If you’re sick of slurred lines, bad  jokes and oh-so-boring monologues – here’s my 10 tips for a great wedding speech so you can get it right from the start.
Perfectly articulate folk can fall apart, and morph into total idiots, when faced with the thought of giving a speech. Public speaking is a universal human fear and preparation is key to your success.
As a hypnotherapist, helping overcome public speaking fears is something I enjoy. These are some great ways to help you give a wedding speech to remember – for all the right reasons!
1. Start now, don’t delay. Write your wedding speech on a laptop, where you can edit freely and often.Use a large font, bold, colours, paragraphs to break it up and help you learn it off. Print it onto index cards. Number each one clearly. Get background info sorted.
2. Who are you writing it for? Know your audience. Formal society ‘do’ or casual youthful bash? Glitterati or a family affair? Do the couple want anything mentioned? Or omitted?
3. Write as you speak.What you leave out is as vital as the content.Start with a catchy comment or something dramatic to grab their attention. Keep a conversational tone. Reference the occasion, and the major players, a few times during your speech. Humour is good. Keep it fairly clean, and avoid revealing dark secrets no matter how funny. Check the hilarity rating with a friend, before risking a bombshell on the expectant gathering.
4. How long do you have? Over-runs bore the pants off the audience. Time flies once you get going and discover the sound of your voice.
5. Involve the audience. Ask someone a direct question. That will grab their attention and scare them into paying attention. Throw out a rhetorical question – you’ll get plenty of smart answers from the back! Avoid the ‘how many people here have hooked up with the bride?’ type of questions. Revisit your draft and edit.
6. Practise first in front of a mirror. Set up your phone, iPad or laptop camera and record.You need to know how you look when you’re giving the speech. Confidence reassures your audience and grabs their attention. As you talk into the mirror notice your stance. Stand up, fully. Slouching makes you mumble. Notice what your hands are doing. Waving your arms about distracts, so use gestures normally. Make sure you look ahead, without staring at the floor for inspiration.
7. Record yourself at least 4 times on a camera, iPad or laptop video. Get comfortable with glancing down to your notes for prompts, and back up to your audience without missing a beat.
8. Slow down your speech from your regular conversational speed, so people can grasp your words, especially if you are blessed with a strong accent.
9. Pause at the end of a paragraph or a joke … continue as laughter fades. Refrain from staring at one area. Let your gaze move around the audience on the day, make eye contact and SMILE!
10. Hecklers abound so be prepared to shut them down, quickly and kindly.
To avoid slurred lines wait till after your speech for a celebratory drink, or two!Wedding guests are forgiving, and may not remember your carefully crafted wedding speech. That’s why video records your efforts for posterity!
What are your top tips for a great wedding speech?
Would you use a professional speech-writing service?
Toastmasters.ie gives training in public speaking.
makethatspeech.com specializes in all aspects of making great speeches easy
If the idea of giving a wedding speech still terrifies you, Â you need my professional help to calm those nerves. Hypnotherapy works wonders for any nervous bridegroom, best man, best woman, bridesmaid or father of the bride who wants to make a great speech confidently.
Here’s to you!
