentimental Story
Once everyone knows who you are, it’s time to set the tone for your maid of honor speech. Are you keeping your speech fun and light-hearted? Then kick things off with a clever joke or funny anecdote! Going the more sentimental route? Jumpstart the waterworks with some heartfelt advice or a sentimental story.
The options are endless for this portion of your maid of honor speech, so focus on your unique relationship with your bestie, and be sure to stay true to your style. Here are a few mood-setting maid of honor speech examples to help you brainstorm!
Maid of honor speech example that will get everyone laughing: “I thought the hardest part about being maid of honor was going to be this speech. But after watching [the bride] try on approximately 1,000 wedding gowns before finally choosing, you guessed it, the first one, this feels like a breeze. You think I’m exaggerating. I’m not.”
Example of a funny one-liner for your maid of honor speech: “Where do I start with [the bride]? She’s kind, intelligent, gorgeous, charming… (turns to the bride). Sorry, I’m having trouble reading your handwriting here.”
Sentimental maid of honor speech example: “[The bride] is like the sister I never had, and I’m so grateful to have such a caring, passionate, and inspiring person by my side all these years. We’ve always been each other’s first calls when we’ve experienced our highest highs and lowest lows, and I’ll never forget screaming in public when she called to tell me she was engaged.”
Tell One or Two Anecdotes About the Bride AND the Couple
The bride picked you to be maid of honor for a reason: you’ve been by her side through thick and thin, and you have the anecdotes to prove it! And during your maid of honor speech, all those iconic moments have their time to shine.
Cute, funny, and unique anecdotes are the best way to give the audience a little more backstory about the love birds, especially for anyone who doesn’t know the bride very well. But don’t forget to include her other half, too! While you’ll obviously have thousands of unforgettable stories about your bestie, it’s also best practice to include one or two anecdotes about her partner and their swoon-worthy love story.
Looking for an easy template to follow when choosing anecdotes for your maid of honor speech? Start with one or two stories about the bride from before she met her partner, then finish by talking about the two of them together. This is a sweet way to illustrate what makes their love so special!
Maid of honor speech example for childhood friends: “[The bride] has always been a hopeless romantic, and she’s been talking about her wedding for as long as I can remember. Whenever we played dress-up, the storyline would inevitably end with her wearing a gorgeous white dress. And I was dressed like [the groom].”
Maid of honor speech template for younger sisters: “[The bride] and I go way back. We met in the ’90s. She was three years old when I met her, and you could say we got off to a tumultuous start. No longer the only child, she took it upon herself to enact her revenge on me over the years. This includes the time she….”
Maid of honor speech example about the couple’s love story: “I truly thought that [the bride]’s dream guy only existed in rom coms. And then I met [her partner]. When I say [the bride] couldn’t have dreamed you up if she tried, I mean it. Which is saying a lot, because we’ve watched a lot of rom coms. After that time when you [insert sweet story], I knew she had found her happy ending.”
Balance Your Speech With Words of Advice and Heartfelt Sentiments
You know the bride better than almost anyone, and you also want the best for her as she kicks off married life. With that in mind, what unique advice could you give her and her partner as they start this exciting new journey?
If you’ve already been married for a minute, this is your chance to give your bestie some practical tips for navigating married life. This also applies if you’re her older sister — what did you wish you knew when you were her age or in her current shoes?
While this is a great time to get sentimental and heartfelt with your maid of honor speech, it also doesn’t have to be totally serious. Is there a funny movie quote about marriage that the newlyweds would love? A fun joke warning the bride’s partner about one of her unique quirks? Balance your serious advice with more light-hearted tips to keep the spirits high!
Here are a few examples of maid of honor speech advice to get you started.
Maid of honor speech template for funny advice: “A word of advice to [her partner], never forget to say those three special words to [the bride] every day. You. Are. Right.”
Maid of honor speech example of heartfelt advice: “There is a quote that says ‘Love is a friendship set to music.’ As you start this new and exciting journey, always remember to be friends first, and never stop dancing together.”
Maid of honor speech template for tears of joy and laughter: This is the part of the speech where I’m supposed to give advice. But I’m single and I have two cats, so instead I’ll just say this. [Bride’s name] I’m so glad you found someone to dance with you in the kitchen, to go on wild adventures with, and to match your bright and dazzling energy.”
How to End a Maid of Honor Speech
The best way to end a maid of honor speech is by congratulating the love birds and wishing them luck for the future ahead. For an unforgettable ending, reference one of the jokes or stories you told earlier in the speech to tie everything together. Make it personal, heartfelt, and snappy.
Then, once you’ve said congrats, invite everyone in the audience to raise a glass and cheers to the love birds. Here are some examples to help you end your maid of honor speech on a high!
Example of a classic maid of honor speech toast: “If everyone could raise their glass, here’s to love, laughter, and happily ever after. Cheers to the happy couple!”
Maid of honor speech toast example for rom-com lovers: “To end, I’m going to steal a quote from [the bride]’s favorite movie. ‘When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.’ Congratulations on finding your other half, and let’s raise a glass to the rest of your lives together. Cheers!”
Maid of honor speech toast template for travel lovers: “To these two partners in crime, I hope your marriage is your best adventure yet. So let’s toast to an everlasting love filled with happiness, laughter, and wild stories. Cheers!”
Be The Ultimate MOH With Our Best Guides
All right MOHs, roll up your sleeves because it’s time to make all the bride’s dreams come true! And we have just the guides for the job.
For all your party-planning needs, check out our list of the best bridal shower ideas, as well as our ultimate bachelorette party guide. And to ensure you’re not forgetting anything, also don’t miss the complete maid of honor checklist!
And in addition to your amazing maid of honor speech, don’t forget to give the happy couple one of these killer wedding gifts. We’ve also rounded up the best engagement gifts, if they recently made it official!
Now for the fun part: your wedding day look. Style your gown with a pair of these gorgeous bridesmaid shoes, and don’t miss our list of the best fragrances for your finishing touch!
Need any more advice or examples for writing your maid of honor speech? Let us know in the comments below!
