Many people hear wedding speeches, and they start to feel fatigued or nervous—what does this mean? And what they will be asked to do? Traditionally wedding speeches were given by the parents of the couple, but a little creativity can make the wedding speech more original and enjoyable.

A Brief History:
Wedding speeches can be traced back to ancient cultures raising a glass to toast the Gods and health. Toasting at weddings, dates as far back as the sixth century B.C. when Greeks would pour wine from a common pitcher. Weddings were hosted by the bride’s father, who would raise a glass and take the first drink to prove that the wine was not poisoned.

We’ve come a long way; today, wedding speeches have transformed to include new media and new traditions, here are a few of our favorites–

Wedding Toast Video:
Create a video full of memories, interviews with friends and family and your favorite soundtrack. Project the video onto an outdoor screen or, inside, project the video on a wall where the wedding feast will take place.

A video allows the wedding party to relax and enjoy watching a 3–5-minute video together. Yes, 3 to 5 minutes is the recommended length. Much longer than that and you will lose your audience. Once the video finishes, let the master of ceremonies, or the designated speaker, stand and announce, “let’s all raise a glass to toast the couple.”
Another bonus of the wedding toast video is that it lives on and can be given to the couple as a special memento to return to and enjoy.

Hire a Professional:
There is a reason everyone is not an actor. Consider hiring an actor, excellent public speaker, or storyteller to read a speech that you collaborate on. This could include some of the couple’s favorite memories, the story of how they met, or a poem.

The actor or storyteller can also call on members of your family to read their parts or contribute to the story, but it eliminates the probability of people getting lost and stumbling on their words.

“I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when I fall asleep your eyes close.”

– Pablo Neruda, for his wife, 1959.

Whatever you decide to include in your wedding day speech, remember alcohol is not your friend! As we wrote about in this month’s Weddings and Honeymoon’s Magazine, do not look for liquid courage before you give a wedding speech. Keep it classy and creative!