Please help me edit my MOH speech!
This is my first time giving a MOH speech and it is for my best friend. I am going to be honest, I feel like I spent so much time including the groom that I feel like my best friends (bride) portion feels rushed. It is also too long ): I timed it and the whole thing was close to 8-10 minutes. I have no idea what to cut. Please please help and give me any feedback it is greatly appreciated.
Hi everyone, thank you all for being here. I hope you’re having a wonderful evening.
My name is Veronica . I want to preface this by saying I don’t typically speak to people over the age of 5, so please bear with me.
Typically, this speech would be addressed to everyone here tonight. However, while writing, I realized I want to talk to two people I love very much, and everyone else just happens to be here for it.
Hey guys…Originally I didn't know how I was going to start this speech because there were so many directions I could’ve gone in, and I got stuck for a few weeks. Then I went on your WithJoy website hoping it would get the ball rolling. And I saw your favorite picture: that cute one of you guys standing next to each other in kindergarten. And that’s when I knew “yeah, that’s the reference for this whole speech.”
Heeey Angel,
Can you believe you’re married?
I love you. Congratulations, my friend.
Over the last two decades, we’ve changed and grown in different directions. Life looks different nowadays:
- from hanging out after church
- sending Snapchats of seals and mermaids
- spending way too much money on Polaroid pics
- to sending binge-lists instead of studying for finals, which has now become sharing book recs because we’re “old.”
It may not look the same anymore, and that’s okay. Because if there’s one thing I know, it’s that you’ve always been a constant in my life. What has never changed is you.
You have this way to connect with people through your kind, genuine, and authentic heart. You care deeply for others and are always rooting for the best in everyone. You’re a creative soul with so many passions, and you share them so willingly and naturally.
The way your parents raised you, to be God-fearing, loving, selfless, and grounded, is reflected in the woman you are today. That’s why so many people feel loved, safe, and seen around you.
You’ve always been the kind of friend who shows up, even when the moment happens unexpectedly like in our college library. You remember the little things, check in when no one else does, and give without expecting anything in return. Even in the busiest seasons of your life, you still make people feel important.
Whether it’s 2,770 miles, 780 miles, or just 1 minute and 18 seconds away, it only takes one reason, one word for either of us to show up for each other. And I think that says everything about the friendship we’ve built.
Watching you grow into this next chapter of your life has been so special. Seeing how you love and support the people you care about makes it easy to understand why you are so deeply loved in return.
I know life will keep changing, new memories, new traditions, new seasons. But I hope you always know how appreciated, admired, and loved you are by everyone here, and especially by me.
You’ve been such an important part of my life, and I truly cannot imagine who I’d be without your friendship. I am endlessly proud of you, and so lucky to stand beside you today.
Logan,
When Angel first introduced you to us during wine night, I could already tell you had her wrapped around your finger. Even before meeting you, you could hear it in her voice and the way that she would text, that when she talked about you, she was blushing and smiling the entire time.
So the moment I met you as the guy she was talking about, I already knew Kat and I were moving down a spot, because Angel had found a man who is kind, loving, supportive, generous, and respectful, to his family, friends, her family, and most importantly, the love of his life.
Now, quick circle back to the kindergarten picture.
It’s funny because they’re standing in the front row, meaning they were the shortest in the class. But what you guys don’t know is that standing to Angel’s right, is me.
This picture makes me laugh because the three of us will always have this vague memory of being in the same kindergarten class, even though we never really crossed paths again—yet here we are, all these years later, at your wedding.
Logan, while I’ve only known you for a short time, I’ve learned from my job that you don’t need many years to know someone. You just need to know someone who is invested in them and loves them. In this case, I just needed to know their girlfriend, now wife, to know that:
- You’re 5’8” and wouldn’t make it to the front row of another kindergarten picture
- Your favorite color is blue
- You have a big heart for your family, especially your sisters Lacey and Larissa, and your niece Jane
- Your hobbies are basketball, video games, and woodworking
- After long days at work, you’re still doing projects around the house, like fixing cabinets, building tables, or putting together a garden bed so Angel can enjoy one of her hobbies
- And that you’re a snacker, and we can’t leave you alone with a pack of Oreos because it would be gone in one sitting if you really wanted to.
But I also know you are compassionate, genuine, intentional with your actions, and a safe space. And I know this because my best friend has told me so.
I’ve watched you love her from the beginning. I see how you look at her and understand her. I knew even more that you were the one for her when she’d tell me about your lunch dates during work, or when she moved to Oregon and you’d go to aunty and uncle’s house to water her plants, or how attentive you are to her when she has something on her mind.
We all know it’s real when a girl can truly say a man is good enough for her best friend. So Logan, after a lifetime of memories with her, it means everything to watch her find someone who loves her as fiercely as I always have.
Thank you for being her rock and her confidant. I’m so grateful she found her best friend in you, and that she is yours.
If everyone could raise their glass, to Logan and Angel. Congratulations