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IELTS Speaking Part 2 · Events

Describe a wedding you attended

Describe a wedding you attended

You should say:

  • who got married
  • where and when the wedding took place
  • what people did during the event

and explain how you felt about attending this wedding.

How to plan your answer

Use your 1 minute to jot down key words for each point, not full sentences.

  1. 1

    who got married

    Cousin Sarah married her partner Mark after being together for six years.

  2. 2

    where and when the wedding took place

    Held last July at a picturesque countryside barn venue near my hometown.

  3. 3

    what people did during the event

    Guests watched vows, enjoyed food, listened to speeches, and danced together.

  4. 4

    and explain how you felt about attending this wedding.

    Felt deeply touched seeing them happy and catching up with distant relatives.

Sample answer

about 234 words · 2 minutes

Let me tell you about a memorable wedding I attended last summer. It was the wedding of my cousin Sarah and her partner Mark, who have been together for nearly six years. They decided to host the ceremony in late July at a picturesque countryside venue just outside my hometown. The location was a beautiful renovated barn surrounded by lush green gardens, which created a really relaxed and romantic atmosphere. As for what happened during the event, everything started with a moving outdoor ceremony where the couple exchanged their vows under a decorated floral arch. After they were officially pronounced husband and wife, all the guests moved to a patio area for drinks and appetizers while taking photographs. Later in the evening, we moved inside for a delicious dinner, which was followed by some hilarious and emotional speeches given by the best man and the bride's father. Once the formal part concluded, the live band started playing, and practically everyone took to the dance floor to celebrate until late at night. I thoroughly enjoyed attending this wedding for a couple of reasons. Firstly, Sarah and I grew up together, so seeing her so genuinely happy was truly heartwarming. On top of that, the event served as a mini family reunion, allowing me to catch up with relatives I hadn't seen in years. Overall, it was a joyful celebration that left me with wonderful memories.

A teaching example, not a script to memorise. Say it in your own words.

Useful phrases

  • picturesque countryside venue

    We chose a picturesque countryside venue for our annual anniversary party.

  • exchanged their vows

    The couple exchanged their vows in front of close family members.

  • took to the dance floor

    As soon as the music started, everyone took to the dance floor.

  • thoroughly enjoyed

    I thoroughly enjoyed meeting new people at the international conference.

  • catch up with relatives

    Holidays give us a great opportunity to catch up with relatives.

Common mistakes

I have attended to my cousin wedding last year.

I attended my cousin's wedding last year.

Use simple past for finished events and avoid using 'to' after 'attend'.

The wedding was very perfect and everybody was very happy.

The wedding was absolutely wonderful and everybody was overjoyed.

Use varied, advanced adjectives instead of repeating basic words like 'very'.

At the wedding, people were eating, drinking and dance.

At the wedding, people were eating, drinking, and dancing.

Maintain parallel grammatical structure when listing continuous actions.

Tips for a higher band

  • Use a mix of temporal linkers like 'afterwards', 'later in the evening', and 'once that concluded' to structure your narrative smoothly.
  • Incorporate topic-specific vocabulary such as 'exchanged vows', 'reception', and 'best man' to boost your lexical resource score.
  • Vary your sentence structure by combining simple past events with complex sentences containing relative clauses.

Part 3 follow-up questions

After Part 2 the examiner may ask deeper questions on the same theme.

  • How have traditional wedding ceremonies changed in your country over recent decades?
  • Do you think people nowadays spend too much money on modern weddings?
  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of holding a destination wedding abroad?

Now try this cue card

1 minute to prepare, up to 2 minutes to speak, then a band estimate and tips for each criterion.

Practise this cue card

Practice estimate, not an official IELTS score.

Practise this cue card
Describe a wedding you attended (IELTS Cue Card & Sample Answer)