Congratulations! You have the distinct privilege of being the maid of honor in your best friend or sister’s wedding—you’re in it for the long haul, now! As you prepare to plan the bridal shower, try on tons of bridesmaids’ gowns, and think of the perfect gift, you’ll also realize this means planning to deliver the most memorable maid of honor speech. Whether this makes you pumped up or nervous, the wedding venues near Lansdale, PA, are no strangers to this tradition, so leave it to the experts to take care of the logistics. So, all you need to worry about is whether you’ll be going for laughter or tears—or both! Here are a few tips on writing the best maid of honor speech to fuel your inspiration!

1. THINK AHEAD

A good speech isn’t brainstormed the night before, so start thinking about what you could say weeks or even months leading up to the big day. This will make the whole process easier AND it’ll calm your inevitable nerves when it comes time to holding the mic.

2. STEP by Step

If you’ve been to enough weddings, you may have noticed that the speeches typically follow a pattern: 1) a quick introduction of who you are and how you know the bride; 2) some loving and heartfelt touches on your relationship with the bride; 3) how you watched the love blossom between the bride and the groom; 4) why the groom is perfect for the bride; 5) a closing well-wishing for the new couple. Feel free to stray a bit from this formula if need be, but this is typically a good pattern to follow.

3. Be aware of Aunt Sylva and Grandpa Gene

It might be tempting to bring up those hysterical black-out moments from college, but keep in mind that grandparents as well as nieces and nephews are in attendance. So, keep it PG-13.

4. Take Notes

Write it down! You might think you’ve got the whole monologue memorized, but mind blanks happen to the best performers out there. So, it doesn’t hurt to jot down your ideas to keep you on track just in case you experience one of those blackouts!

5. TIME IT

While practicing, a good rule-of-thumb is to keep it around a minute to 90 seconds. Anything longer than that will start to make you look like a rambler!

Try not to stress too much about this speech! When in doubt, let your emotions take the lead—afterall, maid of honor speeches are no strangers to a few tears! And, if you find yourself stuck, remember that wedding venues near Lansdale, PA, have seen it all and probably worse!