Sunday Edition: What Makes a Great Wedding Speech?

My 4 must-haves in a toast. 🥂

The Sunday Edition is Tuesday’s little sister—off-the-cuff updates I’d bring up over a coffee catch-up with a friend.

It’s been a week of planes, pool floaties, and pontoons in celebration of my oldest friend’s wedding! The bride and I grew up in Reno, Nevada and have been like sisters, co-accomplices in countless shenanigans since we first met on the playground. Along with the groom’s brother, I had the honor of giving the speech at the wedding, against the gorgeous backdrop of Lake Tahoe, pulling from twenty years of stories.

Issue #147: How I'm Grappling with the Paths I Didn't Take

It was my first time giving a speech at a wedding, so I plumbed my memory for those that stand out as favorites. In my mind, a good wedding speech from a friend 1.) begins with some broad context, 2.) goes into specific stories (like the time the bride and I crawled up a drainage pipe, or the day she tumbled down an entire Double-Black Diamond, only to fist-pump at the bottom), 3.) then brings in the spouse, 4.) and ends on their partnership. I felt lucky that mine was so easy to write, drawing from years of adventures and a couple whose love is easy to celebrate and speak to. I feel like the worst mistake people make is going on too long, but I have a feeling there may be some opinions in this group!

What wedding speeches have stood out in your mind? Have you given one before? Any… awful speeches? Did you love the speeches given at your wedding, or skip them altogether?