Hosting and events
Outline a wedding speech around one real story
A speech built on one specific story gives you something concrete to tell, which is easier to deliver than a list of compliments. Give the real anecdote, how you know the couple, who will be in the audience and how long you want to speak.
A text to start with
I'm the maid of honor and want to build my speech around a 2019 road trip with the bride. We got lost, ended up at a roadside diner, and she called the man she'd been dating for two months to navigate us out. He is now her husband. About 80 guests, family and friends. Humor is welcome, but the couple wants it sweet. I'm aiming for four to five minutes.
Example request. Change the details to fit your situation.What to check in the outline
Read the story aloud with a timer. Leave room for pauses, laughter and the final toast instead of using a word count as a timing guarantee. Check names and the details of the anecdote from your own memory. Remove any joke that depends on embarrassing someone, and make sure the speech says something specific about the couple's relationship.
Writing and practicing the speech
Use the outline to write a full draft, then read it aloud and time it. Speeches usually run long. If yours does, trim the story first, since that is where cuts hurt least. Bring the full draft back if you want help tightening particular sections.