How to Write the Perfect Engagement Party Speech

Last updated: 29th Sep 2023

An engagement party is a brilliant way to celebrate your engagement and surround yourself with your family and friends. Whether you choose to have a formal bash at a countryside hotel or an intimate barbecue in your back garden, everyone will be there to celebrate your engagement and talk about your future wedding plans.

As part of the celebrations, it’s common for there to be speeches at an engagement party to thank everyone for coming. It’s also likely that other members of your family, friends and future wedding party will want to say a few words as well, and offer you love and encouragement for the journey you’re about to take.

But what do you say in an engagement party speech? Should it be long? Funny? Lovey-dovey? Who should give a speech and do you have to give one even if you don’t want to?

In this post, we’re going to dive into everything you need to know about how to write the perfect engagement party speech so you can approach your speech with confidence and say exactly the right things.

Who gives a speech at an engagement party?

Traditionally, you should be prepared to give a short speech at your engagement party. This could be one of you or both of you, depending on who feels confident enough to stand up and speak in front of your family and friends.

If someone is hosting the party, such as the father of the bride, then it’s also common for them to thank everyone for coming.

Depending on your guests, anyone else is also more than welcome to say a few words. This could be any of your parents, a member of your wedding party (such as the best man or maid of honour), your siblings or your friends. There are no hard and fast rules at an engagement party, so if anyone would like to wish you well and congratulate you, it should be encouraged.

Do you have to give a speech at your engagement party?

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While you don’t have to give a speech at your engagement party, it’s recommended that you do as it’s a way to thank all of your guests for coming. But, this can depend on the type of engagement party you’ve chosen to have. If you’re hosting a formal party with a three-course meal and a DJ and dancing, then your guests will probably expect a speech or two. If you have a games night at home with a few pizzas and drinks, it’ll probably not be expected – but it still can’t hurt to take a moment to thank everyone for being there.

What if you’re too nervous to speak at an engagement party?

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If you’re really not happy to give a speech at your engagement party, then there are no rules stating that you have to. There’s always the option to have someone do it on your behalf, such as a parent or your best man.

If you can find the courage to do so, your guests would love it if you could give a very short speech. It doesn’t have to be a 20-minute stand-up routine, just 30 seconds to thank everyone for being there to celebrate with you.

When do you give a speech at an engagement party?

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Again, unlike at a wedding, there are no real rules for the right time to give a speech at an engagement party. It all comes down to the type of party you’re throwing. If it’s informal, you might want to give a quick thanks to your guests early in the night once everyone’s arrived. If it’s formal, either right before or right after dinner works best, as everyone is gathered together at the same time.

Is an engagement party speech the same as a wedding speech?

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Engagement party speeches and wedding speeches have a lot of similarities, but they’re not exactly the same. Read our article on wedding speech examples to see the sort of thing they include. There are a few subtle differences that mean they’re not exactly interchangeable. These include:

The tone is more relaxed and informal in an engagement party speech. You may not even choose to write a speech, and instead speak from the heart to thank your guests for coming.
Wedding speeches are often a lot more sentimental and emotional.
Unlike a wedding speech, you might not choose to talk about your relationship at all and save that for the wedding. However, if others choose to speak, don’t be surprised if they talk about you a lot.
Engagement party speeches are short, sharp and to the point, whereas wedding speeches can last a comparatively long time.

Can an engagement party speech be funny?

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An engagement party speech can be whatever you want it to be. If you want to tell a few jokes and make things super light-hearted, go for it. If you only want to say a couple of sentences, that’s absolutely fine too.

If other guests decide to speak, you may also find that there’s a range of tones used. The best man will often try to entertain everyone with jokes, while a mum will usually be a little more sentimental.

If you want to give a speech that’s funny but you’re not sure where to start, think about anecdotes you could tell about how the two of you met. Keep humour light and make sure to avoid too many in-jokes. Self-deprecating humour can also be a lot of fun and get big laughs from your guests. Just remember to keep it positive and have a balance of sincerity and appreciation, always bringing it back to how grateful you are that everyone’s there.

