Wedding speeches and toasts can be some of the best moments at a wedding. There is no doubt that guests look forward to the best man speech because they are typically pretty entertaining. From funny one-liners and embarrassing stories, the best man speech usually wins over the crowd. But in modern times, that speech is not the only one that will wow the guests.
Today, we are seeing more couples asking siblings to present toasts at their wedding. If you’re the brother of the bride and have been asked to say a speech, we’ve got you covered. This ultimate guide to writing an incredible brother of the bride speech!
What’s in a brother of the bride speech? Well, besides thanking and congratulating the couple and welcoming the brother-in-law into the family, the toast should be uplifting, funny, and emotional in a special way that only the Brother of the Bride Speech can be.
Image Source: ShutterstockWho Gives Speeches & Toasts At Weddings?
Tradition has always dictated that the bride’s (or parents) ‘ father present the first toast – as the hosts of the event, they kick off the speeches by thanking all of the wedding guests & vendors. But in modern days, we are seeing couples shaking up the traditional toast order and instead making this part of the wedding unique to their story.
Traditional Wedding Speech Order
Here’s the ultimate guide to the traditional wedding speech order.
- MC
- Father of the Bride
- Groom
- Best Man
But if you’re the bride’s brother and here reading this, it appears your sister and her spouse are doing things differently. Congratulations on being asked to present a toast to the newlyweds…it’s a huge honor for you! Here is an idea of how an alternative speech order could go.
Alternative Wedding Speech Order
As we mentioned, the couple can plan how their wedding goes from the ceremony to the speeches, meals, and dancing. If they want to mix up the speech order or even have some toasts presented at the beginning and others later in the event, that’s fine. Their love story is unique to them, and their wedding day should also be.
- MC
- Father of the Bride
- Groom
- Brother of the Bride
- Maid of Honor
- Mother’s
- Guest of Honor
- Best Man
Brother of the Bride Speech Structure
The Presentation
The first part of your brother of the bride speech should be to introduce yourself. While you may know many wedding guests, there will be many that you have never met. So, start your toast by introducing yourself, including your relationship with the bride. Throw in a quick joke to squeeze some laughs, and ease the nerves. Then pause for a few seconds before beginning the central part of the speech.
Congratulations Are In Order
As the bride’s brother, make certain to include congratulating the couple on their first day as a married couple in your toast. Most wedding speeches usually have congratulations at the beginning of the speech, but you can absolutely mix things up and make it more unique. Also, you can thank them for their hard work in planning and organizing a beautiful and successful event.
Tell A Story
Tell a story about your relationship with the bride, and share some childhood memories with the guests. Take this opportunity to express affection for your sister and let her shine. This is when you can get emotional and maybe go for a few tears squeezed from the close family.
Welcome Your New Brother In Law
As the brother of the bride, you should welcome the brother-in-law into the family. Here, your speech can bounce back from the toast’s emotional part and bring back some lighthearted humor. (not embarrassing, though).
Lastly, you should congratulate the couple, provide some words of wisdom or hopes for the future and express your warm wishes for their happiness. A sense of humor keeps the guests entertained, so wrap up your brother of the bride toast with some witty sayings, perhaps remind her that she is still part of the family, and she will always be your little sister.
That’s it! You’re done! That wasn’t too bad, was it? Now that you made it through your brother of the bride speech, it’s time to pass the mic and welcome the next person giving a toast.
Tips On Giving a Rockstar Speech
As mentioned earlier, your speech should be informative, brief, entertaining, and affectionate. The toast should entertain the guests, reveal true love and affection towards the bride, and make the brother-in-law proud to be the newest member of your family. To strike a perfect balance, you must say things in moderation in your brother of the bride speech.
Avoid giving too much information that might embarrass the bride. Remember to choose your wording carefully so that you convey your sincere affection without overdoing it. Here are some helpful tips to help you give a fantastic toast as the brother of the bride.
Be Specific
When preparing a brother of the bride speech, be specific to capture the guests’ imagination. When describing the bride’s personality, you should explain in precise detail why she has such a character. A simple statement like ‘my sister is kind’ sounds rehearsed. Once you mention she is kind, give a specific incident that will reveal that personality. Use childhood experiences in your speech to provide the toast with a personal touch.
Ditch The Idea Of Memorizing It
Don’t try to memorize your brother of the bride speech because you might end up stammering as you try to remember the lines. It may even cause more nerves or panic, and ultimately you may forget the lines, not to mention you might end up rambling. The best approach is to concentrate on what you are saying and let the speech flow. To be sure you have a good toast, read the toast to someone else and get feedback.
Practice It!
And you know the old saying, “practice makes perfect.” When it comes to giving a great speech or toast, you have to practice. Present your toast to yourself in the mirror to get a good feel for the flow and sentiment. Just writing it down is not enough. Practice it a few times. This will help you decide on the tone you want to use while also getting you comfortable presenting it out loud.
