The writing process would not be complete without editing.

As a wedding vow and speech writer, I can tell you that editing a wedding speech is even more important than writing the initial draft. It’s the editing phase that gets you from an okay speech to a speech that you feel confident reciting in front of a room full of people.

Yet, most people procrastinate writing their speech out of fear that it won’t be perfect. 

Here’s the deal: it won’t be! At least not the first attempt.

My advice for writing a wedding speech? Just write something, anything, for your first draft. Then dedicate the majority of your time to editing, editing, editing. 

Not a writer? Not sure what editing entails?

Here are my top 10 editing tips for how you can turn any mediocre first draft into a masterpiece.

Editing Tip #1: Rephrase Clichés 

Your first draft will likely be packed with popular phrases known as Clichés.

Cliché Examples:

• I wish you all the happiness in the world.

• How beautiful does the bride look?

• They are soul mates. 

• Today I am not losing a daughter, I’m gaining a son. 

It’s not that these statements aren’t true but there are more interesting ways to express these ideas. 

For example, what is it about the bride that makes her look beautiful today?

We all know she’s beautiful. She’s a bride after all.

But how can we take the idea of her bridal look and write it into an interesting anecdote?

Instead, let’s hear how the bride would dress up using her mom’s veil as a little girl and now she’s not just playing dress-up, she’s living out that fantasy with her real-life love. 

No longer a cliché, because it’s personal and personal, is interesting.

Editing Tip #2: Delete Details that Aren’t Necessary 

Sometimes we include details that feel important to us but in reality, are not necessary for a wedding speech.

For example, you do not need to thank a laundry list of people in your speech. A simple nod of thanks to the hosts of the reception and the guests for attending will do. 

As you reread your speech, consider this question: does this detail add value and impact to the speech? 

If you’re not sure, the answer is likely no. 

Remove any details that don’t add value and impact. Otherwise, these anecdotes will water down your message.

Editing Tip #3: Remove Redundant Ideas 

We’ve all heard a wedding speech that seems to recycle the same concepts over…and over…and over.

For example, if you’ve expressed how the bride has always been like the sister you never had, there’s no need to repeat this idea again three paragraphs later.

Move on to say something new.

Editing Tip #4: Cut the Fluff 

“I’m not the best public speaker but here we go! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

Starting a speech with a sentence like that is considered “throat-clearing.” These phrases aren’t necessary or impactful but they make the speech giver feel like they’re gearing up to give the speech.

Don’t do it. The audience is ready for you to dive in, even if you aren’t, so don’t drag them through these fluff-filled introductions. 

Editing Tip #5: Rewrite the Run-On Sentences

Writing is really just our internal dialog put into words on paper. And when it comes to writing a wedding speech, we have a lot of ideas.

It’s no wonder then that we write sentences that run-on. 

You know the ones. 

They look like this: “When Sarah was a little girl, she had this adorable red dress that she loved to wear wherever we went to places like the mall or out to eat and she would even spend entire afternoons on the playground wearing it.” 

Whoa! That was a mouthful. How about rephrasing that single sentence into several to look like this:

“When Sarah was a little girl, she was obsessed with this red party dress. She wore that dress everywhere, from fancy family dinners to sand-soaked playground dates.”

When you shorten a run-on sentence, it’s more impactful. This allows the audience to follow along more easily. Plus, shorter phrases are conducive to stronger storytelling. 

Editing Tip #6: Use Commas 

You don’t need to be a grammar expert to add commas to your wedding speech. As you read each sentence, pay attention to where you naturally pause. This is where you will likely need to add a comma if you don’t already have one.

Commas are a great visual reminder for us to take a slight pause as we’re reciting a speech. And when we take these pauses, we add rhythm to our speech cadence.

This rhythm makes our speech more interesting and entertaining for guests to engage with. 

Editing Tip #7: Fact Check Your Stories

Imagine telling a story about the groom only to have him come up to you later and say, “That’s not exactly how that happened.”

Our memory retells stories as we remember them but not necessarily as they actually happened. 

If you’re not 100% certain of the details to a story you’d like to include, consult with someone else who was present. 

Stories are the best way to illustrate themes within a wedding speech but only if the story is true. 

Editing Tip #8: Remove Quotes 

Using quotes from your favorite TV show or movie is not meaningful or engaging unless that quote has unique and deep significance between you and the couple.

You were asked to give the speech because the couple wants to hear what you have to say in your own words. 

Use quotes to inspire you but then consider how you can rephrase those ideas in your own words. 

Editing Tip #9: Don’t Make it About You

You may be the one giving the speech but it’s for the couple. Avoid weaving in too many stories or details that focus more on you than the newlyweds.

The key is to be part of the story but as soon as the story is only about you, that’s when it’s time to delete. 

Editing Tip #10: Consult with an Editing Expert

As a wedding vow and speech writer, I regularly edit work from parents of the couple, maid of honors, best men, and engaged couples.

So get that first draft written and then send it to me to review and revise. I can’t wait to edit your speech!