When your brother gets married, you’re not just gaining a sister-in-law—you’re witnessing the man you’ve known your entire life step into a new chapter.
As his sister, you have stories no one else can tell and a perspective that’s uniquely yours. Here are eight heartfelt speech examples to inspire your own tribute to your brother and his new wife.
1. The Protective Big Sister
“Good evening everyone,
I’m Sarah, and I’ve had the privilege—and occasional burden—of being Jake’s big sister for 28 years.
When Jake was five, he came home from kindergarten crying because a kid had taken his lunch money. I marched straight to that playground the next day, found that little bully, and let’s just say Jake never had lunch money problems again. That’s what big sisters do—we protect our brothers, sometimes whether they want it or not.
But watching Jake with Emma, I realized something beautiful: I don’t need to protect him anymore. Emma does that now, in ways I never could. She protects his heart, his dreams, his terrible sense of humor that somehow she finds endearing. She sees the man I always knew he’d become—kind, loyal, and yes, still completely hopeless at doing laundry.
Jake, you used to hide behind me when strangers talked to you. Now you stand tall beside Emma, and I see how she brings out your confidence. Emma, thank you for loving my brother the way he deserves to be loved. You’ve given him something I never could—a partnership where he can be completely himself.
I’m not losing a brother today; I’m gaining peace of mind knowing he’s in the best possible hands. Here’s to Jake and Emma—may your love story be everything you’ve dreamed and more.”
2. The Younger Sister Who Looked Up to Him
“Hi everyone,
I’m Melissa, the baby of the family and Jake’s little sister. Fair warning—I might cry through this entire speech because that’s apparently what I do at weddings now.
Growing up, Jake was my built-in best friend and my personal superhero. When I was seven and convinced there were monsters under my bed, Jake didn’t just tell me I was being silly. He grabbed a flashlight, got down on his hands and knees, and conducted a thorough monster inspection. Then he left his favorite stuffed animal—don’t tell anyone I said that—on my nightstand “just in case.”
That’s who Jake is. He doesn’t dismiss your fears; he helps you face them. He doesn’t minimize your problems; he helps you solve them. And he doesn’t love halfway—he loves with his whole heart.
Rachel, I’ve watched my brother date other people, and I’ve never seen him light up the way he does when you walk into a room. You make him laugh until his sides hurt. You challenge him to be better. And most importantly, you love him exactly as he is while inspiring him to grow.
Jake taught me that love isn’t just about finding someone who makes you happy—it’s about finding someone who makes you want to be the best version of yourself. Watching you two together, I finally understand what he meant. You’re both better people because you found each other.
So here’s to my big brother and his perfect match—thank you for showing me what real love looks like.”
3. The Sister Who Knows His Quirks
“Hello everyone!
I’m Katie, and I’ve been putting up with Michael’s weirdness for 25 years, so I’m basically an expert witness to his character.
Let me paint you a picture of who my brother really is. Michael organizes his closet by color and season. He still sleeps with the same pillow he’s had since high school—and yes, Lisa, that’s why he was so weird about replacing it when you moved in together.
He knows every single line from “The Princess Bride,” and he will quote it at inappropriate moments.
But here’s what else I know about Michael: He drove four hours to help me move apartments without me even asking. He remembers everyone’s birthday and actually sends cards—real ones, with stamps. And when our dad was in the hospital last year, Michael slept in that uncomfortable chair for three nights straight because he didn’t want Dad to wake up alone.
Lisa, you probably already know about the closet thing and the pillow situation. But I hope you also know that you’re marrying someone who will show up for you, every single time. Michael doesn’t do anything halfway. When he commits, he commits completely.
I used to worry that Michael’s future wife would have to compete with his obsessive organizational habits. Turns out, I should have worried about whether she’d enable them. Lisa, I’ve seen your color-coded moving boxes, and I think you two are perfect for each other.
Here’s to Michael and Lisa—may your life together be as organized as your closets and as enduring as that ridiculous pillow.”
4. The Sister Celebrating His Growth
“Good evening!
I’m Jennifer, and I have the honor of being David’s sister and biggest fan.
If you had told me ten years ago that my brother would be standing here today, confident and ready for marriage, I would have laughed. Not because I didn’t believe in David, but because David didn’t believe in himself.
He was the guy who changed his major three times, who started a dozen hobbies he never finished, who was always searching for something but never quite sure what.
