Wedding speech teleprompter: practice your wedding speech without losing your place

Write a speech you can say

Most wedding speeches work in three parts:

1. An opening. Who you are and how you know the couple, in a sentence or two.
2. One story. A single, specific moment that shows who they are. One good story beats five short ones.
3. A toast. A line that turns to the couple, and the raised glass.

Write it in the words you would say out loud. Read it aloud as you write; if a sentence makes you trip, shorten it. Three to five minutes is a comfortable length for most receptions, which is roughly 400 to 650 words at a relaxed pace.

Mark the moments

• Laughter. Mark a pause after each line you hope gets a laugh. Wait for it to fade before carrying on.
• Names. Write every name exactly, with a pronunciation note if needed. Getting a name wrong is the mistake people remember.
• The closing line. Learn it by heart. You want to say it looking at the couple, not at your phone.

Rehearse aloud and time it

Paste your draft into the talk length calculator to see how long it runs. Then rehearse it out loud, standing, at least five times over several days. Each time, try to look up for a little more of it. Record one run on your phone and listen back for where you rush.

Test the setup you will actually have

Ask the venue or the host what you will have: a handheld microphone, a stand, a lectern, or none. A handheld microphone takes one hand, so a phone in the other is manageable but a sheaf of paper is not. Practise holding both. Keep the phone's brightness up, notifications off and screen lock long enough for the speech.

Carry anchor cards

Write three or four index cards: the opening line, the story in a few words, the names, and the toast. If the phone dies or the room is too bright to read it, the cards get you through.

Rehearse your wedding speech with Aitho

Aitho is built for talks with slides: you import a PDF or PowerPoint and attach your script to each slide. A wedding speech usually has no slides, so here is a rehearsal setup that works within that:

1. Make a simple PDF with one page per part of the speech (Opening, Story, Toast). Import it into Aitho on your phone.
2. Put each part of the speech in that page's script.
3. Rehearse. Choose Just this phone and tap Start. The script follows your voice and highlights the word you're on; if you pause for a laugh, it waits, and when your words return it catches up.

Try one rehearsal with the sample talk that comes with your free account to see how voice-following feels before building your own. On iPhone, following your script works offline. Confirm the setup works for you in rehearsal before deciding to use it on the day; the anchor cards are your backup either way. See use your phone as a teleprompter. Free to start: the free plan includes the voice-following script, your own PDF or PowerPoint (or the sample talk), any browser plus the iPhone and Android apps, spoken slide commands, and three private answers to try. Free needs no card. Current plans are on the pricing page.

Questions

Can I use my phone as a teleprompter for a wedding speech?

Yes, especially for rehearsal. A voice-following script waits when you pause for laughter and catches up when you continue. Carry anchor cards as a backup on the day.

How long should a wedding speech be?

Three to five minutes suits most receptions, roughly 400 to 650 words at a relaxed pace. Check your draft with a talk length calculator.

How do I practise a speech so I can look up?

Rehearse out loud several times over several days, learn the opening and closing lines by heart, and try to look up for a little more of the speech on each run.

Does Aitho work for a speech without slides?

Aitho attaches your script to slides. For a speech without slides, one approach is a simple PDF with one page per part of the speech, used for rehearsal on your phone.