Stunning Wedding Speeches: Presentation, Planning and How to Bring Down the House
When you've been asked to give a wedding speech, it can feel both like a great honor and a trap. There's an opportunity to get an entire group of happy people clapping for you, but there's also the dire risk of having that same formerly happy group of people staring at you as if you just kicked a puppy. A good wedding speech is easy. Stand up, thank people for coming, don't embarrass anyone, and keep it cute. Most people can handle that. However, if you want your wedding speech to be really memorable, keep reading.
Memorize It
There's no getting around this one. No one ever delivered an amazing speech by staring at a number of note cards in their hands. First, this looks unprofessional and sloppy, and second, you won't be making the facial expressions that people need to really connect with you. It might take you a few hours or it might take you a few weeks, but the truth is that memorizing a speech is always the best way to go.
Come Up with a Novel Approach
In all fairness, this is like telling a new actor to make it big as a star. Truly amazing wedding speeches are always unique, and if you've heard about it, it's likely already been done to death. You can follow the lead of the best man who gave a stream of consciousness speech that was all about how nervous he was, or you may want to think about getting someone else up there to help you. For example, you could always have someone read a standard speech as you stand behind them translating it into funny anecdotes.
Keep It Clean
Wedding speeches, like any other piece of performance, rely on you knowing your audience. You probably wouldn't bring a vegan keynote speaker to a meeting of the Cattle Ranchers of America, so remember that your speech still needs to be appealing to the most sensitive person in the room. If you think you can't have a roaring performance while keeping it PG, you are dead wrong. Don't use profanity, don't reference sex, and don't make anyone feel bad.
Work on Your Deadpan
You can say nearly anything you want if you learn to keep a straight face. Remember that a good comedian never laughs at their own jokes. You may have some real zingers in your speech, but at the very most, you should just deliver them with a wide smile. If you're too busy falling over laughing at your own speech, it just ruins the gag.
Bring on Some Accomplices
When you really want to make your wedding speech a performance, you may want to consider making it more than a one-man or one-woman show. For example, if you want your speech to get off to a good start, have someone else start a standard speech, interrupt them, tell them they have it all wrong and launch into yours. You can have someone sing in musical accompaniment to your speech or you can even have someone juggling in the background to keep everyone interested.
Remember That You Are a Performer
When you want to make sure that you give a stunning wedding speech, take a moment to consider how you look. That's the beginning and end of it. You need to be striking enough to get people's attention, and you must be willing to hold it. This isn't something you can toss off the cuff after you've had a few. Give this performance the attention it is due.
