Giving a speech after 50 years of marriage would seem to be really easy, but expressing your emotions after 50 years doesn't always get easier, sometimes it gets more difficult because the emotion becomes stronger, deeper, and more complicated. Whether you are the husband or wife or a dear friend that would like to make a speech, it can be difficult to find the right words to say that encapsulate a love that has been able to withstand 50 years of marriage.

If You Are One of the Couple

If you are either the husband or the wife, you should thank all of the guests for coming to celebrate 50 years of marriage with you. You should then express your gratitude to your spouse for hanging in there with you for all of these years. Share a story or some feelings with your spouse and your friends and family about a particularly inspiring time, loving time, difficult time, or a moment of levity in the 50 years of marriage that you think is appropriate. You can present your spouse with a gift during your speech as well, which is a great way to end your golden anniversary speech!

Where to Start

Starting a speech can be very difficult, so the best way to start off is with a brief introduction of yourself if you are not the husband or the wife. For instance, you don't need to give your entire background you can simply say, “Hi, I'm Jane. I am a long time friend of Bill and Nancy and am so glad to be here today.” This will give the other guests that are at the party some idea of who you are and why you would want to give a speech at all!

What to Say

50 years of marriage, what do you say? If you are married, thank the couple for being an inspiration to you and your spouse. Thank them for sticking together and being two people that everyone could count on. You can tell the couple that you hope that your marriage can be as strong after 50 years as you know that theirs is now. If you have one, share a cute story that you think demonstrates the strength and beauty of the couple's love. You can also present the couple with a gift, a framed picture, or a framed piece of scripture or a poem during your speech. The point of the speech is just to convey how happy you are for the couple for sticking together for 50 years, as well as to express what an inspiration they are to married people everywhere.

How to Close

Closing the speech can be the most difficult part after starting! The best thing you can do is say congratulations and that you hope to celebrate many more anniversaries, and thank them for sharing their day with you. The closing needn't be anything extravagant, and there will likely be someone that will follow you in their congratulating the married couple for their 50th wedding anniversary.