While the happy couple are the stars of the show on their big day, it’s up to the Best Man (or woman!) to give a rousing speech with plenty of toasting and congratulations. If the thought of public speaking makes you go cold, we’ve put together a list of top speech tactics for both writing and delivering your speech, making this wedding one to remember.
Start planning early:
Start planning your speech and taking notes months before the big day. Make a note every time something pops into your head and the speech will write itself. Don’t leave writing your speech until the last minute as you’ll surely forget someone or something important. Ask for help or advice from an ex-best man or a fellow friend of the couple; they might offer some hand tips or stories to include.
Don’t wing it:
There is nothing wrong with writing down your speech word for word and practising delivering it ‘naturally’, looking at your prompt cards every now and again. At the very least you should make bullet points and elaborate as you go along. It’s not advisable to wing it from start to finish, especially after a couple of drinks, your mind is liable to go blank!
Writing your speech:
Firstly, have a clear beginning middle and end. Start off by talking about when you first met the couple or how they met, the middle is a good time to tell some stories about what’s happening in their lives now and at the end you can thank everyone that you need to.
Try your best to keep it sweet and light-hearted so your audience are entertained and not wishing for the end. Know your audience and consider parents, older relatives and friends when telling stories. Try to avoid excessive bad language, personal jokes, graphic stories or too much talking about exes. They might get an awkward laugh at the time but might hurt feelings or cause trouble down the line. Remember this speech is to celebrate (and mildly embarrass) the happy couple, it shouldn’t cause a damper on their big day.
Practicalities:
Just before you are about to deliver the speech of a lifetime, make sure the mic works and make sure the people at the back can hear you. There nothing worse than sitting through an hour of speeches and not hearing a word! Also, make sure everyone has a drink in hand. There will be a lot of toasting coming up and toasting with an empty glass is said to be bad luck.
Keep it Short:
Discuss with the couple how long they would like you to speak for. There’s no point in writing a novel when all they want is a paragraph! Keeping your speech short and sweet means you have a more captive audience and hopefully no one chatting in the background because they’re bored. Practice your speech multiple times, timing yourself and working on a more natural delivery.
Thank-you’s:
Make sure you make a comprehensive list of everyone you want to thank to finish off. A good finishing note will make or break your speech and you don’t want to forget anyone important. Make sure to include the parents, the couple, wedding party and the venue who have no doubt worked very hard to pull everything together. You could also give a copy of your speech to the couple as a memoir, it’s perfect to add to a wedding memory box or photo album.
If you’re looking for a perfect wedding venue that is luxurious, flexible and set against beautiful surroundings, Tulfarris Hotel and Golf Resort has it all. Our dedicated wedding team are always on hand to show you around the hotel and discuss some of our flexible packages that can include a ceremony space for non-church weddings. Call us today to discuss your unique needs for your very special day.