Rehearsal Dinner Speech
After months of preparation for the big day, your best friend makes a request you just can’t say no to. While giving a speech at any event, let alone a rehearsal dinner, was never your thing, it would be rude to turn down a beaming bride as she waits for your response. So to calm your nerves and give you that extra push, here are some things you need to know about a rehearsal speech and how you could compose one. You may also see presentation speech.
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The Difference between a Rehearsal Dinner Speech and a Reception Speech
Wedding ceremonies are beautiful celebrations filled with laughter, tears, and a whole lot of love that makes everything seem right even just for a day. But then comes one of the most sentimental parts of the celebration: the speech. You may also see launch speech.
Some wedding celebrations can last for more than a day. In some cultures, soon-to-be-married couples organize rehearsal dinners right before the big day as an “informally” formal party that a number of guests are invited to in order to prepare for the actual day. You may also see speech examples for students.
However, many people have wondered if rehearsal dinner speeches and reception speeches are one and the same. If so, wouldn’t it ruin the whole surprise of the wedding if somebody would have already delivered the same speech the day before?
The answer to this question is simple. A rehearsal dinner speech and a reception speech are quite different in a number of ways. To understand how they differ, let’s take a look into the following instances:
The Host(s)
Traditionally, rehearsal dinners are hosted by the groom’s parents, whereas the wedding is hosted by the bride’s folks. During the party, the parents of the groom are given the opportunity to say a few words. But since not many families continue to practice this tradition, it’s safe to say that the hosts (which is usually the bride and groom) may express their gratitude to one another and to everyone who has attended the event. Though you can’t really toast yourselves, a few words of thanks would certainly be appreciated by your audience. You may also see youth speech.
As for the wedding reception, the couple may also deliver a speech, or they could give the stage to one of their parents.
Attendees
The great thing about rehearsal dinners is that they aren’t as formal as the actual reception, which means a few spontaneous and impromptu speeches are highly welcomed. But if you do have some people who are set to deliver a speech at the party, then you might want to give some guidelines to follow. Like a reception, most venues and caterers are only rented for a few hours. Exceeding the time allocated for the event could cause you some extra bucks, so if the speech-giving part of your ceremony lasts longer than expected, then you can expect some hefty charges on your wedding bill. You may also see leadership speech.
You must be wondering, where do the maid of honor and the best man fit in all of this?
For the most part, your right-hand man and woman are only meant to shine during your wedding day. This is why rehearsal dinner speeches are usually given by anyone other than your maid of honor and best man. Since these two spots are usually given to the closest sibling or to the best friend, having them speak on your wedding day can help set the mood just right. You may also see presentation speech.
Grandparents
It’s always good to have your grandparents deliver a short speech during your rehearsal dinner, especially if they were around all the time growing up. They don’t usually prepare their piece beforehand, so you can expect just about anything to come out from their mouths. Though you could always ask them to prepare a speech for your reception, chances are, your grandparents could be of a certain age where 8 p.m. would be their ideal bedtime. They might not have the energy to say much after a long day of prepping, crying, and eating, so you might want to consider having them around for a rehearsal dinner speech rather than a reception speech. You may also see special occasion speech.
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Types of Rehearsal Dinner Speeches
There are different types of speeches delivered during a rehearsal dinner, and they usually vary according to the speaker and their content. If you’re looking for a speech that’s a certified tearjerker, then you might want to jot down some notes on this one. You may also see retirement speech examples.
Father of the Groom or Parent Speech
Oftentimes, it’s the father of the groom who makes a toast to the couple. As the patriarch of the time, this is the time where the father extends his blessings to his future daughter-in-law and gives a few pointers to his son on how he could build a happy and healthy family. This is more of a father-to-son speech that should prepare the groom for married life, while being witnessed by an audience of twenty-something people. Since men aren’t exactly seen as the emotional one in a relationship, it’s heartwarming to see the groom hold back a few tears while his old man wishes him the best for what’s to come. You may also see wedding speech.
