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About Wedding Thank You Speech
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are wedding plans. They take hours of tiresome execution and months of meticulous planning. These plans surely didn’t actualise on their own either! I’m sure your wedding involves your relatives, parents and perhaps, friends as well!
So, when you’re giving a wedding thank you speech at your wedding in Singapore, it’s basically a big shoutout. When you were younger, Ma and Pa surely taught you the importance of saying thank you. Now, it is time to practice in front of a crowd!
Typically, the bride and groom to take turns near the end of the evening to give their speeches. Each will raise a glass to both give thanks and offer a toast to all who lent a hand. It is also observed that the couple will have the same speech written in both English and their Mother Tongue.
As a word of advice, no different than what we have been doing here, this is a wedding staple. Do not avoid doing this! Besides the promise of a meaningful banquet and a free flow of wine, this is what everyone waits for. Everyone who’s played a part, wants their efforts recognised!
BEFORE WE BEGIN, we would love to share a SUPER UNIQUE Wedding Thank You Speech (not in Singapore) done by a musically-inclined couple:
This video moved us, musicians, to tears!
So, without further ado, we’ve done the homework on the essentials for your perusal. Take a read!
1) Why Write a Wedding Thank You Speech
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This may seem like a weird part of this article but it’s perhaps the most important. Conveying gratitude to those who have made sacrifices for your wedding is crucial! Gratitude is a posture of understanding, acknowledgement, and graciousness of the good done for you
More than anything, it speaks to your heart and character. It’s your wedding day; this is the best you’ll ever conduct yourself. Is the you on stage an accurate reflection of your conduct on any other? Besides letting others know what you’re grateful for, it gives you an idea of what’s important to you.
This is why you need to have the best Wedding Thank You Speech, especially when your wedding is in Singapore!
2) Who to Include in your Wedding Thank You Speech
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As we’ve mentioned earlier, planning a wedding is no small feat. Executing one, even less so. To put all of it in place and in working order takes a village. So, whoever was in that village, thank them first! People like your parents, in-laws, bridesmaids, and groomsmen.
They were your logistics and organisational support; give them an applause and a loud one too!
But also appreciate that they only did it because they’ve seen you through your seasons. Marriage is arguably a season bigger than most and they were there still! So, show them some love.
Other than them, wedding vendors were also had a hand in making your wedding a success. Yes, you did pay them. But a job well done is still a job well done. Extend a brief word of thanks, or perhaps a recommendation, in their direction when on stage
Do not forget your guests. Showing up may have taken more effort than you’re aware of. Even more so if they have brought you gifts from your registry or have given an Ang Bao. So, offer a quick word of thanks in your wedding thank you speech in Singapore to everyone present on your special day!
Last but certainly not least, your other half. You’re about to embark on the rest of your lives with each other and it’s best to set off on the right foot! Let them know how grateful you are for a comrade, a confidante and now, a companion for life.
3) What to Include in your Speech
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You’ll definitely want to share memorable anecdotes and stories! They need not pertain strictly to the wedding but keep it relevant and interesting. The funnier and more light-hearted you can keep it, the better. But of course, be sparing with details that could potentially be embarrassing!
You can pepper your stories with jokes to keep your audience properly entertained in your wedding thank you speech. While there is a need to keep things personal and emotive, no one wants to be saddened. It is a joyous occasion, and your speech should reflect that.
Jokes are great way to break formality, ease tension of the ceremony and energize people for the toast! But do beware, you can tell any joke but not every joke is for everyone. Read the room and know your audience. If you think your joke won’t be well received, best not tell it.
You should also include a toast to round things off. A toast is a sure-fire way to put a memorable full stop to your speech. Quote an author, quote yourself or quote the musings of a family member; it all works. Just be sure that when you do, it means something to you.
A toast signals the end of your speech but the start of something new. They are often declarations of a vision one has for the future; that whilst the moment is celebrated, the future awaits. So, raise a glass and say it loud!
4) How to Structure your Thank You Speech for Wedding
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There’s no right or wrong way of structuring your wedding thank you speech. But, if you’ve never written one before, here’s a rough guideline on how to do it. If you follow the tips we’ve given so far, you should do just fine!
a) Begin with general salutations and a witty preamble.
This warms the crowd up to you and establishes the tone of the speech to come. You want to keep your introductions short sweet and simple. Don’t expend the limited attention of your audience here!
b) Proceed to thank those closest to you including family and best friends
As mentioned, it’s important to acknowledge the contributors to the evenings’ success. Let each group know specifically how they helped you. One level up from simply being acknowledged is being remembered.
c) Then thank everyone else in attendance
Of course, those that aren’t as close or played less of a role in the success of the day. It’s hardly because they’re unimportant and you shouldn’t make them feel that way either. Give them a general thanks
d) Closing statements and offering a toast
Lastly, wrap everything up with any concluding statements and a toast. This is the short and punchy end to your speech. Ideally, you should wish everyone well and segue into your hopes as a couple.
