Two complete confirmation speeches from two different roles: a godmother after the main course and a father opening the celebration. The names are fictional, the mechanics are real. After each speech, you will see why it works, so you can use the pattern for your own occasion. The structure is explained on the confirmation speech page.
Example 1: The godmother at the confirmation celebration
Situation: Celebration in the church hall after the service. The godmother speaks before dessert for just over three minutes.
Dear Marlene, dear family, dear guests,
Fourteen years ago I stood at the font in St Mary’s Church and promised to look after you. You slept through the whole promise. Today you are sitting here wide awake. More awake than most of us, if I am honest.
I want to tell you one moment that describes Marlene better than any school report. Last autumn we were in the car on the way back from a basketball tournament, third lost game in a row. I said something encouraging, one of those godmother sentences. Marlene looked out of the window and said, “We are losing because we are afraid to take the shot. Next time I will take it.” Next time she took it. Three baskets, still lost. She took the shot.
Your mother told me you asked in confirmation class whether you are allowed to believe and still have doubts. Apparently the minister thought about that for a while. I thought the question was better than most of the answers I had at fourteen.
That is exactly what I wish for you in everything that comes next: that you take the shot and that you keep asking. Your confirmation verse is from Psalm 37: “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him.” You chose it yourself, and I think it suits you. There are things you must do yourself, and things you are allowed to hand over. The art will be telling the difference. I will gladly help with that, long after today.
Officially, my role as godmother changes after today, at least according to the church handbook. I have decided to ignore that. You will still have to put up with me at basketball games, cinema nights, and anything you would rather not discuss with your parents. The emergency number stays the same.
One note for the adults in the room: Marlene read and approved this speech in advance. She cut two lines. You will never know which ones.
Dear guests, please raise your glasses with me to Marlene: confirmed, fourteen, and braver than her shooting arm knows. To you, Marlene.
Why this speech works: The opening circles back to baptism and gets the first laugh from the slept-through promise. The central anecdote has no perfect ending: three baskets, still lost. That makes it credible, because it shows character rather than a record of success. The confirmation verse is interpreted personally and tied to the anecdote, “take the shot”. The changed role of the godmother becomes a renewed promise with an emergency number. Mentioning Marlene’s approval shows the room that the speech respected the young person’s veto, and it gives the second-to-last laugh. The toast gives the room a clear signal that the speech is over.
Example 2: The father’s speech at the table
Situation: Confirmation lunch in a restaurant. The father opens the celebration before the meal, just under three minutes.
Dear Elias, dear family, dear friends,
It is good to have you all here. Some of you set off at six this morning to be in church by ten. We appreciate that, and I promise the food is coming soon.
Elias, before the plates start clattering, I want to say something to you. Two years ago the registration form for confirmation classes arrived, and your mother and I deliberately stayed quiet. We wanted to see what you would do without anyone pushing. You signed up because your friends were going, you said. Then came the Wednesday when you came home from class and asked over dinner why there is so much arguing in the Bible. We stayed at the table longer that night than we had in years.
That is what has changed for me: you have become someone we can argue with. You push back, you want reasons, and “because that is how it is” has not worked on you for a long time. Is that tiring? Sometimes, especially on Tuesdays. It is also how children become people you genuinely want at the table.
After the service, your grandad whispered to me, “The boy looked up during the blessing.” You know your grandad. That is about as much praise as he can fit into one sentence. You know what it is worth.
This morning in church you received your blessing. From us, you receive one instruction with it: stay someone who asks. Your answers will change many times. Your questions are already good.
Thank you to Reverend Wainwright and the church community for a service during which even your little sister was quiet. That borders on a miracle. And thank you to everyone celebrating this day with us.
Elias, your mother and I are proud of you, and today we get to say it in front of witnesses. Enjoy your meal, everyone, and here is to our son.
Why this speech works: The father handles the host duties in two sentences, with humour: the journey is acknowledged, the meal is promised, and expectations are set. The central anecdote is a dinner-table conversation, small, concrete, and free of embarrassment. It shows the son as someone who decides for himself. The one instruction replaces a long lecture and grows directly out of the story. The thanks to the minister and church gets a small laugh through the little sister, so it does not feel like a duty line. The ending combines pride with the signal to eat, and finishes before anyone checks the time.
The pattern behind both speeches
Both follow the same outline: direct address to the young person, one scene from real life, a meaning that looks forward, and a blessing or good wish with a clear closing signal. The role changes the tone. The godmother can be more personal and mischievous; the father also carries host duties. When you build your own speech, look first for the one scene that shows who this young person has become. Everything else can gather around it. The full structure, including length, variants and common mistakes, is explained on the confirmation speech page, and eloqole can draft it with your names and memories.