Weddings are emotional. There are tears during the ceremony, happy tears during the speeches, and sometimes a few tears when someone realizes just how much a wedding actually costs.
But weddings should also be fun.
Laughter gives everyone a chance to relax. It breaks the tension, brings people together, and creates some of the moments guests remember long after the flowers have wilted and the cake has been eaten.
The trick is knowing how to bring humor into a wedding without making anyone the target of the joke.
Start with the couple
The best wedding humor usually comes from the people getting married.
Think about the stories you already tell about the two of you. Maybe one of you is always late. Perhaps the other has an unusual obsession with a particular television show, food, hobby, or sports team. Maybe your first date went hilariously wrong, or one of you completely misunderstood the other’s intentions.
Those stories are funny because they are personal.
A short story during a toast can get much more laughter than a collection of generic wedding jokes. The guests already know and love at least one of the people involved, so they have a reason to laugh with you.
Let the wedding party have some fun
Your wedding party can also help create lighter moments throughout the day.
Consider giving your attendants a few playful tasks. You could have them take deliberately ridiculous photographs, create a funny group entrance, or prepare a short surprise for the couple.
Keep it appropriate for the audience, though. A joke that makes the wedding party laugh may not have the same effect on Grandma, your boss, or the children sitting three feet away.
The goal is amusement, not embarrassment.
Put some humor into the ceremony
There is nothing wrong with allowing the ceremony to have a little personality.
Your officiant might share a funny story about the couple or add a lighthearted line to the ceremony. Personalized vows can also be wonderful opportunities for humor, particularly when the jokes are mixed with something sincere.
A promise to “love you even when you leave the cabinet doors open” can get a laugh while still being a genuine expression of affection.
Just remember that the ceremony belongs to the couple. Humor should enhance the moment, not overwhelm it.
Give guests opportunities to laugh
You don’t have to put all the responsibility for entertainment on the wedding party.
A photo booth with ridiculous props can keep guests laughing and give them something fun to do between events. A playful guestbook can work too. Ask guests to leave marriage advice, predictions about the couple’s future, or their funniest memories of either person.
You may discover that your guests are considerably funnier than anything you could have planned.
Use the unexpected
Some of the funniest wedding moments happen because something doesn’t go exactly according to plan.
The flower girl refuses to walk down the aisle. Someone’s microphone doesn’t cooperate. A ring doesn’t want to leave the ring box. The DJ accidentally plays the wrong song.
When something harmless goes wrong, don’t panic. Sometimes the best response is simply to laugh.
Years from now, you may not remember whether every centerpiece was perfect. You may remember the moment everyone started laughing because the wedding didn’t go exactly as planned.
Don’t confuse laughter with humiliation
There is an important difference between being funny and making someone uncomfortable.
Avoid jokes about divorces, past relationships, weight, money, embarrassing secrets, family conflicts, or anything else that could leave someone wishing they had stayed home. A wedding is not the place to settle an old score disguised as a joke.
The funniest moments usually leave everyone—including the person being joked about—smiling.
Let yourselves laugh
Most of all, give yourselves permission to enjoy the day.
Your wedding does not have to be flawless. Something will probably go differently than expected. Someone will probably spill something, forget something, trip over something, or say something that wasn’t in the plan.
Laugh about it.
The photographs may capture the flowers, the dress, and the beautiful decorations. The memories that stay with you, however, may be the moments when you looked at each other and laughed so hard you forgot everything else.
And honestly, that’s a pretty good way to begin a marriage.
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