Speeches for any occasion

I am Marc Blakewill and I’ve been writing speeches for all occasions for over a decade. With my comedy writing background in TV, radio and books, I specialise in writing with wit and warmth to make your speech the highlight of the day.

So, whether it’s a birthday, eulogy, rehearsal dinner or wedding speech, I can help. Read on for more details on each type of occasion I can write for.

Birthday, Retirement, Anniversary

Ask yourself the following:

  • Length of speech – will the guests be standing? Is this a huge event that’s been planned for ages or a more informal gathering, in which case it could be shorter?
  • Thanks – avoid making the speech a list of thank yous. Be selective and try to make each thanks more than a simple: “Thanks to X for doing Y.”
  • Stories – whether it’s a work retirement party or a 50th anniversary, anecdotes will form the heart of the speech. Give yourself the best chance to think of the best ones.
  • Add humour where you can – guests listening to a funny speech will be focussing on how much they are enjoying it, not how long it is.

Here are some reasons why you might be looking for speech writing support:

  • You’re struggling for material
  • You have the stories but don’t know how to bring them to life
  • You’re not sure how to structure the speech or weave it all together
  • You want humour but you’re not a natural joke-writer
  • You simply don’t have the time to write it

As a professional speech writer, you might expect me to say this but…I can help with all of the above. I can ensure you get the right balance of thanks, stories and jokes.

Writing your birthday speech

If you plan to write your speech yourself, take a look at my pages on writing a birthday speech or how to write a speech. I also offer an editing service and could polish your speech once you’ve drafted it.

Eulogy

To commemorate and celebrate a person’s whole life in one speech can seem a little overwhelming. Here are some key things to consider:

  • Tone and selection of stories – ask yourself: how would the person himself or herself like to be remembered?
  • Are you giving the only eulogy or will others speak too? This might affect length and what elements and stories you wish to cover.
  • When timing your speech, build in some pauses. You might need a moment or two to collect yourself now and again.

For a fuller look at how to craft a memorable tribute, take a look at my page: how to write a eulogy.

The main reasons people contact me to help write a eulogy:

  • Time – you know it’s going to take you a few hours and you think you will struggle. Knowing a speech writer has everything in hand can remove that burden from you.
  • An engaging story – you want something that captures your loved one’s life yet does not sound like a Wikipedia entry. “He or she did this then that.” And so on. With the right choice of stories and thoughtful linking, the eulogy can be full of life not full of facts.
  • Moments of humour – if they were a funny or light-hearted person you might want moments of laugher that fit within a respectful but celebratory tone.
  • Getting the balance right – you want the eulogy to give a rounded sense of the person’s life yet also feel very personal.

I can write your eulogy

Here’s how the process works:

  • Get in touch via email, phone or my contact form.
  • Let me know, roughly, how long you’d like to speak for and when you need it by.
  • I’ll give you a quote.
  • If you’d like to go ahead, I send over my Eulogy Questionnaire from which I get the key info to write it.
  • I email you the speech by the deadline.

Other wedding speeches

The main speeches at a wedding are still typically the Father of the Bride, Groom and Best Man. However, these days it’s very much more fluid – it’s your wedding, your rules!

So, other speakers can include the following:

Just click on the links above for advice on any of those speeches, including ideas for material and structure.

However, if you’d like a professionally written speech, just get in touch using the contact button at the bottom of the page. Let me know the date of the wedding and roughly how long you’d like to speak for. I’ll get back as soon as I can with more details.

"Brilliant wedding speeches" is written with a white background
All Write On The Night represented by the letters AWOTN done in orange and black

Rehearsal dinner

This is a pre-wedding dinner that usually takes place the evening before the wedding – often after a wedding ceremony rehearsal. Hence the name! This is a common tradition in North America but is slowly becoming more popular elsewhere too.

Speakers can be quite numerous and might include:

  • The hosts – usually the groom’s parents
  • Members of the wedding party such as the Best Man or Maid/Matron of Honour
  • Close family members like siblings
  • The couple themselves

As there can be lots of speakers, the speeches tend to be shorter than a typical wedding speech. They might also be a bit more informal, especially if the speaker has a formal speech prepared for the wedding day itself.

Father of the Groom

If you are the father of the groom and are introducing the event, this might be more formal than the other speeches. It’s a chance to welcome the bride into your family and to celebrate your son’s life and your soon-to-be daughter-in-law.

But whatever speech you might need for your rehearsal or welcome dinner, I can help. Just email me or get in touch via the contact button below.

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