Speech from the Groom
A rehearsal dinner speech delivered by the groom is generally a welcome speech in disguise. Not a lot of guys like to be expressive with their words, so they usually keep it short and simple instead. But for grooms who have no problem in showing their hopeless romantic side, this is the part where they express their excitement for the future. Since they might want to save a few words for their wedding vows, you can see this as an opportunity to add some wit and humor to your speech. Rehearsal dinner attendees typically comprise of close friends and family members, so you wouldn’t need to worry about losing your job due to your lame (or otherwise dirty) jokes.
Speech from the Bride
In some instances, brides are also given the chance to give a speech during their rehearsal dinner. Though it may not be as common because of how tradition works, nobody’s going to stop you from doing what you want on your special day. Like the groom’s speech, the speech given by the bride expresses her gratitude for everyone’s presence at the event. The speech could also be a dedication to her spouse, so you can expect quite a few waterworks during this time. You may also see after dinner speech.
Speech from a Friend
If you’ve seen the movie Bride Wars, then you can probably recall the scene where Anne Hathaway’s character, Emma, started giving a rather controversial speech during her best friend’s rehearsal dinner. Though Emma and Kate Hudson’s character, Liv, were already rivals since the very beginning of their wedding planning journey, and because there’s a need to separate reality from fiction, you don’t have to worry about your best friend making a scene at your rehearsal dinner. You may also see appreciation speech.
In fact, a friend’s speech is usually the most memorable. These are the people who have been by your side through the ups and downs of your relationship together, so you can look forward to a meaningful speech filled with memories that’s sure to leave a smile on everyone’s face. You may also see inspirational speech.
And the best part is, if you’re a bride who’s also a self-proclaimed crybaby, then you don’t have to worry about your mascara running on official pictures since this is only the rehearsal dinner and not the wedding day itself!
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How to Prep for a Rehearsal Dinner Speech
What’s great about a rehearsal dinner speech is the rawness of its structure. Unlike a presentation speech, as a speaker, you don’t need to worry about proper posture, wording, and delivery. People won’t judge you for what you do or do not say, as a rehearsal dinner speech, or any wedding speech in that matter, is meant to be more personal in nature. You can simply express yourself in ways that show your personality and emotions.
But if you’re still feeling a bit nervous about standing up in a crowded room with all eyes on you, then here a few tips on how you can ace that rehearsal dinner toast without a hitch:
1. Start with the basics.
There might be a few people at the party who have never met you before. So you can begin by making a short introduction of who you are and how you know the couple. You can also add in a few words of welcome to break the ice. Remember to be courteous with your words, as not everyone would be too keen to hear foul language coming from somebody they’ve known for the past five seconds. Also, be enthusiastic with your speech. You need to make an exciting first impression before people decide to make bathroom breaks in the middle of your speech. You may also see introduction speech.
2. Tell an interesting story.
Most people worry about not being funny or witty enough to entertain a crowd. But the key to a successful speech is to not worry about anything at all!
If you’re nervous, it will show in the way you stammer through every word. This is why confidence is extremely important when making a statement. To do so, focus on telling an interesting or romantic anecdote that has something to with the celebration. If you happen to know hilarious of how the couple first met, then by all means, make it the center of your speech. You can also keep the mood sentimental with a sweet story of the couple’s journey together. What matters most is how you are able to engage listeners, most especially the bride and groom, through the stories you share in your speech. You may also see informative speech.
3. Top it off with a sentimental ending.
The best speeches are those that will tug at your heartstrings and have people scrambling for tissues. No matter how funny you choose to make your speech, ending it with a heartfelt message for the bride and groom to cherish is something that’s worth more than you can imagine. But if you aren’t the “touchy-feely” type, you can always go for a heartwarming quote that best describes the essence of the celebration. A few well-wishes here and there would also add a nice end to your speech. You may also see farewell speech.
For all the time and effort that everyone has exerted to help put together a wedding, there’s nothing like expressing your gratitude toward everyone involved in the process. A rehearsal dinner speech is simply a dedication speech, a thank-you speech, and an appreciation speech in one. With proper writing and delivery, your speech is sure to build a sense of excitement for the wedding, and not to mention the “happily ever after” to come!
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