Sometimes the bride will say a few words

Once upon a time only the Best Man made a speech at a many weddings. These days it’s common to have a speech not only from the best man, but also the maid of honour, the bride’s father and the groom. Many people have a fear of public speaking, but with a little thought and preparation it can be relatively painless. Here are seven simple tips to help you prepare for that perfect wedding speech.

1. Write down your speech and break it into an opening, middle and closing section. This will help you organise everything you want to say in a coherent and logical manner.

2. If you are not sure of what you should include in your speech think about buying some ready made wedding speeches, or look at websites which specialise in speeches. Invest in a good one that will guide you through what you need to say in your speech.

3. Use humour to keep your speech interesting and light. The only way to ensure that you have the guests attention is to keep them laughing and asking for more – but don’t make the speech a continous joke, make sure you stick to a theme that most of the guests will be able to relate to.

4. Stories that you include in your speech should about people or subjects that most of the guests know. Keep the story short and preferably about the bride or groom. Also, skip any racy stories from your speech that might cause potential embarrassment to anyone in the wedding party. Mention of ex-girlfriends and boyfriends is a strict no-no.

5. Practice the speech, out loud…. The best speakers are those who practice what they have to say. They may look like they’ve been giving wedding speeches all their lives, but the fact remains that to look spontaneous, fluent and a great orator you have to put in some effort. You can practise in private – say your speech out loud – it’s surprising how difficult even this can be if you’ve not made speeches or spoken in public before. If you can say he speech out loud to yourself it will become MUCH easier to do so to a larger audience. It also will help you to decide if it is ready or needs amendments.

6. Don’t make the speech too long – as we stated above, there will be several people making speeches, so you are not under pressure to keep the guests entertained for long!

7. Don’t forget to end the speech with a  toast to the bride and groom – add a note to do this at the end of your speech.

Use these tips to ensure that your Wedding Speech brings a smile to everyone’s face and maybe a tear to some eyes (and not yours!)!