Get It in Writing: Everything To Know About Hiring a Wedding Speech Writer

Most people are not natural wordsmiths. When it comes to the high-pressure event of a wedding, writing very personal vows and parent-of-the-groom, best man or maid of honor speeches can be intimidating.

Enter the wedding speechwriter. These experts can help you create the perfect speech that captures the emotion and memories of the day. Two professionals weigh in on the mindset behind seeking out a wedding vow ghostwriter, the process and the memorable final result that allows everyone to be present in the moment.

Yes, the Service Exists

Many are surprised to learn that vow and speech writers are available for hire. Brian Franklin, co-founder of Vows and Speeches, remembers his inception for the idea after interviewing a friend who did ghostwriting for celebrities and comedians. As a ghostwriter himself — and a wedding officiant — he discovered that intersection with wedding speeches, and started an entity that immediately took off.

“I went on to Clubhouse. At the time everybody was congregating there, all these wedding pros, and I asked them what they thought about doing wedding speeches,” Franklin explains. “They were like, ‘add vows and ceremony scripts.’ I threw together a site in like two hours and then put an ad out, and I got a client the next day.”

Katelyn Peterson, founder and CEO of Wedding Words, had a similar discovery. She helped her father write a eulogy and realized the deep need for a service that helped people discover exactly what they wanted to say. She built her website and started working, and has helped write over 800 speeches.

“I thought there have to be other people who have these milestone moments where it’s their opportunity, whether it’s a funeral or a wedding, to tell someone what they really mean to them, and they struggle to put it into words,” Peterson says.

The Process Starts With an Interview

The first step to creating a masterpiece is the initial interview. This provides the chance for the writer to hear your stories and understand the relationship. While not a requirement, you can start thinking of stories beforehand or, with services like Wedding Words, expect a questionnaire to get the mind working.

All Copy Is Organic

The pros know it best; this service cannot be replaced by AI. By design, both Franklin and Peterson do not use any AI in their processes. If ChatGPT or Claude doesn’t deliver the desired results, wedding vow and speech writers might need to come to the rescue anyway.

Peterson claims that the result of using AI to write a speech can feel generic. Along with her regular packages, she offers a Power Hour editing service to touch up incomplete vows and speeches.

“I think that most people are over AI already,” Peterson says. “I think they’re recognizing that everything sounds the same. It’s not that great. It’s really not that effective. I think people are craving … more human connection and less screens and less technology, so I think people will still see the value in this.” 

Services Go Beyond the Words Work

The professional assistance doesn’t stop with the last keyboard flourish. Giving the speech matters just as much as creating it, and some delivery coaching comes with the process. Franklin offers unlimited revisions and sessions for practice, always over the phone.

“Once they have a draft that they enjoy and feel good about, then we start doing delivery coaching,” Franklin says. “We give them three delivery coaching sessions … reading it to us, going through the copy, smoothing out rough parts. But, also just giving them basic delivery advice like, ‘you’re going too fast,’ or ‘your tone is flat, let’s emphasize this word for comedic effect, pause here.’”

The Price Is Worth the Peace of Mind

Wedding and vow writers are rare in the ghostwriting industry, and charge as the coveted resources they are. While the spectrum ranges, standard vow and speech writing services can start around $999 and go up from there for a start-to-finish experience. 

Expert Tips Before Wedding Speech Writer Sessions

Whether you hire an expert or take a stab at your own material, Peterson notes that there are a few things to keep in mind: 

Only keep the important details. Storytelling is an art, and the wedding crowd doesn’t need to know every minute detail of a memorable moment. Keep the introduction short as well.

Know when to stop talking. Humor can be hard to capture, so don’t feel the need to overexplain a joke or provide too much detail. Wedding vows and speeches should be on the shorter side, so listen to expert advice on trimming down the word count.

Everyone loves a callback. Establish a niche detail in the beginning of the speech, and reference it right at the end to finish on a strong note.