5) How to Write a Singapore-style Thank You Speech
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If you’re Singaporean, surely there’s a way for you to add a local flavour in your speech! Think about any familiar cultural references that people have latched on to. But that said, avoid hot button issues! The older generation might be in the crowd so dated references might be helpful here in your thank you speech for your wedding!
There are the ever-clichéd national service references you could throw in. But try to keep it relatable. What’s most important is that everybody is in on the joke and that everyone feels included! It’s difficult to have a good time if someone doesn’t know what’s going on.
6) Tips when Practicing your Thank You Speech
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If you can, try to keep your speech between 5 to 6 minutes. This is so your partner can speak for an equal amount of time and to keep your guests interested. When to speak is up to you but it’s generally advised to do so before or after the food is served. If in doubt, consult your wedding planner if you’ve hired one!
Remember to use words that you would normally use. It’s important for people to recognise that the speech was written by you. That said, avoid being too stiff and formal with your language. It’ll hard to tell funny anecdotes and jokes through that tone and it may dampen the atmosphere!
When it comes to practicing before an audience, you should start small. Run your speech and self-presentation by your friends and family! Or, if you’d like the speech to be a surprise to them, run it by your bridesmaids, groomsmen, or partner. They can help point out areas of improvement.
Eye contact is essential when addressing any audience. When giving your speech, be sure to look at your audience and not over their heads. If you’re addressing a specific individual, look right at them. This creates an intimacy with the crowd and helps them connect with you.
7) Template for Wedding Thank You Speech
Dearest Family, Friends and Colleagues, a Good Evening to you all.
Thank you for joining *spouse name* and I on our very special day. Tonight, we’re honoured to have you all with us. Having you all here to eat free food and say “yum seng” with us “warms the cockles of my heart”. Of course, I’m joking. It’s wonderful seeing all of you together. It’s so rare that we should all meet in one place.
Ladies and gents, this is a night of firsts for me. Just as this is the first and only time I’m getting married, this is the first and only time I’ll be able to speak without *spouse name* cutting me off. So, whatever you do, don’t laugh too hard at my jokes. If you do, you can find my body buried under our marital home at *give address*.
First off, Mom, Dad, Uncle and Auntie, thank you so much for all your support through these trying times. I don’t mean when *reference another event ironically*. I mean in planning and helping with the wedding. Without your combined efforts and bank accounts, this would not have been possible. I love you all so much, and I totally understand if I’ll pay for that joke later.
To my *siblings name(s)*, thank you for driving us around the whole day and only threatening to but not actually crashing the car if we keep asking you to hurry up. You’ve helped tapau our food, found our wedding band, hired our photographer, and edited our wedding video. I’m so grateful for you/all of you. I don’t say this often enough, but you/you all are the best. It’s been a while since I’ve ordered you around so planning this wedding has been a refreshing experience for me.
To our handsome groomsmen and beautiful bridesmaids, you all are a squad that kept us looking ready for everything and I cannot thank you enough. Thanks to you guys, nothing caught us off guard and you made sure everything went smoothly! You guys gave us your all no matter the time of day and we know you guys did it out of love because y’all didn’t even try to claim OT. It brings a tear to my eye and we’re really very touched.
To our childhood friends from *state individually where you know them from*, it’s great that all of you have finally met. It’s been a long time coming and I’m sure you all have stories to tell each other. There’s something poetic about how your different walks of life converged with our wedding. But there’s also something tragic about the combined embarrassment you can unleash on us so please, have mercy. Nonetheless, it’s so great to finally have you all here and I’m so happy you all could make it.
To my friends and colleagues from *insert generally how you know them*. There is a free flow of beer, wine and food being served tonight. So, consider all your belanja paid back, okay? No need to chase me for the 5 cent 10 cent things anymore, okay? But seriously guys, thank you all for coming on our special day. It tells us how much you cherish good food and drinks and that’s how we know all of us get along just fine.
Last but certainly not least, I’d like to thank you *spouse name*. First, for even agreeing to spend the rest of your life with me. Then for managing to put your half of the wedding together while complaining half as much as I did. You’re my rock and you’re my strength. But mostly, I thank you for keeping me on the straight and narrow. With you I have a partner and a sergeant major for life.
So, to all and to us, please raise a glass.
I pray we continue to grow in strength, in life and in love.
That our last days are filled with as much joy as our first.
That we continue to learn from each other with the same eager giddiness as our yesteryears.
And that we learn to love each other more with each passing year.
Cheers. *Charge glass and drink*.
Thank you everyone. Enjoy the rest of the evening.
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