Making Your Wedding Speech Less Stressful With Preparation and Practice
Weddings are some of the most joyful events in our lives. They make us laugh, they make us cry, and above all, they make us believe in the power of love. But as anyone who has been in a wedding can tell you, even though they are joyful, they can also be stressful. This is especially true if you are in the wedding party, and are supposed to take part in the wedding speeches. This is stressful for two reasons; it is stressful because many people are scared of speaking in public, and it is stressful because of how important the event is.
But writing and giving a wedding speech doesn’t have to be hard. Although it might still be stressful, by having a well written and rehearsed speech, you can take a lot of the anxiety out of the situation. So where do you start? For many people, it starts with reading sample best man speeches – or sample maid of honor speeches, or sample father of the bride speeches, etc. Thousands of memorable speeches have been given at thousands of wedding, and there’s no shame in borrowing ideas from them.
Try reading a few sample speeches, and pay attention to the things that you like in each one. If you like the maid of honor speech that starts off by telling a funny story, and ends with a serious story about the couple’s love for each other, use that idea and just add your own stories. Or if you like the sample best man speech that starts off with a famous quote about love, and then compares the couple to the quote, use that idea. If all else fails, and you can’t find anything you like, think about what the couple would like, and look for that type of speech.
Remember that part of being in the wedding party is helping the couple have a romantic, memorable day that they will remember for the rest of their lives. So try not to worry so much about writing the “perfect” speech, and just write one that the couple will love. And to make it less stressful for you, plan ahead by using the ideas we’ve talked about here, and practicing before the day of the wedding. Practice in front of a mirror, in front of a friend, heck, in front of your dog. Just make sure that on the big day, you will be able to deliver the heartfelt speech you’ve written, or had someone help you write.
April 17th, 2011