A dilemma commonly faced by a wedding speeches and wedding toast giver is whether to crack jokes or to keep the speech safe and serious. In order to deliver a good speech, one must decide on the topic that they wish to talk about and then prepare in advance for it. Remember, your speech must be able to capture and keep the interest of the wedding guests at all times.

Generally, the order of wedding speeches is as follows: giver-away of the bride, the groom and then the groomsman. In the giver-away of the bride speech, the father will talk about the bride, praise her, and tell stories of her childhood. He will also welcome the groom to the family, welcome the guests to the wedding, and purpose a toast.

Many wedding speeches made by the groom will mention his new mother-in-law and he may extend his thanks for a job well done in bringing up her daughter. Generally the groom's speech will be made on behalf of his new wife including himself. If he knows what is good for him he will praise her to the highest!

Next, in the groom's speech he should thank the bridesmaids for performing their duties. It then falls to the groomsman to reply on behalf of the bridesmaid in his speech. The groomsman's speech is usually directed at the groom, and is carried out in a funny and light-hearted way.

Wedding speeches and wedding toasts are completely different in nature. A wedding toast is not of the same duration as a wedding speech and is usually delivered by the groomsman. The groomsman will only have to say a few short words. The right time to give a toast depends on the wedding traditions and etiquette since it varies based on whether the wedding is a very formal or informal occasion.

An example of a wedding toast is the champagne toast when the bubbly is popped and all the guests have been served with the champagne. If the groomsman has something to say then he will have his say, raise his glass and drink to the toast. The toast must be kept short yet substantial.

Irish wedding toasts are becoming more popular. An example of a great Irish wedding toast is: "May the light of friendship guide your paths together, may the laughter of children grace the halls of your home, and may the joy of living for one another trip a smile from your lips, a twinkle from your eye."