Wedding speech tips to make it memorable

By Laurie Smale

One of the saddest things to overhear when a person gets up to give a speech at a wedding reception is “I’ll just get this over and done with” – and of course with this negative mind-set these are the kind of feelings they radiate.

What they should be saying is “I’m looking forward to this speech as a priceless gift to people I care about”.

When people think this way they inspire, entertain, and move people.

The following tips will help ensure that the speeches at your wedding reception are uplifting and memorable.

Make sure everyone doing a speech gets a copy of the following hard-earned gems:

Guests don’t expect a polished professional speaker. They do expect you’ve given some prior thought to the message you want to convey and that you mean what you say. They will relate to you if you keep the information personal and come across as the natural, imperfect human being that you are.
The fear of a large audience is completely unfounded. These folk haven’t travelled far and dressed up in their finest clothes just to bring you down and evaluate your every word and move! They’re there to join you in celebrating the love between two people. The fact is you’ll be talking to a group of very friendly people there to enjoy themselves!
Stay sober. Save your celebratory drinks till after your speech.
Walk forward with pride in the firm knowledge that you’ve earned the right to speak on the subject by way of being a parent, bride, groom, best man, or long-standing friend.
Speak in a real way and make friends with your audience. Forget trying to be a public speaking clone. Think friendly ‘informal’ conversation rather than a distant ‘formal’ approach. This will free you from the fear of getting something wrong. Let your body and voice intuitively mirror the chemistry of the moment.
Your speech must never offend. Be brief. About four to five minutes duration would be ideal.
Plan a general path of where you want to take your listeners, with your end clearly in mind. Memorise your opening: “I’m deeply honoured for the opportunity to share some of my thoughts with you tonight.” And memorise your ending: “Would you all please stand and join me in a toast to Simone and James.” For the rest, relive one or two stories from memory.
Be a storyteller. The secret is to reflect on past experiences and find the right stories for the occasion. ‘Awkward’ moments are fine but no dirty ones. Ask close friends and relatives for stories you can use. You could relive from memory how the groom acted strangely the day he proposed; you could relate the time little Simone upstaged the Principal at the school concert; or you could highlight the groom’s generosity with the story of his willingness to help you paint your house during the holidays.
In times of great emotion it is often hard to hold back the tears. Under no circumstances apologise for feelings which are as natural as the air we breathe. As your tears flow the audiences’ tears will flow with you. You’ll soon regain your composure and have people laughing with you as you share one of those ‘awkward’ moments we can all relate to.
Always get there early and familiarise yourself with the layout and sound system. All microphones are different so get to know the one you’ll be using and ask for help if necessary.
Strong lights shining directly in your eyes mean your eyes are not shadowed and your audience can see you. Don’t squint and turn your head away with off-putting comments like “Gee that light’s strong!” Pretend that everything is normal and look right through them.
Rehearse your talk ‘live’ for ten minutes or so a day from your favourite armchair. Don’t try and learn it parrot-fashion by heart. Imagine yourself at the venue as the confident warm speaker you desire to be. Each time you rehearse, your words will be ever so slightly different. You’ll thus create an internal comfort zone within yourself and it will no longer frighten you.
Accept the fact that it’s perfectly normal to be keyed up and a little on edge before a speech – as happens in any situation when we’re stretched a little. The difference now is you know what you want to say and are looking forward to sharing it with people you care about.
Order of toasts. Keeping in mind cultural differences and today’s non-conformant flexibility, the following is only a guide to a traditional approach:

a. Toast to the Bride & Groom by close friend or relative.
b. Response, expressions of thanks, toast to Bridal Party by the Groom/Bride. “Here we have a table of some very special people, let me tell you why.” (Interesting snippet on each of them but keep it brief!).
c. Response on behalf of Bridal Party by Best Man.
d. Toast to Bride’s parents by close friend or relative.
e. Response by the Bride’s father.
f. Toast to the Groom’s parents by close friend or relative.
g. Response by the Groom’s father.
h. Reading of messages (Optional. Vet any that may offend).

Duties of the Master of Ceremonies

The MC will coordinate the order of affairs at the reception without blatantly intruding or taking over. Here is a list of the MC’s duties keeping in mind that people love to be led:

Liaise with caterers and band/DJ.
Direct guests to refreshments area.
Guests seated.
Welcome guests on behalf of the Bride and Groom.
Introduce the Wedding Party.
Announce dinner.
Call upon each person giving a speech.
Announce cutting of the cake and photo opportunity..
Announce Bridal Waltz.
Announce Bridal Party and Parents to join the Bride and Groom on the dance floor.
Invite the other guests to join the dancing.
Announce tossing of bouquet.
Announce Farewell Circle / Guard of Honour.
Announce departure of Bride and Groom.
Bid everyone good night on behalf of Bride and Groom and wish them a safe journey home.

These tried-and-proven public speaking tips reflect the exciting outcomes embodied in my second edition best-selling classic book, ‘How to take the Panic out of Public Speaking.’

Shared online Facebook Page, Facebook Profile, Google, LinkedIn Page, LinkedIn Profile, Twitter

By all means share this article with others.

All I ask is that you leave my following byline, title, copyright and website link with the article.

Laurie Smale, Inspirational Speaker and Author © Copyright https://lauriesmale.com