Highly Anticipated or Dreaded… The Wedding Speech. I love a good wedding speech! But finding the perfect moment for those heartfelt wedding speeches is a topic I get asked for my opinion on a lot. Amidst the whirlwind of wedding prep, from securing your dream venue to finding the dress, the planning of speeches can take a back seat.
Photo credits: Pawel Bebenca & Emma Russell
Now, onto the big question: when should the speeches unfold? Many venues have their own rhythm for the day, often slotting speeches post-meal to align with the kitchen’s cadence and staff schedules. But as we know, the best-laid plans of speeches often extend beyond our expectations, creating a pause in the evening’s flow no venue would dare interrupt.
But here’s a twist – several venues are now nudging speeches towards the drinks reception. And it seems a good number of you are either embracing this change or ditching the traditional speech setup altogether. In a poll I ran on Instagram, 60% stated that their speeches will be or were post-meal, 30% pre-meal, and 10% wished for pre-meal but settled for later due to venue constraints.
Some of you shared innovative approaches, like spreading speeches throughout the meal to keep the vibe lively.
Pottfrolein, Istagram follower shared, “We split the speeches to keep it interesting, one during the wedding reception, one before dinner, one before the main course, would do it again 100%.“
However, wedding photographer Paul McGinty leans towards keeping speeches in one segment. He notes, “Logistics around setups can be tricky, and avoid doing them ‘during’ meals due to the background noise of cutlery in your video!” He wasn’t alone; several photographers and videographers echoed that fragmented speeches might lead to missed moments, especially if they’re unaware and on their break.
Zoe Loftus on Instagram added in, “We did ours at the drinks reception, and it was the best idea, not hanging over us at dinner!” Aislinn Biddulph on Instagram took a unique route, “We did speeches on day two, and everyone said it was amazing and so relaxed!“
The consensus? Whether you’re toasting during cocktails, breaking bread, or saving the sentiments for a day-two celebration, the key is communication.
Ensure your photographer and videographer are in the loop to capture every laugh, tear, and cheer. After all, it’s about having a day that feels like its yours, speeches and all. In other words….do what YOU want!
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