Tips on perfecting your wedding speech

Tips on perfecting your wedding speech

Wedding speeches are an amazing way for friends and family to truly express their love and appreciation for the couple in a fun and meaningful way. While many members of the bridal party may make them, traditional the father of the groom, best man or the groom himself will do the speeches, though many modern weddings also have the maid of honour or bridesmaids also doing speeches. Typically, there’s some pressure on the speech-giver to be funny or creative, and combined with having the eyes of the whole congregation on you, could be more than a little nerve-wracking, so we’ve compiled some key tips to make sure you not only breeze through your speech with confidence but make it one to remember.

Keep it Personal

While doing research online to find the ‘top ten best wedding speeches’ can be a good starting point, using a template or pre-written quips can make the speech feel generic or bland. If you do plan on using a template, try to re-write it in your own ‘voice’, and try to include as many personal touches as you can.

 

Practice makes Perfect

It seems somewhat obvious, but rocking up to the wedding, having written the speech the night before and never done a test run, is a massive no. Reading through the speech in front of a mirror or friend can make it feel more natural and avoid any awkward fumbles on the day (especially if it’s being filmed). Having said that, if you do make a mistake in the moment, don’t take it too hard; laughing it off or powering through shows confidence and makes it easier for the guests to gloss over too. Watching general public speaking videos can also be useful to ensure you seem confident and engaging.

 

Short and Sweet

If you’ve known the couple for a long time, it could be tempting to put in every funny or heartfelt moment or story you have about them. While all the stories may be interesting, guests typically will stop listening after the 30^th one. The ideal speech length is about 1000 words, or 5-10 minutes, depending on how many speeches are being read. Pick out 3-4 of the absolute best moments to make sure the guests remain captivated throughout.

 

It’s not cheating to have Note Cards

Some people might feel shame for using note cards, or generally for not having the speech absolutely memorised, but if you simply don’t have the time or know you get nervous when public speaking, note cards are a wonderful way to gently keep yourself on track. Some speakers even acknowledge the cards in a self-depreciating joke, though this isn’t a necessity.

 

Prop Jokes

While prop jokes can be very funny, and even make a speech, it’s a case of everything in moderation. If you’re dead set on included props such as a PowerPoint or costumes, make sure to run it past the venue, in advance. Large props may need to be stored onsite in advance or require an electric outlet nearby.

 

Have fun

As cheesy as it sounds, having fun is the most important tip. Even if you mess up absolutely everything else, (fumble your lines, accidentally bring up that awkward ex, insult the mother of the bride) as long as you have fun with it, and don’t put too much pressure on yourself to do perfectly, it’ll surely be a speech to remember.

Dale Alexander, Weddings and Events x