10 Tips To Deliver A Killer Wedding Speech

1 These people are there for you

Remember everyone at your wedding is there for you.  They are 100% on your side! No one will be hoping that you fail or anything goes wrong. The reason you’re giving a wedding speech is that you are connected with everyone there. Bearing this in mind, you can rest assured that what you say in your wedding speech will be listened to and appreciated.

2 Write your wedding speech down

I often see brides and grooms stand up without having written their speech down and then they forget something. I would always recommend writing your wedding speech down on cue cards so that you can refer to it. Why cue cards? An A4 sheet of paper can be quite large and also can rustle. (My wedding videographer head on here) This can mean that the paper blocks the view of guests/cameras. Cue cards are a little thicker and sit nicely in the hand.

3 Tell a nice story about your relationship

When I gave my own wedding speech I told a story about our first holiday together.  It was a good memory and also a fairly funny story.  This helped put me at ease as well as causing some laughs with my guests.  Your guests will be hoping to hear you say something nice about your new husband/wife and will be completely behind you.

4 Make a list of those who you want to thank

There will be lots of people who have helped you both along the way and in preparation for your wedding. Your wedding speech is a good time to thank them. Make sure you don’t forget anyone by making a list in advance and running it past your other half.

5 Close the wedding speech with a toast

The best way to end your wedding speech is by asking your guests to be upstanding and toast to your new husband/wife. Don’t forget that showing your appreciation to them is integral to your speech.

6 Practice your wedding speech thoroughly

The more you practice, the less nervous you’ll feel on the actual day. A great piece of advice is to actually stand in front of a mirror and read your wedding speech aloud. Remember to practice the intonation of your voice and the pauses. This will all help you to deliver your speech with ownership and feeling.

7 Remember to breathe

As simple as this sounds, it is often overlooked. When you read your wedding speech aloud, practice where you’ll take a breath. Diaphragmatic breathing, as used by singers and public speakers, will help you here. Breathing can help calm nerves.  If you are not sure what I mean then stick it in google.

8 Speak slowly and clearly

It is really easy when you are nervous to start speaking at 100mph. If this is the case your words can become really unclear.  Try to consciously low yourself down and speak clearly so that all your guests can take in the words you have taken the time to prepare.

9 Make eye contact with people during your wedding speech

This can sometimes feel difficult, you are met with a sea of faces. Remember as Tip number 1 said, these people are all there for you. Attempting to make eye contact with some of your guests will help them feel engaged but can also make you feel more relaxed as it can help you feel like you are talking to that person.

10 Enjoy it!

Easier said than done, I know! Honestly, if you do make any mistakes no one is going to care! The people in the room are your nearest and dearest.  Stand up there and enjoy it!

One last bonus tip that I read somewhere.  I’ll start this one with a slight disclaimer.  I personally have never tried this however, this tip is often used by professional public speakers.  That is eating a banana before doing a speech. It is found to help the nerves of many people. It also gives a nice energy boost which helps reduce your nerves. Banoffee Pie for dessert anyone?

Check out 4 of the best wedding speeches of all time on Wedding Ideas Mag.