Speeches

You can choose whoever you want to give a speech! If you wanted to give your parents an opportunity to give a speech, you can always let them say it during the rehearsal dinner instead of during the reception. Otherwise, just your MOH and best man can do the speeches at the reception.

Not faux pas at all! You can have as many or as few speeches as you want. I would say half the weddings I’ve been to lately don’t have any speeches at all- just a quick thank you toast by the couple. I like Lisa’s suggestion of allowing speeches at the rehearsal dinner instead of the reception.

That seems like a normal length reception to me? Is 4 hours considered short? I've seen on here that lots of couples skip the speeches all together. I'm leaning toward that also. I would talk to your parents if it's normally expected in your circle so that they understand it's not personal. I actually have never seen parents make a speech. Just the MOH and Best man.

It’s a faux pas if the host doesn’t give a short toast to thank all the guests for coming. In our case all our parents and ourselves contributed financially but only we as a couple got up to thank everyone. It may or may not be parents but it is important that appreciation of everyone’s attendance is mentioned !

There is absolutely nothing wrong with your best man and MOH being the only ones to give a speech!

I would ask your parents if they are okay with it, just so they don't feel hurt. If they really want to, then maybe the BM/MOH don't give speeches. Or skip them all together! Although I do agree with others, that doesn't sound like a super short reception, so you should be fine!

You can choose whoever you want to give speeches, but I would give first dibs to your parents unless they specifically ask to skip out. I actually don't like wedding speeches, so we had none except for my dad saying a greeting/thank you to everyone since my parents hosted/paid, and then if anyone else wanted to do a speech they could do it the night of the rehearsal dinner. It was so great not having a million speeches and the guests didn't miss them at all. If you think about it, the only people who truly care about the speeches are going to be at your rehearsal, so it usually works out.

That’s an industry standard length. You have full control over who gives toasts or if you want to skip them. Not everyone is comfortable speaking in public either. Can you do them at the rehearsal dinner instead?

You don't have to have any speeches. I would have someone toast to thank the guests for coming.

View Quoted Comment So I think with all these responses we are gonna have parents do speeches at the rehearsal dinner and keep it short and sweet at the wedding with the MOH and best man

You should actually have toasts (short, under 2 minutes each), not speeches, at your wedding, and the fewer the better in general, but the hosts of the event should definitely do a toast thanking the guests for coming as well.

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I agree!! Unless your parents have expressed an interest in giving a toast I think you are totally fine to stick to MOH and Best Man!

We aren’t doing any speeches at all at our wedding so you can do whatever you want