Don’t Wing It
“Winging it” is never suggested unless you are a professional motivational speaker. If you “wing it,” you will jeopardize forgetting key points that you want to make. So, just take the time to put your thoughts and emotions together on paper (or your phone). This will absolutely help you present an incredible brother of the bride toast.
Last Minute
Please don’t wait until the morning of the wedding to write your brother of the bride toast. You are almost certain to forget things.
Short & Sweet
Short and sweet is best for wedding speeches, especially if multiple people are presenting them. Sure! The wedding guests enjoy all the emotional toasts and love, but they’re also ready to get the party started. So, keep it short & sweet.
Boozing
This is an easy one and should be common sense, but realistically you will get caught up in all the excitement of the day and may overindulge in the spirits. But, if you really want to present an amazing brother of the bride speech, don’t drink too much before delivering it. Leave the shots and cocktails until after your toast.
Brother of the Bride Speech Examples
Image Source: Adobe Stock PhotosFunny Brother Of The Bride Speech Example
“Ladies, Gentlemen, and anyone who might have sneaked in for a free meal, my name is James, and I am the brother of the bride. It is my privilege to make the first speech. At least, I thought it was a privilege until I realized that I’m actually the warm-up act for the groom and the best man. With that in mind, I’ll try to be like Ronnie Corbett – short and entertaining!
I would firstly like to thank everyone for coming today; we have guests who have traveled far and wide, including places like New Zealand and the US. It shows how much we all want to be here today to celebrate Holly and Craig’s wedding, it has been a wonderful day, and even though the sun has set, we have the whole evening ahead of us. This brings us nicely onto the time that every bride fears…..what is he going to talk about….is he going to tell about the time when…??!! Well, as you instructed Holly, I won’t tell any of those times even though it cost me 99% of my first draft.
As such, I did what any self-respecting younger brother would do, fail miserably and then steal one from the internet. I’ve not read it yet, so I do hope it’s a good one.
At this moment in time, I am full of admiration and pride for the commitment they have both made today and one day hopes to follow in the example they have set. Although when I get married, I’ll do it for one of the real reasons… money.… or under the cosh. That said, I think we all agree that Craig matches Holly very well, and since we’ve known him, we’ve come to realize how special he is to her, and anyone can see that they’re made for each other.
Craig, I would like to welcome you into the family, even though you have been part of it for a good while now. I think you have been with Holly long enough to know what you are letting yourself in for, so to be honest, I haven’t got any sympathy for you. From the first time I met you, I believed you would be a special person in Holly’s life. You’re kind, funny, have all 10 fingers, and well mannered. Yet, despite all these facts, you still claim to be a Spurs fan.
I will break my promise on the ‘no stories’ policy just once by reminiscing back to the early ’90s when Holly and I were in the car going to school. I have a very vivid memory of a game we played about who Holly might marry and the surnames that would be a humorous addition to Holly (I was trying to marry her off so that I would get to sit in the front seat all the time). Most of them were Christmas-themed like Bush, Tree, Day, Wood, or even my personal favorite Holly Jolly. Little did we know that all those years later, I would be standing here making this speech, introducing our very own Holly Garland.
I raise my glass to honor my sister on this her wedding day. It is hard to find the right words to express the depths of my feelings. She is a wonderful sister (Holly, you’ve spelled wonderful wrong), and I am sure she will make as fine a wife. You are looking beautiful today, and it proves the one thing I’ve always known about Craig – he is clearly a man of vision … .occasionally blurred, sometimes double, but nonetheless a man of vision who’s been lucky enough to find my Sister.
Holly and Craig have obviously worked really hard organizing everything for today, but their hard work has definitely paid off. I’m sure everyone here agrees that the ceremony was wonderful. Although in the run-up to today, Holly and Craig did have a bit of an issue with the seating plan and who to put where. So as the brother of the bride, I offered to step in and help work something out. I decided to use the wedding present list, the biggest items nearest the center, and work back from there. So if they can hear me over in the corner there, thanks to Phil and Jan … for the box of biros……
On a more serious note, it seems like the done thing is to offer some guidance on marriage, so I found something with a more pragmatic message – Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction. A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. Success in marriage does not come merely through finding the right mate but through being the right mate. Another one that I really liked, though somewhat less constructive, was the observation that when a man holds a woman’s hand before marriage, it is love; after marriage, it’s in self-defense.
With that in mind, I know that Craig has chosen well, and I believe that Holly has too, and I wish them well for a long, happy, and prosperous future together. I can’t stress enough how proud I am today and how good it is to have you all here. Once again, I hope you all have a wonderful evening.
I would like to thank you both for the honor of giving this speech, it has been a great day, and I, like everyone here, am privileged to share it with you. Ladies and Gentlemen, please be upstanding and raise your glasses for the first of many toasts. Here’s to the future, for all that you look forward to together. To the Bride … Holly…The new Mrs. Garland.”
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Short & Sweet Brother Of The Bride Speech Sample
“I toast my sister to honor her wedding day, but more important in memory of the years we have spent together. My heart is filled with unspeakable pride. The memories of all we shared will be with me always. I love you, sister; you will be part of my life forever.”
(source)