Wedding Customs & Traditions Forum

Bride & Groom Speech

We are thinking about doing a "short and sweet" speech to thank our guests, etc.  I've never been to a wedding where the bride & groom speak, is it a weird thing to do? 

Re: Bride & Groom Speech

  • It would be one thing for the couple to reply to a toast. But don't give speeches yourself to thank your guests. You need to do that individually - either in a receiving line or by going to each table.

    You also need to send thank-you notes for all gifts received and any special favors anyone has done you, and you need to give your wedding party members gifts that you don't require them to wear or use during the wedding.
  • If you're the hosts, you might welcome everyone with a sentence or two, but your thank-yous for coming need to be expressed personally to each guest.
  • I've seen it done.  I don't think it's that weird, but I also think it's superfluous.  As long as it isn't meant to replace individually greeting and thanking your guests at the reception and then later for any gifts received, then I think it is fine.  I don't think speech is quite the right word to it.  The few times I've seen it done it has been very short (30 seconds) and it more along the lines of the groom toasting his wife and providing a very short thank you to everyone for joining them.  I wouldn't do an actual speech though.
  • As long as it doesn't replace individual thank yous, I have no problem with the bride and groom doing a quick 'speech'.
  • I have seen it done often.  I view it more as a general "welcome" and a brief statement regarding their appreciation of attendance and support. 
  • I have often seen this done, and we did it ourselves.

    More of a general "welcome" and thank you for attending. Receiving line or table visits still required.
  • After cutting our cake and as the Viennese Hour was starting, DH and I gave our guests a quick thank you and said something along the lines of we hoped they were enjoying the party so far.  It was 15ish seconds long.  We'd already done table visits to talk to guests individually. 
  • SIL gave a brief thank you speech at their wedding. He basically thanked everyone for coming and thanked us for hosting. He and DD also did table visits to thank people individually. Most weddings we have attended recently have had this type of speech.
  • peachy13peachy13 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited October 2016
    Before the last song of the night, we told our DJ ahead of time that we would like to get on the mic and thank our guests. We did that, and also took the opportunity to remind everyone about the after party. DH also had a special toast (I didn't know about this) thanking me for all my hard work with planning. Awww.

    ETA: oh, forgot to mention that you still need to individually thank your guests at some point during the reception. A quick "thanks guys" to everyone doesn't count!
    Daisypath Anniversary tickers


  • YES with the thanking everyone. A quick welcome speech has been pretty common at most of the weddings I've gone to. If you're the praying-before-dinner type, couples have also used this time to kind of start the dinner portion with a prayer. "Thank you all so much for coming to celebrate with us. My new wife would like to lead us in the dinner prayer." or something. (Most of the weddings I've been to were Catholic, so maybe that's just them?)
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