A wedding speech should be a positive experience, but often it can feel stressful and overwhelming. A wedding is a time for celebration and making memories that will last a lifetime. Wedding speeches play an important role in ensuring the day is not only joyous for the bride and groom, but for everyone involved (not to add any more pressure on you!). Luckily, a wedding speech doesn’t have to be a negative experience.
Here we explain our top tips for writing the perfect wedding speech!
Don’t leave it to the last minute
Don’t treat this as an assignment you can do just minutes or hours before – that might have worked at university, but it won’t work here. Give yourself enough time to think about what you are going to say. Spend time brainstorming your thoughts and feelings. It’s a big honour to be speaking at a wedding, so take it seriously!
The introduction
When you’re nervous and trying to remember everything you want to say, you can often forget the start of your speech. Ensure you kick off the speech with a nice simple introduction of yourself. Everyone in the audience may not know who you are or how you know the newlyweds, so be sure to tell them. Then you can move on to the fun side of giving a wedding speech.
Know your audience
Now, you may not know everyone at the wedding but be sure to think about who will be there. You don’t want your speech to only connect with a portion of the people in attendance. Consider the jokes you’ll use and the tone you want to express. If you’re still unsure how to do this masterfully, you can always ask someone you know on the other side of the family for some advice.
Be original
While putting together the perfect speech, be sure to keep it original. Don’t search on Google for the best wedding jokes. Make sure the jokes you’re going to use are specifically tailored to the couple. Search your mind for funny stories. It may be the more difficult avenue to travel down but it will definitely make your wedding speech that much better.
Consider using props or an instrument
If you’re a talented musician, you can transform your wedding speech into a song and dance. You can get as creative as you want here. However, if you’re not musically inclined, you can use some props. Props and visual aids are always something handy to fall back on, especially if you know they will receive a guaranteed laugh. It can elevate your speech to the next level!
Personalise it
Sure, you can find good ideas and thoughts on the internet but if you do, make sure to personalise them. Take what you saw and turn it into a joke or anecdote that relates to the couple. Don’t take what you find online and regurgitate it word-for-word with no changes. It just won’t make sense. You don’t want an awkward silence, so keep what you say related to the bride and groom at all times.
Get some advice
If you have followed the steps thus far and are still not confident speaking at the wedding, ask for help. Ask people you know who have done wedding speeches before. They’ll definitely tell you what to do and what not to do.
Keep it short and sweet
While you may be tempted to write a long speech that includes all your favourite memories and inside jokes, the audience will likely get bored. Try to keep your speech short and sweet. This isn’t to say you need to feel rushed but try and consider how long you would be interested in listening to someone you’ve never met speak at a wedding.
Remember, don’t make it too short and ensure sure you can fit in the funniest thoughts and anecdotes. Just don’t let the speech drag on, it’s not worth it.
Memorise or use cue cards
If you’re struggling to remember your speech, bring along some cue cards with you. Cue cards are a great way to keep you on track, manage your nerves and also ensure you say everything you planned on saying (remember you only get one chance at this!). While cue cards are helpful, always remember to maintain good eye contact with everyone in the audience. Don’t stare at your cue cards, the speech won’t be as engaging.
Raise a toast!
Luckily for you, the ending of a wedding speech is usually the easiest part! Keep it simple and memorable by thanking everyone and inviting them to raise a glass to the newly wedded couple.
So put pen to paper, start brainstorming and before you know it, you will have created the perfect wedding speech.
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If you aren’t confident in crafting the perfect wedding speech, contact Elite Words for expert advice!
