How To Give A Wedding Speech...
Having worked through the trials of writing your speech, you now have to focus on getting it right on the day.
While some men are quite happy being the centre of attention or amusing their mates down the pub, when it comes to giving a formal speech, most guys admit to more than just a little stage fright.
In fact, as they stand to take that microphone, for many, they would rather be literally anywhere else on the planet at that moment.
But panic ye not. Fear of public speaking (glossophobia) is quite natural. It's even more commonplace to fear giving a best man's speech, so we have a few handy hints to help you get it right on the big day.
Dealing With Nerves
If you're feeling nervous about your speech, then you're not alone. Ask any man and they will tell you one of the things they have been most nervous about is giving a wedding speech. Luckily, there are a number of ways to combat the nerves.
Understanding - The basic cause of what we feel as nerves is adrenaline, part of man's primaeval "fight or flight" mechanism. You know that moment when your wife or girlfriend asks: "Notice anything different...?" and your initial reaction is to leg it? That's your natural survival instinct kicking in and the adrenaline instantly takes control of things.
Adrenaline will cause the pulse to quicken, leading to shorter breaths, sweaty palms, heightened awareness and the impulse to move (once again, primitive man's urges kicking in as we get ready to beat something with a heavy stick or hide in a swamp).
Breathing - The first step to controlling nerves is to take control of your breathing. Slow, regular breaths will help to lower your heart rate and battle the adrenaline in your system. According to Better Health, "Controlled breathing can cause changes that include: lowered blood pressure and heart rate, reduced levels of stress hormones in the blood and increased feelings of calm and wellbeing."
Practise - If you know your speech well, you can focus on delivering it rather than trying to remember what's coming next. Practice your speech in front of a mirror and find someone to act as your audience so you can bounce ideas off them.
The Dos and Don'ts of Wedding Toast Etiquette
Wedding Speech Writers Simply the Best Man say:
"All performers spend hours learning their lines - this means they can concentrate on the delivery rather than struggling to remember what's coming next. You don't need to know your speech off by heart, in fact, it's better if you relax and ad lib if the mood takes you. But if you know the speech well, then you'll be far more confident in the delivery and have less to worry about when you start your speech.
How To Manage Your Speech...
You've got your speech written on your laptop, you've done the breathing exercises, and you've been practising it for hours, but how do you get the speech from the laptop to your audience?
The best tip is cue cards!
These are small pieces of card (roughly the size of a greetings card) that you can bullet point your speech on.
This is not only easier to hold (a large sheet of A4 paper will noticeably tremble in nervous hands – and if you look nervous, this will make your audience nervous), but easier to read from, and you'll be less likely to lose your place on the page.
iPads or tablets... Hmmm... How can we put this... NO! No, no no!
Now we have seen people read their speeches from an iPad and our reaction was the same as everyone else in the room: What an iTwat!
This is a wedding speech, not a business seminar. No matter how much you like your gadgets, when it comes to a wedding, good old fashioned pen and paper is definitely the way to go. Printing out a speech on to paper is perfectly acceptable. Standing holding your favourite gadget and grinning over the top to show everyone what a cool, trendy, forward-thinking problem solver you are just looks awful.
Powerpoint presentation. We would refer you to our comments above.
And Finally...
Relax! This is a friendly crowd! Even if your friends have been winding you up, everybody in the room without fail wants you to do a great job!
And Remember: Eye contact is vital.
Performer Brett Cave, who has appeared at a great number of weddings, explains: Whether you're giving a speech or singing a song, making eye contact allows you to connect with your audience.
If you see someone staring at a piece of paper without making eye contact, this shows they are nervous. This in turn makes the audience nervous. Making eye contact with people gives a sense that you are confident and in control, plus seeing your audiences reaction will let you know you're doing well.
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