Maid of Honour Speeches

Hey it’s Megan,

Thank you for reading my blog about how to write a Maid of Honour speech. I know writing and giving a speech can be terrifying for almost everyone.  There is a reason more people would rather die than speak publicly. With that in mind I believed it would be very helpful to find a product that help in preparing to give such an important speech.  Whether you are the Sister of the Bride or the Best Friend, giving a funny and poignant Maid of Honour speech is top on your list, goodness knows no one wants to stand in front of a crowd of friends and family and give 5 minutes of umms and ahhs.

In my search I can across this product by WeddingSpeech4u, Maid of Honor Speeches–Your Complete ‘How To’ Guide.  I had already read and wrote a review about their Best Man Speeches product so I figured I would give them a chance for this as well.  I am glad I did, it turns out this is an amazing and very instructive guide to help anyone from the seasoned speech giver to the person who has never spoken publicly before.

This is a review site: Click here to go to the Maid of Honor Wedding Speeches Official website.

So why is this good?

Maid of Honor Wedding Speeches is a comprehensive step-by-step guide with sample maid of honor speeches and toasts as well as a plethora of helpful tips and tricks.  This guide was written by seasoned professional speech writer and author Sally Samuels.

This easy to follow, how-to-guide will walk you through the best man speech process from preparation, to putting pen to paper, and all the way to the performance. Giving all of the tips and techniques you will need to give a wedding speech they will love and cherish.
For example she gives you a not only maid of honour speech tips, but information on speech etiquette, a list of fears and how to conquer them and even a section on how to hire a professional speech writer.

In addition to all of that Sally gives you 20 examples of actual speeches that she has written giving you the option of cutting and pasting different sections together, talk about taking all of the guesswork out of it.

So what kind of tips does she provide.  Well to start with, she tells you what should even be IN a Maid of Honour speech.  From there she goes into how to prepare for your speech, put your thoughts on paper, and how to perform, yes I said perform, your speech.  One thing I learned was that the Maid of Honour speech, unlike the Best Man speech, is done at the rehearsal dinner. Okay maybe you knew that, but I didn’t. She also talks about not drinking or at least having no more than a small glass of wine before your speech.  Which I know can be hard especially at a dinner, and don’t forget, in the speech adding small “character assassinations” in other words, funny things that the Bride and you, or the Bride alone has done in the past.  Just don’t go too far with this.  No Bride wants to be reminded of all of the guys that she failed with before meeting “the one”.

Click here to go to the Maid of Honor Wedding Speeches Official website.

So why is this good?

So what’s BAD about Maid of Honor Wedding Speeches?

Okay so maybe bad isn’t the right word, but there are some flaws with this program.

• Sally gives us a VERY comprehensive guide, and when I mean comprehensive, I mean long and a little tedious. It is very thick with tips and examples which can overwhelm the typical reader. So it’s really best to break it up into sections.
• This is NOT a how to do it at the last minute type of guide. Sally recommends you start at least 3 months before the actual wedding date if not more, so by showtime you have a polished product you can perform with ease.

So what is GOOD about Maid of Honor Wedding Speeches?

• Sally really holds your hand through the entire process, reassuring you every step of the way that you are not alone in the anxiety you are possibly feeling.

• The tips you get in this book will translate to anytime you have to speak publicly. So that you always come across as a poised and polished speaker.

• Within the book you are given 20 examples of actual maid of honor speeches as well as 100 quotes, sample toasts and even poems you can use, really taking all of the guesswork out of writing the entire thing.

• Not only to you have Sally walking you through everything, but she gives you a wonderful bonus. You will get an email consultation with the author herself. When you have questions or get stuck you have a professional speech writer at your disposal. That alone is worth it’s weight in gold.

What do I think of it?

Maid of Honour Wedding Speeches Your Complete ‘How To’ Guide is one of the best step-by-step guides out there. Even I as a professional actress found little nuggets of wisdom I will definitely put use in my next audition. Yes, audition (I told you you could translate these tips anywhere.) This guide is jam packed with information that is thoughtfully laid out and broken down into easy to find chunks. You will never be left guessing with this handy program. If you have just become a Maid of Honour and/or starting to write your maid of honour speech, I highly recommend getting Maid of Honor Wedding Speeches by Sally Samuels. I found it an invaluable resource, and I think so will you.

I hope this post has helped and good luck with your writing,
Megan

Click here to go to the Maid of Honor Wedding Speeches Official website.

So why is this good?

Whether you are a well published author or just writing a maid of honor speech, writer’s block is an overwhelming but very common problem. Let’s face it everyone gets that numb feeling in their brain where they can’t seem to put a single word on the page. The crazy thing with writer’s block is it can come at any point in the writing process.
Though getting writer’s block while writing a maid of honor wedding speech can be frustrating, there are ways to overcome it and give a wedding speech that they will remember.

1. Create an Outline
Seems like a simple solution right, but many times we forget the tried and true things about essay writing we learned in High School. List out you main ideas I, II, III, etc. Then start brainstorming, under main idea list 2-3 sentences that are associated with it. Before you know it you are done.

