The Wedding Speech
Next to a eulogy, the wedding speech may be the toughest speech you ever have to give. Usually, you're in the
company of many good friends and relatives. You want your wedding speech to be brief but memorable. You want your
wedding speech to be funny but sentimental. You may want to tease the bride or groom a little, but you also want
your words to be touching for both the audience and the newlyweds.
Here are some guidelines you should follow whenever you're asked to give a wedding speech.
Practice. You don't have to memorize what you want to say word for word (in fact you probably
shouldn't because you might sound stilted), but you should at least have a simple outline locked into your brain.
Keep in mind, you'll probably be a little nervous, which make everything tougher to remember when the moment comes
to speak. Sufficient practice reduces the chances of a memory lapse.
Practice out loud. This helps eliminate the "ums" and "ahs" that creep into the speech of
inexperienced speakers. Get someone to listen to your speech before you give it--a friend, a relative, even your
dog.
Slow down. Most people who deliver wedding speeches are nervous and talk too fast. This
sometimes also causes them to stumble and lose their train of thought. Be deliberate but not lethargic.
Start strong and end strong. Humor works best in the beginning, something warm and
personal at the end.
Avoid alcohol before you speak. This is one of the most basic and obvious rules, but probably
THE ONE that is most often ignored--sometimes with disastrous and embarrassing results.
Most of all, keep it brief. Everyone wants to hear you say a few words, and make sure it's
only a few words. The biggest gaffe in giving a wedding speech isn't nervousness--it's taking too much time.
Here are some suggestions for topics and material. You don't have to do them all, but using one or two wouldn't
be a bad idea.
If you're toasting the bride, make sure to acknowledge the groom. If you're toasting the groom, be sure to
acknowledge the bride.
Talk about the changes you've seen in the bride or groom since they met, and the positive impact one has had on
the other. This is also your best chance to add some humor to your wedding speech, or even tease one of the
newlyweds in a good-natured and decidedly lighthearted way.
Compliment the newlyweds. You can talk about how the bride looks more gorgeous and glowing than you have ever
seen her, or how you never thought you'd see the groom so dressed up.
Get personal. Tell a story about the bride or groom that most people don't know. But keep it clean and keep it
brief, and make sure it ends in a way that puts him or her in a positive light.
Wish the bride and groom well. You're not only congratulating them on their choice of a mate, but expressing
your hopes that the future will bring them much happiness.
Thanks to the Internet, it's gotten pretty easy to do a little research and find great ideas for your wedding
speech. There are sample speeches you can locate, and there are even companies that will write your speech for you
for a few dollars.
There's no need to "stress out" if you're going to do a wedding speech. There are plenty of
resources available to help make it a real "bell ringer."
Download a 28 page PDF report about making a dazzling
presentation, written by one of the most successful public speakers in America? Click
on Get Applause
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