If you are a member of a wedding party, particularly the best man or the maid of honor, one of your duties is typically to give a wedding speech directed at the bride and groom. This is a tremendous honor, but at the same time it is a very large responsibility. Depending on how old you are, chances are that you’ve probably given someone else who has been writing a wedding speech advice to make the task easier. Though this probably made you think about the form and structure of a wedding speech on a level that you had previously never considered, it is still a very far cry from writing and delivering a wedding speech yourself. Fortunately, there is a simple methodology you can use along with some basic tips to write the perfect wedding speech that will come straight from your heart and light up the faces of the bride, groom, and every guest at the wedding reception.
Prepare Yourself
One of the first things you need to do to write the perfect wedding speech is to jot down all of your idea and feelings onto paper in an effort to prepare yourself for the actual job of writing your speech. Just like anything great that you write in life, brainstorming is the best place to start in order to find the exact words you want to say. Once you have a few key topics that you want to touch on during your speech, you can confidently start the writing process with a plan.
Realistic Expectations
Once you have all your ideas and are ready to start writing the first draft of your wedding speech, it’s important to take a step back and realize that you don’t have to be the greatest poet in the world. Though you obviously want people to enjoy your speech, it’s pretty unlikely that all of the guests are going to spontaneously start waiving around sparklers or holding up lighters because your words are so articulate and meaningful. Having realistic expectations is very important, as well as remembering that your best is absolutely good enough.
Speak From the Heart
When you finally begin the writing process, try to put things into words that are as genuine and from the heart as possible. Even though you won’t be able to make every single sentence a work of art, you can be honest and genuine; which will really go a long way to reach the hearts of everyone listening. Speak of personal experiences and your genuine love for the happy couple and your wedding speech will mean more than all of the gifts that are piled on the gift table combined.
Rehearse
Lastly, once you have the perfect wedding speech written, you need to rehearse it over and over again to ensure that you can deliver it confidently and without making a lot of mistakes. One of the worst things you can do is to show up under-prepared to stand in front of a room full of people and pour your feelings out, but rehearsal can help with this a lot. You don’t want to over-rehearse to the point that your speech is the only thing you can think about, but you want to make sure that you know every single word so you don’t lock up at the last minute by forgetting your words. If necessary, it’s always okay to bring your speech written on an index card just in case you get lost.
