Our Favorite Unique Maid of Honor Speech Ideas

You've been chosen to be the maid of honor—congratulations! This special role within the wedding party is such an honor and comes with important responsibilities, one of which typically involves giving a speech during the wedding reception. And whether you already have a way with words or feel nervous about speaking in front of a crowd, there are plenty of unique ways to ensure that you deliver a maid of honor speech that everyone will remember—especially the happy couple.

There are a few things to keep in mind when you begin to plan your speech. You'll want to think about how long the speech will be—short and sweet is always great, but something longer (if you're telling a story or two) works as long as it's not too long (experts recommend a sweet spot of between two and five minutes). You also want to make sure the speech is about the bride and/or the happy couple, not about yourself. Lastly, try not to be too nervous! The newlyweds will be so honored that you're standing up and taking the time to talk about and celebrate their marriage.

If you're ready to write a unique maid of honor speech that will have the crowd laughing, crying, or maybe a little of both, read on for our favorite ideas.

Tell a Unique Story About the Bride

This is definitely a classic idea, but there are so many ways to make your maid of honor speech unique by telling a story about the bride. Instead of sticking to something expected, like how you and the bride became close, keep it about her and her spouse by opting to tell a story about her personality, or a story that you learn from her family or spouse that exemplifies why you and all her loved ones love her so much.

Include Sweet Messages From Guests

To change things up, consider reaching out to guests before the wedding day and collecting sweet messages from them about why they love the couple. Then incorporate those messages throughout the speech—the newlyweds will find this so meaningful, and this way you include everyone in the celebration.

Use a Prop

Adding in props—special items from the bride's childhood or your friendship, old photos to pass around (if the wedding is small) or include in a slideshow, or an item that means a lot to the newlyweds—is a great way to mix things up and give yourself a few talking points throughout the speech.

Incorporate Moments From the Couple's Love Story

Consider writing a speech that follows important points from the timeline of the couple's love story from start to finish. You can begin with how they met, include some sweet anecdotes from their relationship before and after they got engaged, and lead up to the wedding day.

Lead With an Inspirational Quote

There's nothing wrong with borrowing from great authors or movies to kick off your speech—in fact, it can be very poignant and romantic. Here are a few of our favorites to make you feel inspired.

Create a Standup Routine

If you know you're funny, lighten things up with a short stand-up comedy routine that emphasizes how much you love the newlyweds! Just make sure to avoid too many inside jokes (or avoid them altogether, in order to be inclusive), and of course, keep things tasteful.

Choreograph a Dance or Write a Song

Maybe you don't feel like public speaking is your strong suit and you'd rather show the couple how much you love them with a fun dance routine or a musical number—you can even get other members of the wedding party involved! Again, you should keep it concise, but this is sure to have the newlyweds smiling from ear to ear.