MAID OF HONOUR SPEECH
The maid of honour has duties that may predate the actual day of nuptials by months; helping the bride with:
- Inspecting venues
- Coordinating pre-nuptial events and parties
- Choosing themes
- Shopping for the bridal gown
- Taking bridesmaids and flower girls for fittings
- Giving moral and physical help to the bride
This is even before the dreaded wedding speech looms.
Remember, after all the above, that the maid of honour may be one of the mainstays of the bridal party and the engine that drives the whole process, but the guests at the reception venue will not be aware of all this background activity and may be unsympathetic to a poorly crafted and jumbled maid of honour speech.
We know how difficult this is – all of us here agree that it was after a similar experience – speech looming but no inspiration, that we originally joined toastmasters. We are also aware that you might simply not have the time to write a really outstanding speech.
Your maid of honour speech should be an absolute pleasure; if you don’t have someone to write it, but still want to blow your audience away with your speech, there are excellent resources available to help you deliver a stunner.
Remember that the maid of honour fulfils a near sacred trust – in medieval times it was truly sacred. As someone closer to the bride than anyone else – including even the groom, it falls to the maid of honour to pay attention to anything that can to make the day perfect. Including the maid of honour speech she will make. Do not neglect to give it your best shot.
The maid of honour will undoubtedly have a mountain of tasks to perform on the big day, these may be as diverse as greeting the grooms parents to decorating the reception area. Is it not strange then that so many capable women are terrified of making a speech. But its not worth stressing about.
Take comfort in the fact that you are not alone – remember what our favourite aphorism states: “…mans brain begins to work the minute he is born and only falters when he stands up to make a speech…” Although making a maid of honour speech and doing your best friend proud might be a bounden duty, it does not have to be a burden of a duty. There are resources available to help you do a great job. Use them.