Wedding Anniversary Tips

Ideas for Great Wedding Anniversaries

Using Quotes and Jokes in an Introduction to an Anniversary Speech

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When giving a speech at an anniversary party you need to capture the attention of those in the audience. The most well-written speech in the world will not mean much if you cannot get the audience interested. One of the best ways to draw an audience into your speech is through the use of quotes and jokes in the introduction.

It sounds pretty simple, but if you can get a laugh or pique their interest with a fascinating quote then they will be more likely to listen to your entire speech. Of course, choosing the right quote or joke is important, so below is some advice.

Carefully Selected Jokes

It is always a good idea to infuse some humor into a wedding anniversary speech. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to include jokes, but that is one option. A mistake that some speech givers make when using jokes is that they choose a joke that is funny but that does not really have anything to do with the couple or the event be celebrated.

When writing a speech, you want each part of the speech to flow together seamlessly. That includes the joke. To find a joke that will work, look for one that is about love, marriage or commitment. The joke does not have to be about anniversaries in particular, but there should be a way to tie it into the rest of your speech.

Another common joke related mistake is that some choose jokes that are insulting or controversial. Never include a joke that could offend the audience. Never choose a joke that is insulting or too risqué for the audience.

By including carefully selected jokes you will be able to draw the audience in rather than alienating them at the beginning of your speech.

Where to Find Quotes

The use of quotes is another way to quickly grab the interest of the audience. For example, a speech could begin like this:

“Eva Gabor once said that love is a game that two can play and both win. Clearly John and Mary are both winners today as they celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.”

By using an interesting quote from a famous person, the audience becomes interested in the speaker. Of course, the rest of the speech must also be well-written and skillfully delivered, but it is the opening line that often makes or breaks a speech.

There are many places to find quotes that are appropriate for the introduction to a wedding anniversary speech. You can search the internet, scour books or even take the quote directly from the couple. One man was asked to give a speech at his grandparent’s 50th wedding anniversary. This is how he introduced the speech:

“A wise man once said that all the love in the world won’t keep a marriage together if there is not a sense of commitment. Grandpa, I’ll never forget when you said that to me, and I pray for the same deep commitment to my own family that you have always had for yours.”

Whether you choose to use jokes, quotes or both in the introduction to your wedding anniversary speech; be sure to choose carefully so that your words will have the desired effect.

See also Wedding Anniversary Quotes.

Romantic Wedding Anniversary Verses

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Romantic wedding anniversary verses can come in handy for many uses. They can be included on anniversary cards, in speeches or in programs that may be printed for various wedding anniversary celebrations.

As you begin your search for the perfect wedding anniversary verses, you will find that there are so many of them that the biggest problem might be narrowing them down to choose your favorites. Below you will find a list of places to find romantic wedding anniversary verses followed by some examples.

Where to Look

The Bible

This might come as a surprise to some, but the Bible is full of very romantic verses and flowery words that fit perfectly in a wedding anniversary card or speech. If you do not know the Bible very well then you will need some help in locating these verses.

Happily, there are many Web sites that have done the work for you. A quick internet search for “romantic Bible verses” is a good place to start. You can also search a topical Bible under the topic of love to find some additional appropriate verses.

Poetry

“How do I love thee? Let me count the way…” Elizabeth Barrett Browning may be one of the most well-known author or romantic verses, but she is not the only one. Hundreds of books of romantic poetry have been published. Some are, of course, much more well-known than others. Spend an afternoon in the bookstore poring over some lesser-known works. This will help you find some wedding anniversary verses that many guests will not have heard before.

Literature

Many great works of literature also contain verses that will lend themselves perfectly to a wedding anniversary celebration. As is the case with poetry, an internet search is a good place to start. Try doing a search for “romantic literature quotes”. Of course, if you are a heavy reader, you may already have some favorites!

Examples

From the Bible

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth— for your love is more delightful than wine. – Song of Solomon 1:2

Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. – Song of Solomon 8:6

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love – 1 Corinthians 13:13

From Poetry

Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song,
List while I woo thee with soft melody;
Gone are the cares of life’s busy throng.

Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!

-Excerpt from Beautiful Dreamer, Stephen Foster

The sense of the world is short,
Long and various the report,
To love and be beloved;
Men and gods have not outlearned it,
And how oft soe’er they’ve turned it,
‘Tis not to be improved.

-Eros, Ralph Waldo Emerson

From Literature

You are my heart, my life, my one and only thought. –Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The White Company

That quiet mutual gaze of a trusting husband and wife is like the first moment of rest or refuge from a great weariness or a great danger–not to be interfered with by speech or action which would distract the sensations from the fresh enjoyment of repose. -George Eliot, Silas Marner

Love is in all things a most wonderful teacher. -Charles Dickens: Our Mutual Friend

The Most Romantic Wedding Anniversary Poems

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Wedding anniversary poems do not have to be flowery words of love a la Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Such words are, however, sometimes a good choice when you need a good love poem.Countless expressions of love have been penned, so it is difficult to come up with a list of “the most romantic” without leaving out some great options.

If you are looking for a romantic wedding anniversary poem to include in a card, speech or program, you should certainly take the time to visit a bookstore and/or surf the Web looking for the perfect words. Below are three of romantic poems for use at a wedding anniversary to help you get started in your search.

Longing

By Matthew Arnold

Come to me in my dreams, and then
By day I shall be well again!
For so the night will more than pay
The hopeless longing of the day.

Come, as thou cam’st a thousand times,
A messenger from radiant climes,
And smile on thy new world, and be
As kind to others as to me!

Or, as thou never cam’st in sooth,
Come now, and let me dream it truth,
And part my hair, and kiss my brow,
And say, My love why sufferest thou?

