Brides Speech **Controversial Thread**?

What are you, a sheep? ?

That's ridiculous, maybe if you wrote a speech which was identical to your H's word-for-word then you'd be underminding him and just making yourself and your new H look stupid, but how likely is that? And who would actually do that?! I have been to a Wedding where the Bride did a speech, she talked about how they met all those years ago (I even starred in the speech!) and also thanked the Bridesmaids as after all they are there to help HER so why should the Groom say thanks?

I will be saying a few words at the wedding, not because I don't trust my Husband to get it right(!!) but because I have a voice too and would like to thank MY helpers on the day.

Actually, my OH is helping me write my speech and I'm a tiny bit worried in case he makes me say something really embarrassing as a joke. Realistically I know he would never do that but I will probably run the whole thing through Google translate a couple of days before, just in case ?

But the whole brides speech is a new thing- so did the bridesmiads not get thanked by the groom before- YES they did-

You must have missed where I said the BRIDESmaids are there to help the Bride, so why should the Groom have to say thanks? ?

No i didnt miss it- i can read

but like i said- the brides speech is a new thing- and the groom always said thank you to the bridesmaids- i assume the bride and groom talked throughout the planning and the groom is aware the the bridesmaids have helped so can them- he is thanking them on behalf of the groom and the bride. sometimes even saying thank you for calming the bride down

Personally I wouldn't want to do a speech (or feel there was any need for me to) but my SIL did a lovely one. It wasn't the same as the things the groom said though. She did a Muvee on a big screen of photo's of her and my brother over the 13 years they had been together, starting from teen pics right through to current day and then she went round the room to say congratulations to various guests on their announcements e.g. one couple were expecting a baby, another had just got engaged, another had recently celebrated a milestone anniversary etc. It was really nice, but again, not something I would do. I quite like the idea of just sitting there and smiling, taking it all in without the nerves of "Oh sh1t, I've gotta stand up and do a speech in a minute"

I do think that it is nicer when the bride thanks the bridesmaids herself because she can make it personal in a way that the groom never could. My OH could never understand the 10+ years of friendship my CBM and I have or the way she has helped me in this role - same as I could never truly understand all the support the best man has given OH, it is personal to them.

I'm with CB on this one.

I'm very traditional in what happens at a wedding - after all, like it or not, a wedding is a traditional thing. There are very definite guidelines as to who thank who in speeches that I don't see what a bride can say that hasn't already been said.

? I wouldn't dare!

What's a 'Muvee', angiemace?

Ahh, someone sees sense lol!

My H2B isn't with me when my Bridesmaids and I meet up, he doesn't have a clue how much they are helping (We spent 4 hours over dinner the other day discussing dresses!) or that they have said they are happy to buy their own new shoes, their plans for my hen night etc. They're doing it all for me, not my H2B. Saying "Thanks for helping my wife" isn't as good as me thanking them for everything they have done for me IMO.

Software you use to make a Video ?

Muvee is a programme where you can put photo's to music to make a video, kinda like a lot of photographers do with wedding pics. It was really good. http://uk.muvee.com/index.html?typnews=SEM_GoogleAds_Muvee_UK_Brand

Ta, BB and angie.

Ah well, anyone who comes to our wedding and doesn't like the fact that I am giving a speech can just put up or get out! Firm but fair?

I do not like it when people use "tradition" to explain rationale behind something.

Yes the origins of marriage are very traditional, but it does not follow that weddings should all be "traditional". There are many unconventional weddings (inlcuding civil partnerships and we have heard from b2bs who will be giving speeches for that reason). It is "tradition" to have a first dance, I will not be following this one. It is "tradition" to be given away, I will not be following this one either (my dad will walk me down the aisle but will not be "giving me away" as this is not what I want). It is "tradition" for the bride to wear white because she is a virgin. People can pick and choose the "traditions" that they include. It is their wedding and they can do things however they please.

I am suprised that other people would judge a bride for saying a few words on her wedding day. It is not for you to judge (unless the speeches go on for hours- that said, I have been to weddings where the dad has prattled on and on for ages really milking it!). It's about respect, respect the couple's wishes on their wedding day.

I have been to a wedding where the couple had emigrated abroad and so the bride decided to make a speech as she had not seen all the guests for many years.... it was beautiful and was a lovely thing to do for their wedding.

For our wedding...... I am going to sit and listen to everyone elses speech! I like the traditional speech the groom gives.

Each to their own ladies, I think its the only time in your adult life that you get to have a day about you, so if you feel you want to make a speech do it. I however will be a speech-less bride....

Kinda agree with Knitting Vixen here. I'm not getting married in a church, not wearing white, not having a receiving line, not having a top table, not having a gift list, not being given away by my dad (he died when I was ten)... the list goes on. My brother is giving me away and doing a speech (which he is really dreading because he hates public speaking) and OH will do a speech (which he is also not particularly looking forward to!), but if I also want to say something, I will! I actually find it quite weird that the bride is just supposed to sit there 'looking pretty' and smiling as if she has nothing of value to say!

My OH is not wearing a morning suit either. It's so weird - one of my work colleagues looked at me as if I'd killed her pet hamster when I told her that my dress is pink! ?

My H2B told me how easy I had it as all I have to worry about on the day is looking pretty...hmmmm that annoyed me slightly! I don't intend to do a speech and have not heard any brides do this at any wedding I've attended. I'll make sure I thank everyone individually throughout the day anyway and leave the nerve racking speeches to the men

I wear the trousers in our realtionship and would never make a speech. Coming from a performance background I love all eyes on me and would quite like the attention tbh but as unconventional as our wedding is I actually want to focus on what my new husband has to say and not me rambling on as usual.

If you want to make a speech, make one. If you dont, then dont. Simples.

I personally can't think of anything worse! I'm not a public speaker! The though of me doing a speech fills me with dread lol

I will probably end up doing a speech or say a few words of thank you. It's merely a practicality though as we're having a bilingual wedding (H2B is English, am I German). There will be more people from my side and I want my gran to understand what's going on ?

No-one is judging anyone. My comment was MY personal view on the subject and MY opinion is that weddings are traditional. Which is why in MY wedding I wore white, my Dad gave me away, I walked down the aisle to "here comes the bride", I did the whole old,new,borrowed,blue thing...

And yes, civil marriages will mean a bride giving a speech but, the speech they do replaces the groom speech therefore there are still 3 speeches and everyone knows who thanks who.

OK, it may be your opinion that weddings are traditonal, but that opinion would be wrong. You can say that you want your wedding to be traditional, but don't expect others to be so. It is up to the couple getting married to have a wedding as traditional or as untraditional as they want. I am not saying that brides should give a speech, I am defending the right of the couple to do whatever they want at their wedding.

And some people on this thread have come accross as judgemental by saying that people roll their eyes when the bride speaks at a wedding. Anyone who does this at a wedding is disrespectful and shouldn't do it.

Please do not lie... CB did NOT say that people roll their eyes at brides speeches, what she did say was some people/guests roll their eyes at the "last word" joke that brides make during their speech!

I was really shocked about that comment about guests who rolled their eyes when the bride got up to make a speech. How could anyone be so rude??!! It is one thing to criticise people's weddings in private, but to do that in front of the couple on their wedding day??!!! I think when the woman has just bought you a fancy 3-course meal, the least you can do is politely sit and listen to her speech - its not that difficult. If I saw anyone doing that on my wedding day I think I would ask them to leave.