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The Wedding Speeches!

There are three generally accepted speeches usual to a wedding reception they are, bride's father's speech, the bridegroom's speech and lastly the best man's speech. No further speeches are required although other speeches are permissible; it is not unusual for example for the bridegroom's father to give a short speech of thanks to the host and hostess for the occasion, or the bride to have a "best woman" give a speech.

Brides father...

The bride’s father should be called upon by the toastmaster (or the best man) to propose a toast of 'health and happiness to the bride and bridegroom'.  Before doing so he would normally welcome the groom’s parents, relatives of both families any other guests and welcome the groom to his family and say a few words about his daughter.

The Bridegroom...

The bridegroom replies on behalf of himself and his bride, taking the opportunity to thank his parents for there love and care during his youth, for the start they gave him in life, and for their good wishes for his future and that of his wife. He will also take this opportunity on behalf of his wife and himself to thank all those present for their gifts.

Should there be any close members of the family who could not attend the wedding because of illness, they should be mentioned and be wished for a speedy recovery.

To conclude, the bridegroom will propose the toast of the bridesmaids, and thank them for a job well done, he may also present them with a small gift as a token of their appreciation.

Best Man...

It is the best man's duty to respond to this toast on behalf of the bridesmaids, his speech should be light hearted and fun. It should be the high spot of the reception and it is very often his ability to make this particular speech, with humour and interest that is the deciding chapter on the selection of the best man. (No pressure then!)

Maxims can supply you with a radio/wired microphone for the speeches free of charge with our special wedding package, helping to make the speeches less worrying for the speakers and more enjoyable for the guests and we control the volume so that everyone can hear this important part of the wedding day! 

Tip: Some people have the speeches after the champagne reception but before the meal, this means they can enjoy the meal without worrying about the speeches.

How long does it take to set up?

It generally takes around 60 minutes for us to set up the entertainment. This is often done at the same time as a venue transforms the room around from the wedding meal to the evening reception, enabling both the room and entertainment to be ready at approx the same time. We prefer, wherever possible, to setup before the guests arrive, and this is included in the price of the package.

When should we have our first dance?

The first dance is not compulsory and not everyone decides to have a first dance, however most people like to perform this important part of the day. A first dance does not have to be at the very beginning of the evening reception, although it should be sometime during the early part of the evening. We will announce the first dance when the bride and groom are ready. It’s normally a good idea to have the first dance when all the evening guests have arrived. It’s often a tradition for the bride to dance with the father of the bride for the second dance. Your guests will normally be asked to join the bride and groom onto the dance floor during the first dance. This is all flexible and you can plan a different arrangement should you require.

Evening Reception Music! 

Maxims recognise that the music is one of the most important parts of the evening reception. It is important to remember that your guests will be a mixture of ages and have various musical preferences and the music should cater for everybody while still been personalised to the bride and groom. The most popular disco music requested at weddings is a good mixture of music that will keep the dance floor busy all evening, this including a mixture of good 60’s, 70’s 80’s 90’s and chart hits.

We encourage you to make a play list of any favourite songs or styles of music and will try our best to include these songs during the evening. It is important that the music is chosen carefully as this is a very memorable part of any wedding day and Maxims is always here to help with free advice and guidance.

Should we have music during the afternoon? 

Music is the key of life and can enhance the atmosphere of any event including the champagne reception and wedding breakfast. Having music during the wedding breakfast helps to make this once in a life time event more memorable. It is our experience that background music during the meal helps to create a more relaxed and warmer atmosphere. We also offer this service free with our Special wedding disco Package. The most popular choice of music during the meal is light background jazz music, although we are always happy to play other styles that you may prefer.