Indian weddings are colorful, extravagant, and fun. While the Indian wedding is important for the bride and groom, those people that are close to the bride and groom also enjoy sharing in the fun. Speeches are commonly given by the people that know the bride and groom best, like close family members and friends.
Indian weddings do have speeches. Speeches are usually given at one of the pre-wedding ceremonies, or during the wedding reception. The bride and groom allow friends and relatives to give speeches at the wedding so that people feel like they are also a part of the wedding. Giving a speech at an Indian wedding is a great way to share your appreciation and love for the bride and groom.
Since there isn’t much information available on the Internet today about Indian weddings and speeches, we created this article to help you. Below we’ll cover who traditionally gives speeches at Indian weddings, and what to consider when giving a speech at an Indian wedding.
Who Gives Speeches at an Indian Wedding?
Many different people are allowed to give speeches at an Indian wedding. Pretty much anybody, from a relative to a close friend, can speak to the crowd at an Indian wedding. However, for some individuals attending the wedding, it’s expected that they will give a speech, and that’s not true of everybody unless they want to participate. The people who are typically expected to give a speech at an Indian wedding include:
- The bride’s or groom’s parents
- The bride
- The groom
- The bride’s or groom’s siblings
- The bride’s or groom’s closest friends
Below we’ll cover the people that are typically expected to give a speech at an Indian wedding in a bit more detail.
Parents and Speeches at an Indian Wedding
Both the bride’s parents and the groom’s parents are expected to give speeches at the Indian wedding and also to encourage others to speak out and talk to the couple in front of the rest of the guests. Speeches during Indian weddings are very popular when the pre-wedding parties take place. For example, the sangeet or the engagement ceremony typically feature a lot of speeches.
When parents give speeches at an Indian wedding, they usually share priceless stories and memories about their children. So, if you are a parent of the bride or groom, making a short, funny speech that has some unique memories about your child in it would be a great contribution to the ceremony.
Siblings and Speeches at an Indian Wedding
If either the bride or groom has siblings, then adding them into the group of speeches can be a wonderful idea. Siblings at Indian weddings are often asked to give toasts at the cocktail party and to share funny stories of growing up or other experiences. Sibling speeches can also be given at any of the pre-wedding parties or the reception, especially if the crowd is smaller.
However, encouraging siblings to speak at an Indian wedding is usually a traditional part of the events. Siblings should try to share anecdotes and funny stories that aren’t predictable, but that is unique to either the bride or groom. Also, siblings can offer good luck and good vibes to the couple on their new journey. Siblings can also invite others to speak out at the wedding, continuing a fun round of speeches.
The Bride and Groom Speeches at an Indian Wedding
The bride and groom at Indian weddings are expected to write speeches to each other to read out in front of everybody. Some couples work together and speak together as a couple to the crowd as well. If you decide to speak together as a couple, then you can welcome guests and share some fun thoughts and stories of your experiences to the crowd, making the experience of your big day a bit more unique.
It’s a wonderful opportunity to thank your guests when you speak together as a couple and to let them know you appreciate their support on your big day. Also, if you are either the bride or groom at the wedding, you can use this as an opportunity to share how the:
- Location the proposal took place
- Talk about the first date,
- Other funny, interesting stories you have to share about your experiences together as a couple.
By sharing personal stories, everything will feel more personal to the crowd.
If you are either the bride or groom at the wedding, it would be a good idea to rehearse and practice your speech together a few times before giving it on your big day. That way, you can do a great job, entertain the crowd, and feel confident while you thank everybody for being there.
Friend Speeches at an Indian Wedding
If you have some mutual friends like a couple of friends that have known either one of you since childhood, then asking those people to speak at your wedding would be more than welcome. It’s a good idea to ask friends ahead of time to speak, before the wedding, so that you can allow them to prepare before they share.
People can get apprehensive about giving speeches at weddings. So, if nerves are a problem for your friend, give that person plenty of preparation time. Asking friends to share some fun speeches and stories about the couple can create a lot of laughter and fun. If your friend gets very nervous at the thought of public speaking, then let him or her give a speech at a dinner party, when the event is smaller
Also, let people opt-out if they are nervous at the idea of speaking in front of others. You don’t want to force somebody into doing something that won’t be enjoyable for them at your wedding since you should have plenty of options in speakers already.
What to Say in a Speech
So, what do you say if you are going to give a speech at an Indian wedding? People who gave speeches at weddings thank the other wedding guests and tell funny stories about the bride and groom. Most of the time, people try to write something that is moving or tell a funny story. How you decide to approach it is up to you, but we have a few pointers below.
- Make a good introduction and introduce your relationship to the bride and groom. It’s a good idea to add some humor at this point.
- Try to use a real-life incident or two about the bride and groom to let the wedding guests get to know the couple better. These accounts can be funny.
- Think about another aspect of the relationship between the bride and groom and try to make it about something personal and touching you may have noticed.
- Close the speech with some heartfelt wishes to the audience and the bride and groom on their special day.
Final Thoughts
Giving a speech at an Indian wedding can be a nerve-wracking concept, but it can also be a fun and enjoyable experience if you have plenty of time to prepare.
If you are either the bride or groom, you may want to consider giving a memorable speech at their wedding so that you get to share in the festivities. You may also want to prepare a speech if you are a parent, sibling, or close friend of one of the spouses to share in the joy.
By preparing a speech, you’ll be able to share some funny personal stories and also show your support for the wedding festivities.
