Choosing the right after dinner speech topics is important. If you’ve been chosen to say something following a special meal, then your words should be appropriate, and relevant to the occasion.
Whether the dinner is a business dinner, a wedding rehearsal or a charity fundraiser, the speech is the crowning moment of the night, and the evening won’t be complete without it.
On this page I share with you a few suggestions of the type of topics on which you could consider basing your speech.
Speech Topic: After Dinner Speech Topics for Business Dinners
If you have to give a speech after a business dinner, the topic is especially important.
Business dinners can have a huge impact on your career. You certainly don’t want to deliver an ill-thought out speech to your superiors and peers, where an inappropriate subject choice could cause negative repurcussions!
Here are some ‘safe’ topics to consider. Don’t be afraid to inject a little humor into any of them, but ALWAYS be tasteful.
- Recent project success stories
- Upcoming tasks and milestones
- Recognizing and thanking people for their contributions
- Industry specific jokes, that are politically correct
Speech Topic: After Dinner Speech Topics for Wedding Rehearsals
Wedding rehearsals are a little more relaxed than business dinners. Nevertheless, it’s still important to be tasteful and to ensure that your words do not offend anyone present!
For these occasions, you want to focus on speech topics that are light-hearted and friendly. Here are a few topics that you can use:
- The history of how the couple came together
- Funny stories about the couple, that are not offensive to anyone present
- Praising the couple for overcoming obstacles and making it to the big day
Speech Topic: After Dinner Speech Examples for a Charity Fundraiser
These dinners have the express purpose of soliciting donations from those present. Even if the dinner party is composed of board members and frequent contributors to the cause concerned, raising money will still need to be the key focus of your speech.
Avoid making a direct plea – instead, choose from one of these speech topics:
- Inspirational stories about the difference that the charitable organization is making
- The continuing need for supporting the organization
- Future plans about how the organization intends to do even more charitable work down the road
Speech Topic: Final Tips for Delivering an After Dinner Speech
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- Alcohol is often served during dinner – use with caution, particularly if you are at a business dinner. You don’t want your speech to be memorable for all the WRONG reasons!
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- Plan to speak for at least 10 minutes – ideally around 15! After dinner speeches are generally a little longer than other types of speeches.
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- As with all speeches, spend some time beforehand getting to KNOW your audience. This will help you choose the most appropriate and engaging topics to talk about.
- Prepare for interruptions! It’s possible that a little friendly banter may be thrown at you when giving an after dinner speech, particularly if it was a relaxed meal with alcohol flowing! Be prepared for the possibility and don’t let it faze you. Depending on the occasion, you might like to prepare a couple of wisecracks in advance to use in this situation.
