Writing your thank you speech can be intimidating. It’s something you’ll often think about at the very beginning and then totally forget about as you get swept into picking flowers, colours cakes and of course the dress.
It can also be a really hard thing to put together as emotions get high (you are planning one of the biggest days of your life after all) so we put this post together to help you get started and to break it down in bite-size pieces:
How to Write a Great Wedding Thank You Speech
Plan ahead
Make sure you write something out in advance so you at least have an idea of what you plan to say. Plus, it never hurts to read it out loud a few times, especially in front of someone to help get any stage fright butterflies out of the way.
Make a list and check it twice
Remember to thank those who have helped you along the way and made your special day possible. If you think you might forget anyone, write yourself a small note to keep on hand.
Your Rock Star Wedding Party
Thank your wedding party for all their time, effort and hard work to help bring your special day together. Even if they didn’t end up doing as much as you thought, or they were simply just there on the day for support (maybe they live in another city and couldn’t be there with you for the planning) be sure to thank them.
Your family
Be sure to take the time to thank your parents and the parents of your new spouse. This is also a great time to make any promises or declarations on how you plan to take care of them for and with their parents. If they’ve welcomed you to the family with open arms or have done anything that has really warmed your heart say so. This is a beautiful time to share these sorts of things.
This is also a great time in your speech to thank any out of town guests or family that have travelled from afar.
Take your time
Speak slowly and take your time, also make sure those in the back can hear you. Practice a few times in front of a mirror and time yourself. You’ll be surprised at how fast you might be when you look at the end time.
But also make sure your speech does not carry on and on. Keep it to the point and stick to your notes. It is your wedding but your guests will thank you if you don’t go on for 20 minutes.
Keep it PG
Keep it light and fun, feel free to add in a joke to help keep your guests attention.
It is often best to keep the language ‘family-friendly’ and keep the stories equally appropriate. Some things are best kept as an inside joke.
A little thanks goes a long way
Thank your vendors that helped make your day extra special. No need to go into much detail, unless you want to, but vendors always feel touched when they’ve been thanked by name (their company or personal one).
And always, always, thank your guests for attending your special day! Make sure they know their love, support, gifts and attendance does not go unappreciated.
Want some more ideas?
We’ve found some really great samples and templates:
A how-to on how to write your speech
The Knots guide to why and how to write your thank you speech
A personal wedding speech sample
Tips on the perfect thank you speech
All things wedding speeches related
We know it’s one thing to tell you what to do but to see it in action is even better. So we’ve collected some of our favourites thank you speech videos to show you just how it’s done.
