Winning Wedding Speeches

Being asked to make a speech at the wedding of a loved one is both flattering and exciting. However as they date draws nearer it can also become a daunting process, and many people worry whether they’ll be interesting enough, funny enough or whether they’ll hold their nerve. But don’t panic just yet; sit down, read this, take a breath and plan your speech.

The first thing you need to decide is the tone of your speech: do you want to play for laughs, or would you rather get your audience shedding a tear of sentimentality? Humour can be great, but only if you are ACTUALLY funny- there’s nothing worse than telling a joke only to be greeted by a silent room. Similarly if you’re going down the sweet and sentimental route then pitch it carefully, as sometimes these can unintentionally appear humorous.

With a sentimental speech it is also important to speak sincerely, so if you’re not usually the mushy type then it might be wise to steer clear, and even if you are the best way to get this across is using the language you would normally use; so if you’re not a flowery language user then don’t pepper your speech with overblown phrases and words you don’t normally use.

Whichever type of speech you go for, one thing which always seems to bring a speech to life is the use of anecdote, as when told well they can be really engaging and also provide you with a good few minutes of material. If you tell a touching tale well, you’ll have the audience, and the bride, reaching for their hankies and if you recount a funny tale about the couple you’ll have those who were there reminiscing and those who weren’t raising a chuckle too.

Another useful tool is a prop, and anything from some old photos projected onto a screen to an item of fancy dress worn on the stag can amuse, add variation and provide either an ‘ahhh’ or laugh out loud moment. One really successful prop I witnessed was a video of the groom dancing. His wife was a dancer and his dancing skills were lacking to say the least and the video and sentiment had the whole room in hysterics, in a way that simply explaining his moves wouldn’t have.

On the actual day, before you even begin to speak, you need to get yourself in the right frame of mind. So try not to think too much about your speech and enjoy the day, although I would suggest not indulging too much in the champagne! Then before you stand up to speak take a deep breath, focus on a fixed point in the room, and remember to be your natural likeable self.

I hope these tips help, and as long as you stay calm and be yourself your speech is sure to please!

To make the rest of your day go smoothly contact Cheshire wedding venue Mere Golf & Country Club, who can cater to all types of function. So if you’re looking for a wedding venue, Cheshire, the search is over!