Filming wedding speeches well comes down to three things: a microphone every speaker actually uses, enough light on their faces, and a running order your filmmaker and DJ both know. Get those right and every word is clear on film and in the room.
The speeches are often the part of a wedding film that families watch most, because they hold the voices of the people who matter. This guide covers when to have them, what order they go in, how they are recorded, how to light the top table, and how to handle speeches in more than one language. For where speeches fit in the wider day, see our UK wedding day timeline.
Should speeches be before or after the meal?
Either works. There is no rule, only what suits your speakers and your venue.
| When | Why couples choose it | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Before the meal | Nervous speakers can relax and enjoy their food; guests are at their most attentive | The kitchen needs a firm start time so food isn’t kept waiting |
| Between courses | Breaks up a long meal; speakers spread through the evening | The filmmaker needs to know each slot; staff clearing plates make noise |
| After the meal | Traditional; leads straight into the cake and first dance | Speakers wait, often with a drink; the room can get warm and restless |
Here is how it might look for a 1pm ceremony:
| Time | Speeches before the meal | Speeches after the meal |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00pm | Ceremony | Ceremony |
| 1:45pm | Drinks reception, family photos and portraits | Drinks reception, family photos and portraits |
| 4:00pm | Guests seated, couple enters | Guests seated, couple enters |
| 4:10pm | Speeches | Wedding breakfast |
| 4:45pm | Wedding breakfast | Wedding breakfast continues |
| 6:00pm | Coffee, cake | Speeches |
| 6:45pm | Evening guests arrive | Cake, evening guests arrive |
For a filmmaker, the key is not which you choose but that it is fixed. If the speeches move, tell your filmmaker on the day, ideally through your venue coordinator or a named family member.
What order are wedding speeches in?
The traditional order at a UK wedding is the father of the bride (or whoever is hosting), then the groom, then the best man. Many couples now change it: both partners speak together, the bride speaks, a maid of honour or a mother joins in, or a sibling replaces the best man.
At many Sikh, Hindu, Muslim and African weddings, an MC or compère introduces the speakers, and elders from both families may speak, sometimes alongside performances or a video. That is just as easy to film, as long as the running order is written down.
Give your filmmaker and DJ a short list with:
- each speaker’s name, how to pronounce it, and their role
- the order
- roughly how long each will speak
- anything else in the slot, such as a toast, a reading, a video or a surprise
How long do wedding speeches last?
There is no set length. In our experience, five to ten minutes each holds a room well, and three or four speakers can easily take 30 to 45 minutes once you add laughter, toasts and applause. A longer speech is fine if it is well prepared. The ones that drag are usually unrehearsed.
Speakers should practise out loud, with a timer, at least once. It also helps them find the lines they stumble over before the day.
How are wedding speeches recorded?
The speeches uncut are one of the core edits in a wedding film, so every word has to be recorded properly. That starts with a microphone in the room.
The venue pa, the DJ or the band
Most venues, DJs and bands can provide a wireless handheld microphone through their sound system. Ask now, not in the week of the wedding, and check who is bringing it. Your filmmaker will usually take a sound feed straight from the DJ’s mixing desk or the venue’s system, which gives the cleanest recording. That is why we ask couples to tell their DJ or band we will be in touch.
Lapel microphones and backup recorders
A small lapel microphone on a speaker, or a small recorder on the top table or lectern, gives a second copy of every word. If a feed drops, or a speaker forgets the handheld and turns to face the couple, the backup still has them. At a small wedding with no PA, lapel microphones and a recorder are the main source.
How to use the microphone
- Hold it close, about a fist’s width from the mouth, and keep it there when you turn your head.
- Don’t walk in front of the speakers: that causes the squeal of feedback.
- Pass it back to one person when you finish, not along the table.
- Fresh batteries in wireless microphones, with spares on the top table.
How do we get good light on the top table?
Cinema cameras cope well with low light, but faces still need some light on them. A few things make a real difference:
- Don’t put a window behind the top table. In June, London sunset is after 9pm, so a bright window behind the speakers turns them into silhouettes for the whole meal.
- Keep the top table lit. Venues often dim the room for atmosphere just before the speeches. Ask them to keep some light on the speakers’ faces.
- Use candles and uplighters on the table. They light faces warmly from below and in front.
- Clear the line of sight. A tall floral arrangement in front of the speaker hides them on film and in the room.
- Choose where speakers stand. At a long top table, a speaker at the far end is lost in the corner. A lectern or a fixed spot in the centre is easier to light and film.
In winter, when London sunset is just before 4pm in December, the speeches will be in the dark, so the venue’s lighting matters even more. If your photographer plans to use flash during the speeches, ask them to agree it with your filmmaker, so it doesn’t flicker across the film.
What about speeches in more than one language?
Many speeches switch between English and Punjabi, Gujarati, Urdu, Yoruba or another language, and that is part of what makes them yours. To help guests and the film:
- Tell your filmmaker which speeches will be in which language, so they don’t mistake a pause for the end.
- Decide how guests will follow. Some speakers summarise in a second language as they go; some couples print a short translation.
- Ask about subtitles early if you want them in the film. Someone in the family will usually need to provide a written translation.
- Give an interpreter their own microphone if one is translating live, so both voices are recorded.
Is it OK to read a speech from a phone?
It works, but cards are better. Reading from a phone tips the head down, so the face is lost on camera. The screen lights the chin from below, and a message can arrive mid-sentence. If a speaker uses a phone, ask them to switch on airplane mode, which also stops any buzz near the microphones, and to look up at the important lines. Printed cards in a large font, held at chest height, let the speaker glance down and look back at the room. Guests’ phones are a separate question, and our guide to unplugged ceremonies explains how to ask people to put them away.
From behind the camera
The speeches are where I most often see the difference between a film that was planned and one that wasn’t. The light is fine, the microphone is working, and then the best man turns to face the couple with the microphone by his side. That moment is why we always run a backup recorder, and why I talk to the DJ before the guests sit down: where the feed is coming from, which microphone is live, who speaks first. Couples don’t need to know any of that. They only need to tell us the order and make sure everyone speaking holds the microphone.
Your questions, answered
Should speeches be before or after the meal?
Either works. Speeches before the meal let nervous speakers relax and eat, and catch guests at their most attentive. Speeches after the meal are traditional and lead naturally into the cake and first dance. Between courses also works. What matters for the film is that the start time is fixed and the venue keeps the top table lit.
How long do wedding speeches last?
There is no set length. Five to ten minutes each holds a room well, and three or four speakers can easily take 30 to 45 minutes. Longer speeches are fine if they are well prepared, but a running order with rough timings helps the venue plan the food and lets your filmmaker know who is coming next.
Do we need a microphone for wedding speeches?
Yes, in almost every room. A microphone lets the guests at the back hear, and gives your filmmaker a clean recording. Most venues, DJs and bands can provide a wireless handheld microphone. Your filmmaker will usually take a sound feed from it and add a small recorder or lapel microphone as a backup.
Will the speeches be in our wedding film?
With most filmmakers, yes. Our full wedding films include the speeches uncut, as their own film, and the best lines often carry the highlight film too. Our simple wedding film also includes the speeches uncut, wherever they fall in your day.
Keep reading
- What’s in a wedding film?: how the speeches sit alongside the highlight film, ceremony and feature film.
- Unplugged ceremony: how to ask guests to put their phones away: the same principle, applied to your vows.
- Do you need a wedding videographer?: if you are deciding whether to have the speeches filmed at all.
If you already have a photographer and just want the ceremony and speeches kept safe, our simple wedding film covers both, with a short highlight film. For the whole day, see our wedding films, or check your date.
