Making Speeches at WeddingsPosted by Kim Rix on September 15th, 2009

Dear Bestmen and Father of the Bride,

Some of the most appealing, yet daunting aspects of a wedding are the speeches. Often the best friends of the Bridegroom are fighting over the position of ‘Best Man’; that is, until they realise that they have to prepare what’s traditionally seen as ‘the funniest’ of all the speeches of the day. Very often Fathers of the Bride are conflicted with both pride and nerves when standing and presenting their daughter to the room. Nerves are natural; but the act of making the speech doesn’t start at the wedding reception. No; in fact – it starts months and months in advance. It doesn’t seem like an easy task – but it can be with a little thought, preparation and practice.

Firstly, when Thinking about your speech; ensure that what you’re saying is relevant to the occasion. The more precise and honed your ideas are, the better the speech will flow. Do be sure to give it a lot of thought before you begin to structure your speech; for Fathers of the Bride – this means sentimentality, and possibly one or two little embarrassing numbers about both the Bride and the Bridegroom. For the Best Man, it’s a whole other story; be sure to make your speech appropriate for the expected audience. Do take into consideration the presence of small children and elderly people who may not take kindly to crude stories. Keep it smart, snappy and witty – this is your chance to toast your best friend and his new wife. A day that everyone will remember; so make sure it’s remembered for the right reasons!

Secondly, a little Preparation can help you structure the speech to suit the occasion. It’s more than likely been a very long and tiring day for everyone, just before your speeches – so try not to be too longwinded or heavy – upbeat and quirky is key. Be sure to edit, and rework your speech so you’re not telling too many similar stories, and that your overall message features from start to finish. For the Best Men, the preparatory element may include gathering stories from parents and such – do be sure to choose the best ones, as one can only successfully present a handful of stories in one sitting without their audience becoming restless.

Lastly, it’s important to Practice your speech. Whether it’s practiced on your partner, a small, select group of family members (after all, you don’t want to spoil it) or even just the dog! It’s a huge cliché, but practice really does make perfect. If you think, prepare and practice the speech in due time – then you won’t even need cue cards on the day; after all, there’s nothing more annoying than someone fiddling with a piece of paper whilst giving a speech.

Make sure you’re comfortable with all of the relevant content of the speech – cut out any words that trip you up, or unnecessary statements. Before you know it, you’ll be standing in front of a grand audience toasting your friends/family and giving a duly pleasing speech indeed.

I hope that helps.  Good luck!

Kind regards,

Kim Rix

Your London Wedding Planner