Wedding Speech Ideas and Tips
A wedding is an once-in-a-lifetime experience for all involved.
It is obviously a special day for the bride and groom, and a day in which they celebrate their new-found commitment to each other.
For the guests and all others involved in the wedding party, it is a day to share in this celebration and to congratulate the guests of honor in their wonderful and lifelong union.
Wedding speeches are an integral part of the wedding ceremony and reception.
While there are no steadfast, unbreakable rules about wedding speeches, there are some guidelines that have formed over the many, many years that these speeches have been given.
For instance, the bride and groom typically ask those closest to them to give a speech, such as their parents, the best man/maid of honor and other great friends.
Also, the speech is often short (three to five minutes in length is usually sufficient), and conveys comforting, congratulatory remarks to the newlyweds.
Here are some simple and effective tips for creating and giving an unforgettable wedding speech.
Make your speech a remarkable one.
This doesn't mean it has to be lengthy, or especially sad or funny, or extravagant.
The most effective tool that someone who gives a wedding speech has is the fact that THEY are giving the speech.
So find a way to make it personal.
Convey a story that only you or a small group of people know about the bride and/or groom.
Just make sure that the story doesn't make anyone in the room uncomfortable.
Again, this is a one-time experience, and you want to leave a kind, heartfelt impression with your speech.
Practice your speech.
When brainstorming your speech, it helps to draft an outline of your "talking points" so that you can refrain from drifting off-topic.
Many people even write notes or their entire speech out on small note-cards to carry with them while the speech is being delivered.
But more importantly than that, for many people, is the simple fact that they must stand in front of a room full of people, often their own closest family and friends, and talk.
Public speaking is among the top phobias.
To help with overcoming this fear, at least for this one occasion, it can help to practice talking through your speech.
Doing this in a mirror, to yourself, can help you improve your facial expressions, learn what to do with your hands, etc.
Another technique is to ask someone you trust to sit and watch you give this practice speech, acting in place of the entire audience.
By doing this with a trustworthy person, you can ask for positive, nonjudgmental feedback, and use that to improve your technique.
Don't place too much pressure on yourself; giving this speech should be comfortable for you, and will be an irreplaceable gift to the bride and groom.
Act casually, smile, and relax.
After all, this is a room full of people you are close to, not a job interview.
It should be a pleasant, fulfilling experience for you, as well as for those who hear you speak.
It is obviously a special day for the bride and groom, and a day in which they celebrate their new-found commitment to each other.
For the guests and all others involved in the wedding party, it is a day to share in this celebration and to congratulate the guests of honor in their wonderful and lifelong union.
Wedding speeches are an integral part of the wedding ceremony and reception.
While there are no steadfast, unbreakable rules about wedding speeches, there are some guidelines that have formed over the many, many years that these speeches have been given.
For instance, the bride and groom typically ask those closest to them to give a speech, such as their parents, the best man/maid of honor and other great friends.
Also, the speech is often short (three to five minutes in length is usually sufficient), and conveys comforting, congratulatory remarks to the newlyweds.
Here are some simple and effective tips for creating and giving an unforgettable wedding speech.
Make your speech a remarkable one.
This doesn't mean it has to be lengthy, or especially sad or funny, or extravagant.
The most effective tool that someone who gives a wedding speech has is the fact that THEY are giving the speech.
So find a way to make it personal.
Convey a story that only you or a small group of people know about the bride and/or groom.
Just make sure that the story doesn't make anyone in the room uncomfortable.
Again, this is a one-time experience, and you want to leave a kind, heartfelt impression with your speech.
Practice your speech.
When brainstorming your speech, it helps to draft an outline of your "talking points" so that you can refrain from drifting off-topic.
Many people even write notes or their entire speech out on small note-cards to carry with them while the speech is being delivered.
But more importantly than that, for many people, is the simple fact that they must stand in front of a room full of people, often their own closest family and friends, and talk.
Public speaking is among the top phobias.
To help with overcoming this fear, at least for this one occasion, it can help to practice talking through your speech.
Doing this in a mirror, to yourself, can help you improve your facial expressions, learn what to do with your hands, etc.
Another technique is to ask someone you trust to sit and watch you give this practice speech, acting in place of the entire audience.
By doing this with a trustworthy person, you can ask for positive, nonjudgmental feedback, and use that to improve your technique.
Don't place too much pressure on yourself; giving this speech should be comfortable for you, and will be an irreplaceable gift to the bride and groom.
Act casually, smile, and relax.
After all, this is a room full of people you are close to, not a job interview.
It should be a pleasant, fulfilling experience for you, as well as for those who hear you speak.