Wedding Poems add
a Special Touch
Wedding poems are a terrific way to turn a speech into a heart-felt message to the bride and groom.
You like the sound of this idea. But, how? Fortunately, you have several options: You can write your own, choose one that already exists, or select a favorite of the bride and groom.
Let's start by looking at an excellent example.
The Father of the Bride delivered this poem to his daughter, Kate, and the groom, Andrew. We'll talk about the strengths of this poem shortly (Source: Wedding Poem. www.youtube.com).
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This Wedding Poem recital has a number of strengths:
Content
+Nice Poem Structure- The Father of the Bride delivers a Quadrain Poem--4 lines per verse in which the last words on lines 2 and 4 rhyme throughout the poem.
+Well Organized- Two main points: a tracing of how Kate grew and the evolving of Kate and Andrew's relationship.
+The Father of the Bride comments on Andrew's positive qualities--a nice touch.
+Finally, the speaker uses tasteful humor throughout the poem. He even begins with a funny comment as a way to orient his audience towards the poem.
Delivery
+Terrific Eye Contact- Except for an occasional glance at his notes, the Father of the Bride makes constant eye contact with his audience.
+Excellent Vocal Variety- The tone of voice changes throughout the poem, avoiding the "sing-song" monotone voice that could happen when reciting poems.
Ready to write your poem?
Here are some tips to get you started.
Types of Wedding Poems
While there are many kinds of poetry out there, I'll show the 6 types that fit well into wedding speeches (in no particular order). These are quick, add flow to a wedding speech, and, with practice, are easy to recite in front of an audience.
After describing each type of poem, I've included an example for your review. Although these examples might not be heart-warming, they follow the format.
1. Haiku Wedding Poems
The Haiku is a Japanese Poem that conveys feelings/emotions to the listeners.
There are three unrhymed lines:
1st Line has 5 syllables
2nd Line has 7 syllables
3rd Line has 5 syllables
For example:
1st Line- Joan is a true friend
2nd Line- Jack is lucky to have Joan
3rd Line- we are thrilled for you
2. Alphabet or ABC Wedding Poems
The Alphabet/ABC Poem creates a feeling or mood.
This type of poem has five lines--use as few or as many words and syllables as you want.
Here's why it is called an alphabet or ABC Poem:
Line 1- The first word of this line begins with the letter "A"
Line 2- The first word of this line begins with the letter "B"
You get the idea. Lines 3 and 4 follow the same pattern.
Finally, Line 5, the last line of the poem, starts with any letter. It can start with the letter E, but it is not required.
For example:
Line 1- Amy and Don make a terrific couple
Line 2- Because they started as best friends
Line 3- Caring so much for each other
Line 4- Don and Amy will have a wonderful marriage
Line 5- Everybody here is so happy for you
3. Acrostic or Name Wedding Poems
The first letters of each line spell a word. The word often is the subject of the poem. Use as many words and syllables as you want.
An example for a bride named Dawn:
Line 1- Delightful sense of humor
Line 2- Always helping others
Line 3- Winning attitude
Line 4- Never a negative person
4. Limerick
The Limerick can have a humorous nature, but it is not required. A Limerick has 5 lines:
Lines 1,2, and 5 each have 7-10 syllables and rhyme with each other.
Lines 3 and 4 each have 5-7 syllables and rhyme with each other.
For example:
Line 1- Michael and Chanta met last May
Line 2- They both live in the city by the bay
Line 3- Chanta and Mike met for lunch
Line 4- They had that special hunch
Line 5- Now, it is their wedding day
5. Rhymes
These are the most common types of Wedding Poems, in which the last word on the line rhymes with the last word on another line.
Here are the most common types of rhymes
Couplets- Two lines. The last word or line 1 rhymes with the last word on line 2
For example:
Line 1- We are thrilled for Steven and Jade
Line 2- I know their love for each other will not fade
Triplets- Three lines. The last word on line 1 rhymes with the last word on line 3; or the last word on line 1 rhymes with the last words on lines 2 and 3.
For example:
Line 1- We are thrilled for Steven and Jade
Line 2- I know that in this marriage
Line 3- Their love and friendship won't fade
Quadrains- Four lines. The last words on lines 2 and 4 MUST rhyme with each other. The last words on lines 1 and 3 may or may not rhyme together.
Line 1- This is a great celebration
Line 2- We are thrilled for Steven and Jade
Line 3- Who begin their new life together
Line 4- Their happiness will never fade
6. Tanka
The Tanka is a Japanese Poem with the themes of love or friendship.
The Tanka has 5 lines and a total of 31 syllables. Rhymes are not required.
Line 1 has 5 syllables Line 2 has 7 syllables Line 3 has 5 syllables Lines 4 and 5 each have 7 syllables.
For example:
Line 1- The wedding today
Line 2- Is a huge celebration
Line 3- Of two nice people
Line 4- Who love each other so much
Line 5- And will begin their journey
How do you create wedding poems?
Follow these 3 steps for creating wedding poems:
Step 1: Write down every idea that comes to mind.
Simply generate ideas for the speech. Don't worry whether the idea seems good or bad.
You're just writing down each thought and moving on to the next until you run out of ideas to write.
Some ideas might include:
*How you and the bride/groom met
*Childhood memories
*School, college, or work stories
*Other stories that include both of you
*Word(s) or Phrase(s) to describe the bride or groom--and example(s) of how she/he fits the word/phrase.
*Bride/groom's child/children
*Favorite Poem(s) or book passage(s)
*Favorite song(s), type(s) of music, or musician
*Favorite hobbies or sports
*Favorite movie(s) or television show(s)
*Places that he/she/they enjoyed visiting or would like to visit
*Favorite day of the year
*The time that the bride met the groom
*Family memories (especially if you're related to the bride or groom)
Don't worry about writing ideas for all of these categories, just write any ideas as you think of them.
Try to do this without interruption. When you have about ten ideas, move onto step 2.
Step 2: Select the type of poem that you would like to recite at the wedding.
Would you like to recite a Haiku, Alphabet, Acrostic, Limerick, Rhyme, or Tanka?
Step 3: Include your favorite ideas from step 1 as words that fit into the format of poem type selected in step 2.
Be sure to have a thesaurus nearby. This will make the process easier.
If you want to write a poem with rhymes, be sure to have access to www.rhymezone.com and www.rhymer.com when writing your poem.
Both websites list words that rhyme with the words that you submit. These two websites will make your life easier when searching for rhyming words.
Granted, this will take some mixing and matching. You might also experience some frustration along the way. Hang in there.
When you're finished, you'll have an original heart-felt message for the bride and groom.
Where should you go from here..
How about a terrific poem that's easy to write and deliver?
Visit the Supporting Materials Page as well as the Speech Outline Page. These will help you to quickly organize your speech.
Go to Supporting Materials Page
Return to Funny Wedding Speech Page
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