SPEECH! SPEECH!

  Bridal necklace with silver and gold heart and freshwater pearls

      Wedding silver heart cufflinks

Calling all bridegrooms - now is your chance to knock 'em dead. You have the only guaranteed captive audience of your life, all feeling emotional, well disposed towards you and ready to hoot with laughter at your weakest joke, so work the room! But do it cleverly.

Start with a great opening line, possibly a sidelong crack at yourself. 'To my in-laws, remember, you're not losing a daughter, you're gaining a couch potato.' Then continue in the same light hearted vein., but tailor your speech to include the whole audience. A string of private jokes that only your family or friends will 'get' is not going to amuse the bride's guests. You are now a couple, so think couple. 'I'll never forget the day my wife told me I was going to marry her.' And so on.

Also, throw in some genuine sentiment. Why not tell the world how strongly you feel about your new wife? If you can't say it today, when can you say it? And you'll have them crying in the aisles as you pay her a sincere tribute. Spend some time thanking your in-laws, parents, best man and assorted friends for their help, throwing in a liberal sprinkling of 'my wife and I' - it's so endearing!

And finally, pay a graceful tribute to the bridesmaids: 'Thanks, ladies, I'll book you every time I get married,' or, if you feel your mum-in-law's eye fixed coldly upon you, just keep it short, sweet and straightforward. Then you can sit down and get back into the champagne, basking in the knowledge of a job well done.

For more hints and tips on how to make your big day go smoothly, check out our wedding information pages. They're an indispensable source of wedding planning tips and style advice for any bride to be (and groom to be!) and we're adding to them all the time so make sure you visit us again.

And to browse Henry Kaye's complete range of stunning wedding shoes (for brides and bridesmaids alike), elegant bridesmaid dresses, stylish boy's formalwear and pageboy outfits and exquisite wedding bags and wedding accessories, click here.