The Wall Street Journal published an article recently about certain aspects of weddings getting bigger and more audacious.

“Wedding bouquets are going wild and free,” the Journal reports.  “Long gone are the tightly wrapped, ball-shaped bunches of rose or calla lilies that get joyfully thrown over one's shoulder at wedding's end to the delighted crowd.

“Now, gigantic, earthy bridal arrangements are moving into the aisle, with some looking a bit more like assemblages of landscaping than traditional wedding décor. And these oversize bouquets—some as heavy as 13 pounds—definitely aren't made for tossing.”

The trend is being driven by brides who are increasingly looking for more “showstopper moments” to stand out.

I worked recently with Gary, a father of the bride in New York City, to create a speech for his daughter’s wedding. 

Gary had intended to just jot a few ideas down and pepper it with the usual, if not empty, platitudes like “You’re the perfect couple!”  

As the wedding approached, he began to realize his daughter had much higher expectations for his speech than he thought.  In fact, she expected it to be a showstopper moment in the wedding weekend. 

So, I created a warm, funny, completely original, 8-minute speech that took the audience on a journey through the bride and grooms values, character and personality. 

The speech was tight, punchy and easy and enjoyable for the audience to follow.  And I showed Gary how to deliver it with ease and confidence.

Here in Gary’s words is how it went. 

Words and presentation matter.  So, don’t underestimate the power of a well-written speech to strengthen your relationship with the bride and groom even more while entertaining and impressing the crowd.