Ideas for wedding speeches

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"Generally speaking, a good wedding speech should sound as if it has been prepared and rehearsed over a long period before the event but the seemingly ..."

Depending on how you look at it, being asked to give a speech during a wedding reception is either a great honor or a nightmare. Everyone has been at a wedding where the food runs cold as the speeches seem to drag on forever. The best way to keep the guests interested is to keep each speech fairly short, no more than a few minutes in length, and say things that are perfectly sincere.

1. Types of Speeches

   • The first thing to figure out is what type of wedding speech you are required to give. Find out if the bride and groom want traditional speeches or if they simply want what you happen to come up with. Traditional wedding speeches include a best man speech and a maid of honor speech, along with speeches exchanged between the bride and groom. A parent or other close family member from each side might also present a speech. For nontraditional speeches, it is mainly up to you for what your speech will consist of. Tell a story about your relationship with the couple, or open with a quote that describes their relationship.

   Traditional Speeches

   • Conversely, each type of traditional speech tends to take place at a certain time and have a certain tone. The groom's speech is first and is aimed at complimenting the bride and expressing true love and devotion. It is important to thank the new in-laws and all the guests for their role in the wedding. The best man's speech typically follows and leads into a champagne toast. Use safe humor in this speech. Avoid uncomfortable topics such as previous girlfriends and the college fraternity days. The story of how you met as friends tends to be safe. The bride's speech is more of a commentary. It might be fun to share the spotlight with the groom or add more details to a previous story told by the best man or her father. Speeches given by the couple's parents are sprinkled throughout the allotted speech time. It is appropriate to welcome the new family into your own and be more sentimental.

   A Sense of Timing

   • Find out what order the speeches will be given and plan for your speech accordingly. For example if you are the last person in line, you might want your speech to be on the shorter end since the guests will want to get on with the reception. If you are near the beginning, your speech can be longer than just a few minutes, but be considerate of the speech givers who will go after you.

   Ask for Advice

   • When in doubt, ask other people to read over your speech or read it aloud to them. This allows you to practice your speech if you are nervous about it and receive input and advice from your audience. Ask them to be completely honest with you and tell you if it is too long, too personal or too impersonal. A good tip, especially for the best man's speech, is to have the mother of the groom listen to it. If it passes by her, you are good to go.

Source: www.ehow.com

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