Giving a any sort of speech in front of a crowd can be a frightening experience at the best of times. Sometimes when we sit back in the audience we think to ourselves, it is an easy role to perform. Though, it can be very different when you are actually giving the speech yourself. The world changes totally when you are on the other side of the table. What you had been hearing till now, has to be delivered by you. You need all of confidence on that day, a thought or two may have crossed your mind – ‘I wish I wasn’t here’ or ‘Why hasn’t somebody invented a time machine?’. Giving a wedding speech is not all that difficult. Just collect your thoughts and ideas and write them down. If you follow a particular plan to achieve this, you will not only be able to deliver a perfect speech, you will enjoy it.
First thing to be kept in mind about wedding speeches – prepare yourself thoroughly, not just before wedding, but right from the time you have been selected to be the Best Man or Maid of Honor. Same applies to parents. Give as much time as possible to preplan.
Jot down all the thoughts you may have about the subject. Even if some wild idea pops up, don’t reject it. You can always filter it out later. Decide on the likely time you will be spending on delivering the speech. Remember, even if you plan a short speech, it is going to require equal amount of time to prepare. However, if you really don’t like the idea of giving a long speech, at least focus on delivering the main points you wish to cover. Once you have decided on the points to be covered in the speech, jot them down so they flow in some form of sequence. Then convert these ideas or trigger points into sentences.
Once you have prepared the speech, practice it as many times as possible before the big day.
A mirror is an excellent companion for such situations. Rehearsing it in front of the mirror can help build your confidence. Keep on looking at yourself while delivering the speech. (And smile at yourself, saying… “I’ve got this”). Remember while you are actually delivering the speech, it is never a good idea to read it totally from a piece of paper. A better strategy is to prepare a list of ideas on a small piece of paper and then recite the speech you’ve prepared. Your speech should simply flow based on the trigger points from your list. Go for it, enjoy the experience… breath and deliver it from your heart.
