Alternative wedding speech ideas
Searching for alternative wedding speech ideas online can lead you to some interesting sources of advice and inspiration, but I’d recommend taking a step back first and asking yourself what you’re really looking for.
Do you genuinely want a wedding speech that’s purposefully ‘out there’ or are you actually just looking to create a piece of writing that’s different for all the right reasons? Maybe you want to stand out and be memorable, ideally by capturing people’s emotions and imaginations instead of trying out a gimmick or questionable trend. If that’s you, then it might be worth considering hiring a professional speechwriter to help.
With Words and Wisdom, that help can come in two ways: through my acting as a consultant, brainstorming different speech ideas and structures with you before advising as you write your speech yourself…or through my writing a bespoke speech for you, using your own words from answers you’ve given to specific questions. Either way, you would still retain creative control over the end result and they would still be your words that you’re speaking on the day.
Whichever route you choose, we’d begin by working out exactly what you want from your wedding speech, whether you’re a groom, bride, Best Man or another family member or friend. There are always several alternative speech ideas that might fit the brief, it just depends which one appeals the most. It’s all about matching your toast or speech to the situation and your style and strengths.
If you decide you’d like me to write your speech for you, then one thing we’ll discuss early on is how innovative my range is and whether you’d like just your words to be used, or those of nominated loved ones too. So, for example, I can create pairs of toasts that are mirror image, so a happy couple can perform toasts that each complement the other. Or I can write a speech spoken by one person but written with the words of other nominees. This could mean a groom giving a speech that’s also written with the words of his children or a Best Man speaking on behalf of certain nominated friends as well.
However, if you’d just like to keep it to a traditional toast or speech and have us simply focus on how we can make that the best it can be, that’s absolutely fine. I support all sorts of people looking for all sorts of different outcomes for their big day.
To find out more about the Words and Wisdom range, do have a look at the three wedding reception writing pages on this site: ‘The Bard’, toasts and speeches or just get in touch. I’ll be happy to answer any and all questions you may have.
Hannah Wroe Gill, speechwriter and speechwriting consultant
