Bridal Club Magazine
Tips to Help Prepare for Speeches and Toasts
If just thinking about the wedding speech or toast is already
giving you the chills, then we have a few tips to help ease the
stress.
DON'T leave the speech composing to the last
minute. Doing so can leave you with no time at all to prepare. If
you're not one for public speaking, thinking up a speech as you are
walking to the microphone can turn out to be a disaster.
DO start composing your speech and toast well in
advance of the wedding day. This will leave you plenty of room for
changes and practice.
DON'T make your speech 30 minutes long. A long
speech can bore and irritate guests. This is a wedding and everyone
wants to start the party.
DO keep it short. Most likely there will be other
people making speeches so keeping it down to 2 or 3 minutes will
make it more enjoyable to listen to for the guests.
DON'T overdo the jokes. Humor is the best way to
get peoples attention and keeping it, but if the jokes are lame and
too many of them, it can become annoying.
DO mention a funny story from the past regarding
you and the bride/groom or just the bride/groom to liven up the
room. Make sure the humor is tactful, appropriate, and not
something that would offend the bride/groom or any of the
guests.
DON'T bring up any of the bride/groom's past
relationships, tragic events, or details that are not
appropriate.
DO mention happy moments you and the bride/groom
shared in high school or as kids. Mention the happy moments the
bride/groom shared while dating.
DON'T use words in your speech that you usually
wouldn't use in your everyday speaking. You will end up reading
your speech and stuttering.
DO write your speech in a way that you usually
speak every day. Using the dictionary to pick out big words and
ones that you don't usually use will make them hard to
remember. Try to memorize the speech so you can have constant
eye contact with your guests.
DO practice your speech first in front of a mirror
and then in front of a family member or friend.
DON'T give your speech while your drunk. The last
thing you need is to slur your words, not make sense, or say
something that you may later regret.
DO make sure you speak up and pronounce your words
as well as possible. Smiling while speaking will help set a
pleasant tone to your voice.
If you keep all these tips in mind while preparing for your
speech, who knows, you might just end up liking the whole public
speaking thing.