2. Don’t Stop Writing
When you feel like you have no words to put on paper and everything you think of stinks like 3 week old garbage, the worse thing you can do is write nothing. Instead make yourself write for 30 minutes each day even if it is just a list of things about the couple, for example what each one likes to do on their days off, common interests, hobbies… Sometimes these can be the maid of honor speech ideas that propel you back into action.

3. Why you are doing this.
Get back to the basics and your original motivation. What does this couple mean to you? Remember why writing this speech is important to you. Sometimes just doing that spark your imagination.

4. Shake it Up
Many times when you are so focused on one particular thing, it can become boring. Why not try just sitting down and writing something fun like a joke or an email to a long lost friend or a presentation to your boss why you should have that well deserved raise. By mixing it up you can reboot your mind and get the words flowing again.

5. Fool your brain
A great option is to pretend that you are not the maid of honor worried how to give a wedding speech, but that you are another family member or friend. Then write the speech from their perspective. You might be amazed how well it works and what little gems you come up with.

6. Inspiration / Stimulation
Hey you may just be one of those people who doesn’t work well with all that peace and quiet. Maybe you need a little music or other things to inspire you. Listen to some wedding music, watch a romantic movie, or find a TV show about weddings. Or though you may think it is a crazy notion, read a romance novel. The main premise is get yourself in a romantic frame of mind.
The main thing is you don’t have to let writer’s block get the better of you. With the above techniques as well as the maid of honour tips in the last article you will be well on your way to writing a great best man speech, one they will remember forever.

Are you confused as to where to start writing your maid of honour speech? Does the thought of giving an important speech in front of family and friends make you want to run for the hills? You wouldn’t be the only one. Did you know that people would rather die than speak in front of people? You got it, on a list of the top ten fears public speaking is number one, fear of dying number two.
Fear not though, thanks to the talented professional speech writer Sally Sanders and her book Maid of Honor Wedding Speeches, below are maid of honor speech tips, a list of do’s and don’ts that will help you give a memorable maid of honor speech.
Do’s*

• Relax, be positive, and enjoy yourself

• Speak clearly and slowly, articulating your words

• Deliver your speech from the heart with sincerity

• Keep it simple. By keeping the speech short and uncomplicated, using words that you would use in everyday speaking, the guests will enjoy it far more.

• Have a glass of water nearby to moisten your mouth if needed

• Stand up and if you can, walk around

• Use a microphone if there are people that have difficulty hearing or if the room is large to ensure that even those in the back can hear

• Be tasteful with the material. Your goal as the Maid of Honor is to add humor and lighthearted stories to the speech. The key is that you want to do a little character assassination without going completely overboard to a point of humiliation.

• Try to be complimentary about the couple and the relationship you have with them. Your goal with the speech is to add a touch of brightness to , making them feel as if being on cloud nine.

Don’ts

• I know it may be hard because the speech is normally given during the rehearsal dinner, b8t don’t drink

• Avoid using idioms, slang words or hesitations, such as (um, err, etc.)

• Do not wander too far from your cue cards or notes. While it is fine to interject comments periodically, you would do best to follow the cards and notes to help you stay focused, more relaxed, and on time.

• While you want to add pauses to the speech, which will give you time to glance at your material, do not pause too long.

• Never include inappropriate material in your speech. Some people think that bringing up stories about past relationships is fine most people will tell you to avoid this.

• Do not forget your manners when standing in front of all the guests. This would include not picking food out of your teeth, cleaning your ears, or scratching inappropriate places. If you think this does not happen, you would be wrong. In fact, when people are nervous, they will often do things that they have no idea they are doing until someone tells them.

• Never say anything that is negative, even in jest. Remember, the reception is a time of honoring the married couple and the start of their new life together. This is definitely not the time to air dirty laundry. Now, that does not mean you cannot be funny or share some embarrassing moments, but again, within bounds.

Good luck with writing your maid of honour speech. I hope that you find this article helpful.

*Excerpts from Maid of Honor Wedding Speech written by Sally Sanders

In my search for how to write a great Maid of Honor speech I came across Weddingspeech4u’s “Maid of Honor Wedding Speeches”  Since I am clueless how to write something so important, I figured I would give it a shot and share what I found.  Granted public speaking is actually pretty easy for me.  My 15+ years performing on the theatrical stage has helped me feel very comfortable in front of a crowd.  But, it seems crazy I know, you stick me in a room with my closest friends and family, I am ready to run for the hills.

Writing a maid of honor speech is a daunting task but there are some great tips to assist you with your best man duties.  Starting from knowing what most people say they fear most about making a maid of honour speech and how to conquer them,  to maid of honor speech structure, wedding speech examples, and that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Whether you are looking to write a funny maid of honor speech that will keep the crowd in stitches or a loving, thoughtful wedding speech that they will cherish, this book is really a step-by-step, do-it-yourself guide on how to write a best man speech they will remember forever.