Love is in the air, the guests are seated and now it’s your turn to speak! It’s not every day you stand up in front of people you know, feeling emotional, nervous, under pressure to entertain, and maybe even have a video camera pointing at you recording everything you say … to be played back again, and again … and again!
So to make sure that you are remembered for all the right reasons remember;
1. Depending on your role at the wedding there will be certain things you need to include in your speech and a particular order you should speak in. Check as many couples are opting for a less formal affair with the speeches before the wedding breakfast rather than after.
2. No matter when the speeches, don’t drink any alcohol BEFORE you speak! Just don’t … Ask at any venue for their stories about the Best Man having to be poured into a taxi before the speeches … they’ll have one! Do drink water!
3. Before the big day find out how the room will look, so there are no surprises. Knowing in advance how many people will be there, whether you will be standing at a table or on a platform, using a microphone or not will help you to prepare and calm nerves.
4. Be prepared. Write down what you want to say in advance and practice! Read the words out loud so you know that they sound as good spoken as they do when you read them.
5. If you can get in the room before everyone else, practice in the room but always practice! Memorise the opening and ending at the very least. Bullet points are better but if you need to read your speech then do, just remember to look up occasionally.
6. Stand tall! If you stand tall with your weight on both feet and your shoulders slightly back you will look confident (even if you don’t feel it). Pull your shoulders back a little and you open up your chest cavity, so you can take in more air and your brain will get more oxygen. This will, in turn, help you to think – all good stuff when you are about to start talking!
7. And finally, enjoy! Remember to smile and look at every part of the room. Even if you can’t bring yourself to look everyone in the eye, look in the direction of everyone. Don’t home in on the person nodding at you and ignore everyone else; it will scare the person you’re looking at and no-one else will hear what you have to say!
If you have been asked to speak at a wedding or you’re a soon to be father of the bride or the groom then we can create a package for yourself or the wedding party to help you. Just let us know how many of you and your budget and we can create a programme for you.