Then he met Amanda, and everything shifted. Suddenly, David had direction. He finished his degree, started his business, and most importantly, he started talking about the future with excitement instead of anxiety. Amanda didn’t change who David was—she helped him become who he was meant to be.
David, I’ve watched you grow from a restless younger brother into a man who knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to go after it. You’ve become someone who keeps his promises, who plans for tomorrow, who loves with intention and purpose.
Amanda, thank you for seeing David’s potential even when he couldn’t see it himself. Thank you for being patient while he figured things out and for celebrating every small victory along the way. You didn’t just fall in love with who he was—you fell in love with who he could become.
Watching you two plan this wedding has been incredible. You’re not just planning a party; you’re building a foundation for the life you want to create together. That’s the difference between David before and David now—he’s not just living day to day anymore. He’s building something beautiful.
Here’s to David and Amanda—may you continue to grow together and inspire each other for all the years ahead.”
5. The Sister with Shared Memories
“Hi everyone,
I’m Rebecca, and I’ve been Ryan’s partner in crime since we were kids.
Ryan and I are only 18 months apart, which means we basically grew up as twins. We shared everything—toys, friends, even chicken pox. We had our own secret language, our own inside jokes, and an unspoken agreement to always have each other’s backs.
Some of my favorite childhood memories involve Ryan. Like the time we decided to “redecorate” our parents’ living room with finger paints while they were at the grocery store.
Or when we built that epic blanket fort that took up the entire basement and lived in it for three days during summer vacation. Ryan was always the one with the crazy ideas, and I was usually the one who said, “That’s insane… let’s do it.”
As we got older, we stayed close even when life pulled us in different directions. Ryan was my phone call when I needed advice, my backup when I needed support, my reality check when I needed honesty. He’s been my constant companion through every phase of life.
So when Ryan started talking about Jenna, I’ll admit I was a little protective of our bond.
But then I met her, and I realized something wonderful—Jenna doesn’t take away from our relationship; she adds to it. She gets our weird sense of humor, she laughs at our ridiculous childhood stories, and she’s created new traditions that include all of us.
Ryan, you’ll always be my first friend and my favorite adventure buddy. Jenna, thank you for loving not just my brother, but our whole chaotic family. Welcome to the club—fair warning, we’re a lot to handle.
Here’s to Ryan and Jenna—may your marriage be filled with as much laughter and love as our childhood was.”
6. The Sister Who Witnessed His Heartbreak
“Hello everyone,
I’m Christina, and I’ve had a front-row seat to Tom’s journey to finding true love.
I’m going to be honest with you—there was a time when I wasn’t sure this day would come. Tom has always been someone who loves deeply, and that meant he hurt deeply too.
I’ve seen him give his whole heart to people who didn’t deserve it. I’ve held him while he cried over relationships that ended badly. I’ve watched him question whether he was meant to find lasting love.
During his worst heartbreak three years ago, Tom called me at 2 AM, completely devastated. He said he was done trying, done putting himself out there, done believing in happily ever after.
I told him something our grandmother used to say: “The right person won’t break your heart—they’ll help you heal it.”
Six months later, he met Sophie. I knew she was different from the first time he mentioned her name. His voice changed when he talked about her—softer, more hopeful. He wasn’t trying to convince me she was amazing; he was simply amazed by her.
Sophie, you walked into Tom’s life when he had given up on love, and you showed him what it means to be truly cherished. You didn’t just heal his heart—you made it stronger. You proved that all those other relationships weren’t failures; they were preparation for this.
Tom, seeing you this happy makes everything you went through worth it. You never settled, even when it would have been easier. You waited for the real thing, and now you have it.
Here’s to Tom and Sophie—proof that the best love stories are worth waiting for.”
7. The Sister Who Shares His Sense of Humor
“Good evening!
I’m Amy, and I’m here to embarrass my brother Kevin in front of all his friends. Just kidding—Kevin does that perfectly well on his own.
Kevin and I have always communicated primarily through sarcasm and movie quotes. It’s our love language.
When he was nervous about asking Maria to marry him, he didn’t call me for emotional support—he called me to practice his proposal speech so I could tell him if it was “too cheesy” or “not cheesy enough.” For the record, it was perfect.
