How to Start a Wedding Speech: 25 Opening Lines That Work
Whether yours is the first speech of the wedding, or you’re the grand finale of the speech section of the day, one thing is for sure. Getting the opening line of your wedding speech right is crucial if you want to keep the guests hooked, which makes deciding how to start your wedding speech a daunting task.
From tried and tested one-liners, to kicking off with a hilarious story, to starting your speech by thanking people, this guide covers how to begin a wedding speech with confidence — whatever your role on the day.
Why the Opening of a Wedding Speech Matters
The opening line of your wedding speech needs to grab the attention of the guests. If you’re the first speaker of the day, it’s your job to kick off the speeches with a bang, making sure all the guests are locked in – no mean feat if the speech section is post-meal, when everyone is a few drinks deep.
On the other hand, if you’re following a rowdy best man’s speech, a heartfelt father-of-the-bride speech, or an emotional speech by the maid-of-honour, you need to begin your speech with an opener that draws a line between your speech and theirs, setting it apart, without giving the guests a chance to switch off.
Your wedding speech opening line sets the tone for your speech, be it rib-tickling or tear-jerking; your first few lines help the guests know what they’re strapping in for. While there’s no reason to say you can’t kick off with a joke and segway into an emotional declaration, your opener tends to pave the way for the tone of your anecdotes and well-wishes.
Finally, your wedding speech opening lines, when delivered with confidence, can fill you with further confidence for what follows. Get the guests on side with the first lines of your wedding speech, and they’ll be putty in your hands for the duration. Remember, everyone wants you to do well, and when you see guests’ faces smiling back at you, you’ll find yourself reeling off your speech with ease.
Simple Wedding Speech Opening Lines
Ease yourself into your wedding speech with tried and tested opening lines.
Assuming you’re not part of the happy couple, start your wedding speech by introducing yourself and sharing your role in the day. It might feel silly to introduce yourself, especially if a lot of people there know who you are, but it’s a great way to start a speech and will help you feel more confident.
Intro done, thank everyone for being there, tell the wedding party how great they look, thank family members for their support and mention how lovely the day has been so far. The thank you portion of your speech is especially important if you’re part of the couple. Simply thanking everyone for sharing in your special day is a perfect way to begin your wedding speech.
Here are ten wedding speech introduction examples to borrow, adapt, or use as a springboard for your own:
“For those who don’t know me, my name is [XX] and I am [XX]’s [Brother/Sister/Best Friend/Colleague].”
“It is such an honour to be here today to celebrate the marriage of [XX] and [XX]. I’m sure I share their sentiment when I thank you all for being here”
“I’d like to start by saying a huge thank you to everyone here today. It’s clear you all love [XX] and [XX] as much as I do.”
“Thank you for joining us today on such a special occasion.”
“Hello everyone. I hope you’re all having a brilliant day so far.”
“Hello, I’m [XX] and I’m thrilled to welcome you all here on this beautiful day.”
“On behalf of myself and my new [HUSBAND/WIFE/SPOUSE], I’d like to thank you all for celebrating with us today”
“What an honour it is to give a speech on [XX]’s wedding day.”
“Good evening, and thank you [xx] for the kind introduction.”
“Good afternoon everybody. I’m [XX] and I’m here to talk a little bit about my good friend [XX].”
An easy-going introduction to your wedding speech will help you feel comfortable with public speaking, before you move onto the more personal elements, be they anecdotes, advice or amusing antics from the couple.
Funny Wedding Speech Opening Lines
If you fancy yourself as a comedian and feel confident that the couple and other guests are on your comedic wavelength, starting your wedding speech with a funny story is a positive way to get the guests on side – and keen to hear more from you.
Sharing funny (but never humiliating) stories about the couple not only adds a touch of humour and light-heartedness to the atmosphere (especially if the speech before yours has been a weepy one!), but also instantly connects you with the audience through shared laughter.
There are plenty of classic wedding puns out there, you could rely on to create laughs – and good-natured groans, too (read on for those!).
Tread carefully when it comes to funny wedding speech openers, though. While sharing private moments and in-jokes might seem hilarious to you, too many personal jokes will leave guests baffled or worse, bored. Stick to a couple of good-humoured anecdotes, or light mocking of the couple, and you’ll be golden.
