A ceremonial or commemorative speech is a talk prepared for different special events, for example, to recall something or someone, show respect, etc. You can use it even during your graduation ceremony in college.
It may include your thoughts on the education you received, the challenges you are going to face, the importance of the skills acquired during education, etc. So, it can be applied to many occasions, and you will need a lot of skills to write your ceremonial speech well.
And choosing a good topic for your speech is one of the most difficult challenges. We hope that our helpful tips and the list of the topics divided into categories will help you create a good commemorative speech and impress your listeners.
How to choose the best topic?
When it comes to choosing your commemorative speech topic, you should first choose the subject but it is necessary to take into account the following:
- Understand the commemorative speech characteristics;
- Think of your audience;
- Understand the aim of the event.
As soon as you define it all, you will choose your topic much easier. So let us consider each of them in detail:
The characteristics of a commemorative speech
It is clear from the name of it that it is aimed to commemorate, i.e. praise, celebrate, or recall different memories.
Purpose: it is aimed to unite the listeners, inspire, and remember the past together. The occasions, for which you may need to prepare your speech, include funerals, memorial services, reunions, dedications, anniversaries, etc.
Define your audience
Now you should understand who your listeners are:
- What are their reasons to be there?
- What is common for them?
- Did they share a common experience and what exactly?
- What are their expectations from you?
- What are their hopes?
- Do you know anything about their beliefs and values?
- Do they worry about anything?
Now you can know much more about what kind of topic you should choose.
Understand the aim of the occasion
Now you can do little research and find out things about the occasion you are preparing your speech for. You can talk to the event manager or a person in charge of it.
It is important to find out whether it is a regular even or it is going to be taken just once. If it is the first case, you can ask what the previous speakers were talking about.
Highlight the qualities
This is speech is aimed to honor the qualities of people, groups of people, organizations, etc. It is not about enlisting the facts.
You should highlight the qualities people celebrate. So depending on all that, you should choose your commemorative speech topic.
Some more tips
We recommend following these tips when choosing your topic:
- Consider doing online research. You can always search for your possible topics online or on the site of your or other universities. You can watch various speeches on YouTube and other channels.
- Don’t exclude brainstorming. When you come up with your own topic, you can be sure to have a unique and original speech.
- Take into account your listeners. The audience is very important when you choose your topic, so first think over in front of whom you will speak.
- Choose a meaningful topic. When your speech delivers a certain message, it is much easier to be successful.
- Make sure your topic is different from that of other speakers!
All these tips should help you write an outstanding commemorative speech but if you still have trouble with it, you can always apply for the help of professionals.
Signs of a great commemorative speech
You can write an outstanding commemorative speech if it:
- Complies with the values of your listeners;
- Is relevant;
- Is sincere;
- Captures the heart of listeners thanks to its oratory language;
- Contains storytelling;
- Inspires the listeners;
- Is able to invoke the senses (sight, touch, sound, taste, smell).
Best commemorative speech topics
Below, you will find some good topics for your commemorative speech divided into categories. We hope they will inspire you and help you come up with your own great topic.
Commemorative speech topics devoted to love and family
- Tribute to parents.
- Tribute to siblings.
- Tribute to a colleague.
- Tribute to a teacher.
- Tribute to a spouse.
Commemorative speech topics devoted to the dedication
- Self-sacrificing of a parent, teacher, etc.
- Tribute to human courage (a policeman, a veteran, etc.)
- Tribute to single parents.
- Human overcoming challenges (astronauts, etc.)
- Celebrating Christian (or other religious) values.
Commemorative speech topics devoted to human rights
- Tribute to women’s rights movement.
- Tribute to the LGBT rights movement.
- Tribute to the civil rights movement.
- Strength of character (depicting an eminent person fighting for human rights).
- Courageous actions in terrorist attacks.
Other commemorative speech topics
We want to remind you that you can write on any topic depending on your event. You can choose to write about loss, gentleness, bravery, honor, loneliness, trust, hope, environment, legacy, leadership, and anything you think will leave its track in the hearts of your audience.
You can choose to write about history, first ships, discoveries, trips to the Moon, and anything you think might be interesting to those people who will listen to your speech. Remember that first of all, the topic should be interesting for you, and then, when you are excited about what you are talking about, you will be able to make it interesting for your listeners.
We can help
We really hope that our detailed and simple guide will help you and at least inspire you to write a great commemorative speech on your own. However, remember that you can always consult and get assistance from professionals in that field.
When it comes to commemorative speech, nothing but your imagination and creativity can limit you. Just don’t forget to follow our recommendations and remember that you have to deliver a message to your audience. No one wants to listen to empty words; everyone wants to hear something that will cause emotions.
Sometimes, it happens that students are out of time, they are busy with their part-time jobs, other more important assignments or subjects, and simply don’t manage to submit their speeches on time. But it is not a problem when you can ask a professional speechwriter to help you.
It is easier than you think, all you need is to make an order and complete just a few steps. That’s it – you can get your professional speech due to the deadline you set up. We hope that unlimited revisions will be a pleasant surprise for you. Even if you just need a good hint, advice, or assistance, don’t hesitate and consult our experts!
We saved the time of many students, as well as their final grades. So you can be one of those happy students who can enjoy their time while their speech is being written by the expert!