Come to me in my dreams, and then
By day I shall be well again!
For so the night will more than pay
The hopeless longing of the day.

 

A Red, Red Rose

By Robert Burns

Oh my luve is like a red, red rose,
That’s newly sprung in June:
Oh my luve is like the melodie,
That’s sweetly play’d in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only luve!
And fare thee weel a while!
And I will come again, my luve,
Tho’ it were ten thousand mile!

 

She Walks in Beauty

By Lord Byron

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o’er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling place.

And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

To do your own internet search for wedding anniversary poems, type “romantic poems”, “love poems” or “anniversary poems” into your search engine.

How to Write a 50th Wedding Anniversary Speech

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A 50th wedding anniversary is a milestone that most couples will never reach. A party celebrating such an event is a very big deal. If you have been asked to deliver a 50th wedding anniversary speech, you should take the time to properly prepare.

There are, in general, two types of 50th wedding anniversary speeches. The first is one delivered by one of the spouses to the other. The other type of speech is one delivered to the couple and the guests by someone who is very close to the couple. Since the latter is more common, the tips in this article will focus that type of wedding anniversary speech.

Let’s start with a very basic outline.

  • Thank everyone for coming
  • Introduce yourself and explain your relationship to the couple
  • Throw in a touch of humor
  • Speak about the couple. Include anecdotes, fun little facts, how they met and other such details
  • Talk about how not many couples make it this far. Congratulate them for doing so and for being an example to others.
  • Thank everyone for allowing you the chance to speak
  • Offer a toast to the couple

The above outline is just a starting point. You certainly do not have to follow that exactly, but you should include most of the elements listed. Take heart if you are nervous or uncertain about having the ability to write the speech. The majority of the population would feel the same way. Below are some tips to help you get started. You should also refer to the article titled “How to Write and Deliver a Great Wedding Anniversary Speech.”

  • Use your knowledge of the couple. Nothing is going to add more to the speech than stories about the couple from throughout their years together.
  • You should keep the speech to between 3 and 5 minutes in length.
  • Just make notes. When you first start writing the point is just to get your ideas down on paper. You can then go back and organize your thoughts into a speech.
  • Do not include anything that could potentially embarrass the couple or other guests.

Below is a short sample of a 50th wedding anniversary speech.

Thank you all so much for coming to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of Mary and John. My name is Mark, and I have known this wonderful couple for more than 30 years. I have watched them grow – Mary in wisdom and John in circumference – and been privileged to witness a marriage handled in the way that marriage was intended.

Mary and John met as teenagers and, to hear John tell it, he always knew that he would marry Mary one day. Like most young men of the time, John went off to war. When he came home, Mary was waiting, and they were married.

They have had their share of heartache and, I’m sure, have been disappointed at times throughout the years. Still, they are together. Nothing was important enough to either of them to let it come between them or the vows that they made to each other 50 years ago today.

Yes, the fact that they are still married is, in some ways, a testament of their love. But it is even more a testament of their commitment. Mary and John, I am so honored to have had the chance to learn from you, to laugh with you and to watch your love grow throughout the years.

Thank you so much for the chance to share with all of you how much this couple means to me and how I feel they are an inspiration to all who know them.

For pre-written wedding speeches and toasts visit IDoWeddingToasts.com.

How to Write and Deliver a Great Wedding Anniversary Speech

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If you have been asked to give a speech at a wedding anniversary party, there is a good chance that you are nervous about two things: writing the speech and delivering the speech. You want to do both well, because 1) you don’t want to make a fool of yourself and 2) you want the couple to be touched by your words. Below are some tips for how to write and deliver a great wedding anniversary speech.

The Writing

Start Early

A common mistake is waiting until the day before the party to start writing the anniversary speech. You need time to go over the speech and make additions and corrections. You want to allow time to fine tune the speech rather than having to go with something that you threw together in 20 minutes.

The time to start working on writing the wedding anniversary speech is the day that you find out you’ve been asked to deliver one.

Make Notes

Keep a small notebook with you and jot down thoughts as they come to you. When it comes time to sit down and actually start writing; you will be able to refer to these notes from which you can draw inspiration.

Use Humor

You don’t have to try to be like Conan, but it is a good idea to start the speech with a bit of humor. This will loosen up the crowd and capture their interest.

Tell a Secret

One of the best ways to write a successful wedding anniversary speech is to include a bit of information about the couple that most of the guests may not know. Of course, the secret should not be something that would embarrass the couple. Instead, something cute or quirky, such as a story about how they met or how they eat Chinese food for dinner every Friday night.

Keep in Brief

In general, a wedding anniversary speech should be between three and five minutes. You will start to lose your audience if your speech is any longer.

The Delivery

Practice, Practice, Practice

Bringing a typed copy of your speech is fine, but you don’t want to look like you are reading it. That is why practice is so important. You should practice reading your speech out loud so many times that you start to memorize it. Practice in front of a mirror or enlist your spouse or a friend to listen to you and offer some feedback.

Speak Slowly

One of the most common mistakes speakers make is speaking too fast. A trick is that it should feel like you are talking just a bit too slow. That usually means that you are speaking at the perfect speed.

Make Eye Contact

Do not stare at the paper. Instead, look around the room. Engage the listeners by smiling at them and making eye contact. If you absolutely cannot bring yourself to do this there is another option. Try looking over the guest’s heads to the wall behind them.

Use Pauses

Some novice speakers fly through the entire speech without even taking a breath. Be sure to pause between sentences and anytime you have told a joke.

Using all or some of the above advice will help you write and deliver a wedding anniversary that is memorable for all who hear it.

For professionally written wedding speeches and toasts visit IDoWeddingToasts.com.