If your joke or anecdote is a little risqué, consider running it past the couple first to ensure they’re okay with it. The last thing you want is them cringing on their wedding day.
Here are a few funny pointers to inspire your wedding speech, but remember, you know the couple best, so keep your speech as personal as possible.
“I promised to keep my speech short and sweet – just like XX’s relationships before he met XX”
“I spent hours trying to come up with a funny way to start my wedding speech – before realising I could simply search online for advice – and here we are”
“I’d like to start by thanking the parents of the happy couple. Not just for the wonderful people you raised, but for the open bar.”
“Gosh, what an emotional day it’s been. Even the cake’s in tiers!”
“The couple have requested that I not share any embarrassing stories, so that’s all from me! Thanks for listening!”
“I’d like to begin by thanking the happy couple. Thank you for buying us all dinner today, so generous of you.”
“It looks like [XX] and [XX] couldn’t find anyone else to give a speech, so here I am!”
“[XX] and [XX] wanted their funniest and most charming friend to do the speech, unfortunately, she has stage fright, so you’ve got me instead.”
“Hi, I’m [XX], and it’s time for me to do the speech I wrote down about an hour ago.”
“I guess you’re all wondering why I gathered you here today…”
Heartfelt Wedding Speech Openings
If you’re making a heartfelt, emotional wedding speech, there are plenty of ways to pay tribute to the couple. From advice they’ve given you, to emotional reflections on how they met, to sweet stories from their relationship, everyone at the wedding loves the couple as much as you do, so you’ll be onto a winner with a heartfelt opening line.
Reminiscing on the first time you heard about your friend’s new partner (especially if they immediately knew they were the one) will be a charming speech opener, as is sharing how you knew they were the perfect match, too.
If you don’t want to deliver too personal a speech, romantic lyrics or excerpts from a book are a sentimental way to open a wedding speech – particularly if you know “their song” or favourite artist, and can weave this in.
Advice can work as a speech opener, too. Either your own, or from literature or even films, if the couple are movie buffs.
Remember, they’ve asked you to make a speech because they love you and value your support in their relationship, so the couple will love to hear you say how you knew they were destined to be together.
For inspiration, try these wedding speech openers:
“I may be the best man/woman today, but I think we all know who the best man/woman in the room is.”
“Welcome to the most important day in the lives of [NAME] and [NAME].”
“I’ll never forget the day [XX] told me about [XX]. I knew right away that they’d found someone special.”
“If you want to know what a perfect match looks like, you don’t need to look hard – just look at the top table.”
“As [XX]’s best friend, all I’ve ever wanted is for them to find someone who loves them as much as I do – and I think we can agree, they’ve done just that.”
Tips for Delivering a Confident Speech Opening
Even for seasoned public speakers, the first line of your wedding speech is a nerve-wracking one. Short of attending public speaking lessons ahead of the big day (we’ve known people to do this!), there are other ways to exude confidence as you start your speech.
Take a deep breath and pause before launching into your speech. Take a breath between sentences, and don’t rush. Speaking slowly means everyone will be able to take in your expertly written speech.
Smile and make eye contact with the guests, if you’re thanking the mother-of-the-bride, look her way as you say it, for a genuine connection. Staring into the middle distance might make you feel braver, but looking at people is a much warmer approach – and you’ll see everyone willing you on.
And if all else fails? Use the old age trick of picturing everyone naked. Except the couple’s grandma, perhaps.
The bottom line
Wedding speeches can be tricky to get right, and the start of the speech is arguably the hardest part to nail. But with careful planning, you can create a wedding speech that not only delights your audience, but also leaves a lasting impact on the newlyweds and their special day.
Remember, you can never go far wrong with a friendly introduction, plenty of thank-yous or a quick quote about love. These simple elements will go a long way in creating a wedding speech that truly shines.
If you’re still sitting there wondering how to start your own wedding speech, we’ve got plenty of fabulous wedding speech examples right here on Bridebook. We have brilliant examples of the father of the bride, groom, best man and maid of honour speeches that you’ll love reading out on the special day.
You Might Also Like…
- The Ultimate Guide to Wedding Speeches
- Wedding Speech Examples
- Wedding Speech Order: Who Speaks First at a Wedding?
- How to Write Your Wedding Speech: Top Tips from You Said It Speech Writing
- The Ultimate Wedding Planning Checklist
Happy Planning!
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