I host a lot of weddings and it often pains me how little guests (and sometimes even the bride and groom) know about proper wedding etiquette. My wedding pet peeves could fill a whole book, but here are just some thoughts on how people who give speeches at the wedding party should act. 1. No one should EVER read a speech they prepared from a stupid smartphone. Memorize it, print it out, write it in a small notebook or notepad. Reading it from your gadget just lacks class and decorum and it makes it look like you just wrote it at the last minute (which you probably did). A tablet might be permissible in the most desperate of situations, but paper is always better. 2. DO NOT EVER ROAST THE BRIDE BY TELLING EMBARRASSING STORIES ABOUT HER. The groom, I contend, is fair game but do not ever even remotely embarrass the bride on the day when she must feel like she is the most beautiful girl in the world. 3. Having said that, roasting is the lowest and dumbest way to pay tribute to someone. If ever you find yourself doing this to the groom, make sure you have a damn good reason to do it. Illustrating how far hes come in his journey towards respectability and maturity and readiness to handle bigger responsibilities might be a fair point, but make sure the sordid details of bachelorhood are kept out. Like it or not, weddings are filled with all sorts of quick judgments by the families and friends of the couple. Some random tita in that wedding party is bound to be thinking Could she have done better? or Is he the ideal mate? and your roasting just might be the fuel that random tita might need to rant about what a poor choice the groom is. 4. Enough with the following statements: I have not lost a son/daughter but I have gained a son/daughter. Put God in the center of your marriage. She has found the one who will tame her. Never go to bed angry at each other. And any quote from 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Do a little bit of research, dig deep and give your speech a lot of thought and preparation. The bride and groom deserve more than just a quickly cobbled collection of cliches. Tell a story that best captures the character of the bride or groom or a story that best illustrates the way you feel about the day. People will remember stories. 5. If you happen to be hosting the wedding, remember that the whole affair is about the bride and the groom and it is NOT ABOUT YOU. Be quick, classy, efficient and DO NOT UNNECESSARILY SLOW THINGS DOWN because you need to tell a joke or you like hearing your overly modulated voice on the PA system. The best wedding receptions are the quickest ones. 6. Dont tap on the microphone, say mic test, blow on it. It is easy to tell if a microphone is on or not. Just listen to your voice through the speakers and relax. Start with your speech. Greet someone. That should be enough for you to know if the microphone is working or not. If it isnt, turn it on. Sometimes it is as simple as that. Whew. And thats just about people who give wedding speeches. Good morning!
Posted on: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 00:05:03 +0000
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