Five "Unbreakable" Rules To Writing A Maid of Honor Speech

1. Don't Wing It

Unless you're a professional speaker and you have at least 5 years of experience, you're not qualified to wing it! And even then, experienced professional speakers know it's best to be prepared. How do you think they sound so good?

Your job as the Maid of Honor is to make the Bride look good. That means you have to look good - and sound good - when you give your speech. Start by doing your homework and writing a speech before the wedding.

And if you look and sound better than the best man - then that's an added bonus!

2. Get Emotional and Get Sappy

Different wedding party roles mean different expectations. The guests might be tickled by funny stories of the groom's past, but they will be touched if you can tell them about what a remarkable person the bride is, and why you think she's such a good catch.

If you see a tear of happiness in the bride's eye when you're done, then you've got it!

3. Always Ask The Bride Whom She Would Like Publicly Thanked - and thank her parents anyway

Even if they didn't put the wedding together, her parents did raise her to be the wonderful woman she is today.

4. Don't Repeat The Best Man

Keeping the audience's attention means saying something new. So talk to the best man and make sure you're not repeating the same thing - for example, the story of how the bride and groom met, how the groom proposed, or their most recent trip white-water rafting.

5. Get a Second Opinion

Find another person - but not the bride or groom - who will listen to your speech and give you honest feedback. Better to get it wrong for one person than in front of 200 guests!

Now...Practice. Your speech won't be perfect until you can say it confidently without stumbling over words.

Not sure if you'll have it memorized? Take a copy with you, just in case. If you find yourself reading it, that's ok, as long as you look up every now and then to make eye contact with the guests.