Maid of honor speeches are one of the speeches, traditionally proclaimed at weddings. Maid of honor is usually a very close person to the bride, such as sister or close friend.
Maid of honor speeches are usually gentle and loving, somewhat similar to the father of the bride speeches. The speech of the maid of honor will usually include a lot of details and interesting incidents from the life of the bride, both prior to meeting the groom and after that.
Maid of honor speeches usually start with welcoming the guests, thanking the people who previously spoke (i.e., the father of the bride, since father of the bride speeches usually come first at any wedding).
Maid of honor speeches may include funny stories about the bride. However, these are usually very gentle jokes, which in no way could upset the bride.
Similar to the father of the bride speeches, once the speech of the maid of honor is completed, she asks the guests to stand up and to raise their glasses in honor of the newlyweds. After making sure that all glasses are filled with wine, the maid of honor proclaims a wedding toast: to the bride and groom, to the parents of the bride and groom, and for the happiness of the newlyweds. Actually, all of the wedding speeches, including father of the bride speeches and the best man speeches, end with a toast to the newlyweds.
Maid of honor speeches are usually rehearsed in front of a mirror (it is a good idea for the rest of the wedding speeches, including father of the bride speeches and the best man speeches). Most parts of the speech (especially the opening words of the speech) can be learned by heart, but the jokes and funny sayings can be written down, and possibly even numbered for convenience.