How long should your engagement party speech be?

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Unlike a wedding speech, which could be as long as 10 minutes (or more, depending on the speaker) an engagement party speech is usually far shorter. Generally, you wouldn’t want to speak for more than a couple of minutes so you can save most of what you have to say for the wedding itself. The main point you should get across is how glad you are that your guests could make it to be there to celebrate with you.

What should you include in an engagement party speech?

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Depending on who’s giving an engagement party speech, there’s different information you might want to include:

You’re giving a speech at your own engagement party:

Thank everyone for coming and how much it means that they’re there to celebrate with you and your new fiance.
Acknowledge your loved ones and the loved ones of your fiance.
You might want to talk about the proposal and how it felt. Highlight anything funny that might have happened and make a joke out of it.
Reference how you feel about your partner and how you’re excited to take this next step in your relationship together.
Talk about what you have in store for your wedding. If you haven’t secured a date yet, keep this part relatively vague.
Raise your glass and thank your guests again for being there.

You’re giving a speech at someone else’s engagement party:

Introduce yourself and how you know the couple.
Congratulate the couple and how excited and happy you are for them.
Share something personal, such as an anecdote. This is a great opportunity to be funny, but keep things as positive as you can.
Offer compliments about the strength of the couple and how great they are together.
Express your support for the couple and offer to help them should they need it throughout their wedding planning journey.
Acknowledge friends and family, and thank everyone for being there.
Wish the couple luck for the future and raise a toast.

Whether you’re giving a speech at your own engagement party or someone else’s, make sure you keep it light, short and you speak from the heart. Make sure you keep most of your material and best jokes for the wedding itself. After all, the engagement party is a warm-up for the main event!

Tips for writing the perfect engagement party speech

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Before you sit down to think about what to say in your engagement party speech, think about these tips:

Don’t forget to let the guests know who you are. There might be some guests you haven’t met which can be quite confusing for them.
Don’t be afraid to be truthful and honest. You might not want to shed a tear in front of people, but it’s about two people falling in love and getting engaged – tears are practically expected.
Don’t outstay your welcome – no one expects an engagement party speech to go on longer than two minutes or so.
Make notes about what you want to say, and learn your speech by heart. That way, it’ll come across as more natural and not like you’re reciting lines.
Practice, practice, practice.
Avoid too many in-jokes. If you have to include one, try to give the rest of your guests some context.
Short is most definitely sweet.

Engagement party speech examples

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Ready to start writing your engagement party speech but need a little more inspiration to help you get started? Here are a couple of engagement party speech examples you can use as a starting block for your own.

Example 1: the humorous yet heartfelt one (for those who don’t mind public speaking):

Good evening everyone. I’m Jonathan, and on behalf of my beautiful new fiance, Rebecca and I, I’d like to thank you all for coming to our engagement party. We’re so happy you could all be here tonight to celebrate with us. You all get to spend the next few hours in my company, which is a shame for you all, but you can at least be thankful you’re not Rebecca, who now gets to spend the next fifty plus years with me.

For those of you who don’t know, I proposed to Rebecca in Paris, in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. Yes, cliché, I know, but by that point, I’d eaten so many pastries and cheese that I was thankful to get down on one knee for a rest more than anything.

Rebecca, I just wanted to say that I’m so excited about our future together. You saying yes was one of the greatest moments of my life and I know what we have in store will continuously top it. We’ve already started browsing venues and you’ve already made what will be a long and difficult challenge so much easier by just being yourself. You make me a better person and I can’t wait to undertake this journey together.

Thank you so much, everyone, for being here, it means the world to Rebecca and me. So, I’d like to raise a glass to say you’re all fantastic and we both love you all very much. Cheers!

Example 2: the short and sweet one (for those not fond of public speaking):

I just want to take a moment, on behalf of myself and my new fiance, to thank you all for coming tonight. We really appreciate everyone taking the time to come and celebrate our engagement with us. So I’d just like to raise a glass in appreciation for you all being here tonight. Thank you!

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