LANIGAN CONSULTING
Custom Wedding Speeches
Custom Wedding Speeches
for the Toast-Givers
... for a Speech Worthy of You, of Them, and of the Moment
It’s a big day for these two people you care about. So it’s a big day for you, too.
You want to deliver an authentic tribute to the newlyweds filled with affection, admiration, and humor – not a one-dimensional toast, peppered with clichés, churned out by ChatGPT.
This is your moment to honor the wedding couple with a speech that is true to who you are, and that captures the essence of all they are to you. A graceful and genuine toast you’ll enjoy delivering, guests will enjoy hearing, and the wedding couple will treasure.
I’ll craft a speech for you that checks all those boxes, and more.
Wedding Speechwriting Package
Whether you are a parent of the bride or groom, the maid of honor, or the best man, my end-to-end services will fully equip you to deliver a beautiful, heartfelt, and humorous toast befitting the occasion. The process is straightforward, and I work to make every step enjoyable and time-efficient for you.
Step 1.
Initial interview via video call
Once you’ve engaged my services, you and I will meet on Zoom for a one-hour interview. Our conversation will let me learn about you and your relationship with the bride or groom (and their new spouse) -- with all the stories and sentiments that are important to you.
Step 2.
First draft through final speech
Typically within two weeks of our Zoom interview, I’ll email you a draft of your speech – unique to you, written by me. No AI involved.
My aim is for that first draft to be one you love from the get-go. But it is not finished until you say it is. We will hone the speech into its final form by trading the document back and forth until you’re completely happy with it. Unlimited revisions.*
Step 3.
Delivery coaching session via video call
Once you’ve had the chance to familiarize yourself with the final speech, we’ll get on a Zoom call so you can recite the speech “as if.” I’ll give you real-time, constructive feedback on your pacing, tone, emphases, body language. We'll work together until you're comfortable and confident.
* The ideal wedding speech is 3-6 minutes long, delivered at a relaxed pace. I will gladly write you a much longer speech if that’s what you want. But I’ll do my best to convince you otherwise. Fewer words – when well-chosen, genuine, and aligned to the essential story your speech wants to tell -- will convey more than many.
Timeline
It’s best to start the speechwriting process four to eight weeks before the wedding date.
Need a quicker turnaround?
I’m happy to do if my schedule allows.
Fee for Services
Normal turnaround (minimum of 4 weeks before wedding date): $1000
Rush turnaround
(fewer than 4 weeks before
wedding date): $1200
About
Virginia Lanigan
As you prepare to give a toast at the upcoming marriage celebration of a loved one, you’re likely feeling excited and honored at the prospect. And if you’re like most of us, you’re also: a) having trouble finding the quiet time to write your speech; b) struggling to organize your many thoughts into a piece that holds together and feels like you; c) a bit nervous about speaking in front of a group, or; d) all of the above.
I’m here to help.
I write wedding speeches that distill a full heart and a lifetime of stories into a warm, personal, and naturally funny toast. Together, we’ll create a charming tribute that is heartfelt and lighthearted, that balances sentiment with laughter, and that connects with every person in the room. And I’ll coach you on your delivery so you’re comfortable and confident. It will be a speech that you can’t wait to give.
Before shifting my focus to wedding speeches, I consulted for more than a decade as a speechwriter,
ghostwriter, and copywriter for commercial and nonprofit leaders and their organizations. Prior to starting my communications consultancy in 2010, I was an executive editor for more than two decades in the college publishing industry, where I led talented people in the creation of bestselling books we were proud of.
I've served as president of the board of trustees of my public library, as board member for an intercultural organization for high school teens, and as publicity director for my local chapter of the League of Women Voters.
I live north of Manhattan, and hold a B.A. in English Literature and an M.S. in Strategic Communication.
Contact Me
Have questions about my services, process, and perspective? Please complete and submit the form below to request a complimentary consult call. I'll be in touch via email so we can settle on a time. I look forward to speaking with you!