Growing up, Kevin was the class clown, and I was his audience of one. He’d try out new jokes on me, practice his impressions, and perfect his timing. Most of his material was terrible, but he never stopped trying to make people laugh.
That’s Kevin—he’d rather look ridiculous than let a moment stay too serious.
Maria, I don’t know how you fell in love with someone whose idea of romance is recreating scenes from “The Office,” but I’m so glad you did.
You laugh at his jokes—even the bad ones. You play along with his ridiculous games. You’ve somehow made Kevin even funnier because he’s not trying so hard anymore.
But here’s what I love most about Kevin and Maria together: underneath all the jokes and the laughter, there’s something incredibly solid.
Kevin uses humor to connect with people, but with Maria, he doesn’t need to perform. She loves him when he’s funny, and she loves him when he’s serious. That’s rare.
Kevin, you’ve finally found someone who gets your sense of humor and loves your serious side too. Maria, welcome to a lifetime of dad jokes and movie marathons—you’ve been warned.
Here’s to Kevin and Maria—may your marriage be filled with laughter and love in equal measure.”
8. The Sister Celebrating His Happiness
“Hello everyone,
I’m Laura, and I’m here to talk about my brother Mark and the woman who made him believe in magic again.
Mark has always been a practical person. He’s an engineer, he believes in facts and data, and he’s never been one for grand romantic gestures or fairy tale endings.
When we were kids, while I was reading princess stories, Mark was building with LEGOs and explaining why castles weren’t structurally sound.
So when Mark started talking about Elena, I was surprised by the language he used. Suddenly, this practical, logical man was talking about “meant to be” and “perfect timing” and “everything falling into place.” Mark—the guy who doesn’t believe in luck—was telling me he felt lucky every day.
Elena, you’ve done something I didn’t think was possible. You’ve made my analytical brother believe in things he can’t measure or quantify. You’ve shown him that the best things in life aren’t logical—they’re magical.
Mark, watching you with Elena has been a revelation. You smile more, you laugh louder, and you’ve started taking risks I never thought you’d take.
You quit your safe job to start your own firm. You learned to dance—badly, but enthusiastically. You’ve become someone who says yes to adventure because Elena is by your side.
I used to worry that Mark was too serious, too cautious, too afraid of making mistakes. But with Elena, he’s learned that the biggest mistake would be not taking chances on the things that matter most.
Elena, thank you for showing my brother that life is meant to be lived, not just analyzed. Mark, thank you for proving that even the most practical people can believe in fairy tales when they find the right person.
Here’s to Mark and Elena—may your love story be everything you never knew you were looking for.”
How to Write Your Own Sister-of-the-Groom Speech
Now that you’ve read these examples, you might be wondering how to craft your own heartfelt tribute. The key is authenticity—your speech should sound like you, not like something you copied from the internet.
Start with your relationship. What makes your bond with your brother unique? Are you the older sister who protected him? The younger sister who looked up to him? The sister who shared adventures with him? Your relationship dynamic should be the foundation of your speech.
Choose specific stories. Don’t just say your brother is “kind” or “funny”—show it through specific examples. The best speeches paint pictures with words. Think about moments that capture who your brother really is, not just generic nice things about him.
Address both the bride and groom. Your speech isn’t just about your brother—it’s about celebrating their union. Talk about how the bride fits into your family, what she brings out in your brother, and why you’re excited about their future together.
Keep it conversational. Write like you talk. If you wouldn’t normally use the word “matrimony” in conversation, don’t use it in your speech. Your natural voice is more compelling than formal wedding language.
Practice the emotional parts. If there’s a section that makes you tear up while writing, it’ll probably affect you during the speech too. Practice those parts extra so you can get through them smoothly.
End with a toast. Give people something to raise their glasses to. It doesn’t have to be profound—it just needs to feel genuine and celebratory.
Time yourself. Aim for 3-4 minutes. Any shorter and you’ll seem unprepared; any longer and you’ll lose your audience.
Remember, your goal isn’t to give the perfect speech—it’s to share your love for your brother and welcome his new wife to the family. Speak from the heart, and you can’t go wrong.
The most memorable sister-of-the-groom speeches aren’t the ones that follow all the rules perfectly. They’re the ones that feel real, honest, and full of love.
Your brother chose you to speak at his wedding because your voice matters to him. Trust that voice, and let it guide you to the words that need to be said.
