What are the best ways to say thank you to someone for speaking at a funeral, wedding, conference, and more? You may want to write a thank you card, shoot over an email, or send a gift to this terrific speaker.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- How to Thank Someone For Speaking at a Funeral or Memorial Service
- How to Thank Someone For Speaking at a Wedding
- How to Thank Someone For Speaking at a Professional Event, Panel, or Conference
- How to Thank Someone For Speaking at Another Type of Event
Instead of a basic “thank you for speaking” message, why not opt for a more personal, meaningful thank you?
How to Thank Someone for Speaking at a Funeral or Memorial Service
A person who steps up in times of loss and grief deserves a heartfelt thank you. By being a part of this event, this person says, “I’m here for you.” Thanking the speaker should go further than a simple thank you. Include your gratitude and how much it means to you with these alternative phrases.
1. “Thank you for finding the words.”
This thank you is an acknowledgment that the speaker said the right things and could find the words they can’t in the depth of their grief.
2. “Thank you for helping me through this grief.”
Speaking at a funeral or memorial service might include personal memories or a Bible verse. Whatever it is, it will be comforting to hear and by taking the burden of speaking off of you, you can fully grieve.
3. “Thank you for making me smile during this sad time.”
The speaker may have shared a fun anecdote or fun memory of the deceased. It’s always good to celebrate the deceased with a smile, and thanking the speaker for putting a smile on your face is a sweet thing to do.
4. “Thank you for your beautiful words.”
This simple phrase says it all. Exchange “beautiful” with thoughtful, perfect, sweet — whatever is most appropriate.
5. “I appreciate your help during this tough time.”
End-of-life celebrations require a lot of planning and any help you can get is appreciated. Let the speaker know how much it was appreciated.
6. “I appreciate you remembering [xyz] in such a beautiful way.”
Speaking about the deceased is tough, but if the speaker captured your loved one’s life and personality, let him know.
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How to Thank Someone for Speaking at a Wedding
Speakers at a wedding typically include people from the wedding party and maybe a family member. The pressure is on for a funny, engaging speech. Plenty of people will pass on the opportunity to speak just because of the intimidating stakes. Thank your speakers with more than a thank you!
7. “Thank you for entertaining us and our guests!”
Why are you thankful to the speaker? Did you laugh? Did you cry? Maybe your speaker had your guests doing both — an impressive feat!
8. “We can’t thank you enough for the kind things you said at our wedding.”
If the wedding speech was heartfelt and sweet, acknowledge that it meant something to you and thank the speaker for the nice words.
9. “Thank you for sharing your love and support at our wedding”
By speaking at your wedding, the person offered love and support. Thank the speaker for having your back and rooting you on!
10. “We will always remember your lovely words.”
The wedding memories will overflow for years to come. Let the speaker know that that speech will be one of them.
11. “You set the tone for the night!”
Again, the stakes of a wedding speech are high. Be sure to confirm that the speaker did an awesome job and hit the nail on the head.
12. “Thank you from the bottom of my/our heart(s)”
This straightforward message holds more weight than the typical thank you.
» MORE: Honor a loved one with an online memorial. Create one for free with Cake.
How to Thank Someone for Speaking at a Professional Event, Panel, or Conference
Professional speaking is on another level of intimidation. It might not be people they know, but it’s people they respect and want to impress! Thank the speaker for the courage, time and effort put into preparing and executing the speech.
13. “You nailed it! Thank you for capturing the audience so well!”
It is a relief to hear you “nailed” something you were nervous about. No doubt the speaker of a professional event will be nervous, so get those compliments ready!
14. “I appreciate your professionalism and want to thank you for the points you made and the questions you asked.”
This thank you is perfect for the person who blew away the audience with her knowledge and speaking skills.
15. “Looking forward to hearing you speak again.”
One surefire way to get the point across is to explain that you’re so appreciative that you can’t wait till next time!
16. “Thank you for giving your time.”
Time is such a gift. When someone is willing to offer his own time, he’s showing he cares. Acknowledge the sacrifice and dedication he showed.
17. “Thank you for sharing your expertise.”
If someone is speaking at a professional event, chances are that person has expertise in an area many don’t. Thank the speaker for providing himself as a knowledgeable, helpful resource.
18. “You made a difference.”
Get straight to the point — the speaker’s presence and speech was meaningful and inspirational!
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How to Thank Someone for Speaking at Another Type of Event
A speaker may not be needed at a formal event. If you are thanking someone for speaking, remember to go a little further than saying the bland, “Thank you for speaking.” Make it personal and specific!
19. “We couldn’t have done it without you.”
A speech can set the tone, bring up spirits, and be a memorable part of an event.
20. “Thank you for taking on some of the stress for us!”
Speeches are stressful for a few reasons… Crafting the perfect speech is nerve-wracking and delivering a speech to many people can be scary, too. In the grand scheme of things, a speech at an event is just one of many stressful pieces and if someone took this part off your plate, you’ll feel relieved.
21. “I appreciate your time!”
It’s really important to thank someone for this. A speaker could spend time doing something else but made the choice to help you instead!
22. “Thank you for capturing the event so perfectly.”
It’s nice to acknowledge you liked a speech. If it’s a birthday, celebration or professional event, the speaker will feel the pressure to properly represent all people involved. Let the speaker know you’re happy with the results.
23. “I am sincerely grateful for your part in our event.”
This is short and sweet, but it’s more than a small thank you. You’re explaining the gravity of the speaker’s contribution.
24. “I couldn’t have done it better myself.”
This is quite a compliment. Without actually saying the words, you’ve explained that the speaker has done an awesome job.
25. “I’m speechless.”
The speech may have been so meaningful and amazing that you don’t want to fall short in your message. You don’t have to have the perfect thank you message but this one does the trick.
Offer a Proper Thank You
As mentioned, speaking in front of a crowd isn’t a walk in the park. It requires preparation and some courage.
No matter the event, a proper thank you for the time and effort the speaker gave will be appreciated, and a personal aspect to your thank you makes it extra special. If the situation permits, you can offer a small gift as a bonus.
