How To Write A Good Maid of Honor Speech.

There are a few things to do (and not to do) to ensure your Matron of Honor Speeches is a roaring success. It's easy to get carried away when you start thinking about your upcoming Bridesmaid speeches . If you are not careful, you can start imagining a room full of people cheering and giving you a standing ovation. The trouble is that if you start thinking like that, it will almost certainly end in tears (not just your own!).

The main areas of uncertainty are...

What are these areas? Humor?, Length?, Relationship to other speeches? and Delivery?

Because of the way a wedding is structured, your speech will have to be made after several others. You will have no idea beforehand how this will work out. The previous ones could be short and successful or long, boring or controversial (plus anything in between). You need to have a fairly flexible approach to this or you could end up copping a load of flack (through no real fault of your own).

1/. What About trying to make people laugh. Is that a good idea?

Are you funny (I mean do other people find your story telling funny)? You may want to use a humorous speech but find that the previous one caused offence and people are not in the mood for another attempt just right now. In this case you may need a back up, toned down speech. Keep the emotion but miss out some of the funny (let's face it, embarrassing) content.

You may have to face the fact that your sense of humour may be wrong for the guests or family. Someone may have humiliated the couple already. If you carry on regardless, you may be rubbing salt into the wounds.

2/ What's The Best Length For A Maid Of Honor Speech?

You may have to follow several other speakers who have overrun time wise. The other speeches may have been boring and overlong. The wedding guests may be thinking "Oh no. Not another speech. I wonder how long THIS one is going to be?" It's best to keep it short and sweet. Remember, this is the Bride and Groom's day, not your audition for a talent show!

3/ Your speech must go alongside the previous ones.

Sticking like glue to your original speech may be a disaster waiting to happen.

Of course there can be exceptions. You may get lucky and have some boring fool witter on and on beforehand. On this occasion, your super witty session could breathe life into a dying ceremony!

4/ Presentation. Where the whole thing can go belly up.

Have little, if any alcohol before your turn. It's too easy to say the wrong thing which you can never take back afterwards.

Oft quoted "wisdom" is to have a couple of drinks before you make your speech (to calm your nerves). That's OK but don't go too far. I've often told a story of a Maid of Honor who was "totally lubricated" by the time it came to deliver her speech. Trying to deliver it without notes she froze (literally). Whilst all the guests thought she was pausing for effect and waited for something very poignant, she had forgotten her lines (and most likely, where she actually was!). After the best part of a minute, the Bride's father realised what was happening and put her out of her misery.

Don't forget that the wedding speeches are almost certainly going to be recorded. That means any drunken ramblings will be recorded for posterity! If you are going to make a successful Maid of honor speech , keep it short, from the heart and stay sober until after you've made it.