Public speaking is rated very high on many people list of fears. In fact it is one of the most common phobias that people have. Therefore being asked to give the best man speech or other toast at a wedding can be a mixed blessing. On the one hand it is a honor to be able to get up and speak about your friends on this special occasion. Yet on the other hand it is a pretty big undertaking. However if you plan ahead and follow some of the tips and advice in this article you will have nothing to fear. Before the Wedding Before the actual wedding day you will want to spend a little time thinking about your speech. This is a very individual sport so to speak and what you do with your time is really up to you. You are the only one that knows how you work and so take that into consideration. For some people writing the speech out is helpful. For others it might just be rehearsing in front of the mirror or in the car on your way to work. Wherever you learn best and are the most creative. So find your optimal state and time for learning an creative thoughts and dedicated a little bit of time over the span of a few days to plan out your speech in whatever form work for you. Things To Think About You will want to think about what you want to say. Some thing that you might want to include in your speech could be: - Briefly introduce yourself
- A quote about marriage or appropriate joke
- Make sure to thank the host of the wedding
- Talk about how you know them
- How they met
- If you are married a bit of marriage advice
This not an exhaustive list but just some suggestions to get your creative ideas flowing. At The Wedding Below are some tips that will help you at the actual wedding. - Dont Drink - It is fine to drink after your speech and have a great time and enjoy yourself. However no one wants to hear a big long winded drunk guy spot off about marriage in a drunken slur. So save your drinking until after the speech is made.
- Get Their Attention - When the time come to make you speech stand up and gently tap on your glass with a fork. You might want to practice this before hand because you want to hit the glass hard enough for everyone to hear but it would be really embarrassing to break the glass. After you do this be patient and wait. One of the worst things you can do is get upset and try to yell over everyone to get their attention. Just stand patiently and people will quite down
- Keep It Short- Again this was stated above to some degree but keep your speech short, to the point and sweet. Leave the audience wanting more. There is nothing worse then a rambling speech that goes nowhere.
- Focus On The Couple The wedding day is a the special day for the bride and groom and not for you. Therefore keep your speech short and focus on the couple and not on yourself. Dont take the moment in the spotlight as a time to show off everything you know and how smart you are etc. Instead really focus on the couple.
- Finish Strong - Give a nice ending and then raise your glass for the toast to drink.
Even though it might be nerve racking and seem scary and uncomfortable to get up and speak in front of a large group you can do it. Just remember that really everyone attention is on the bride and groom and not on you. Even if you feel uncomfortable on the inside no one knows this and at the same time everyone else will feel sympathetic and know how hard public speaking is. So just slow your speech down and even if you feel nervous give off the impression that you are in control. If you take the time to do all of the things mentioned above you are all set up for a great and memorable wedding speech so just go for it. |
