What else can make your heart beat faster than the time you ran across the concert hall to Snapchat Beyoncé at her celebrity meet and greet? How about your best friend or sibling asking you to prepare a wedding speech for their special day? Yes, it’s that time.
Although your heart isn’t pounding from the Beyoncé rush, you’re probably freaking out over the fact that you’ll have the floor to yourself – with all eyes on you. You can already feel your legs turning into jello and all you can imagine is the sweat collecting on your face as soon as you hit the stage.
Well, the number one way to relieve all of this anxiety is by feeling confident about your wedding speech in the first place. So, before you have a meltdown, here are five ways you can give the best wedding speech ever.
Remember summer break in middle school? Yeah, that summer. The time you and the bride sneaked out, went on a joy ride with mom’s Mercedes-Benz, crashed the car and got grounded for months. Sharing a special memory that will make the bride or groom laugh their pants off is a great way to start a wedding speech. It brings back memories of the things that you two – and your parents – can’t believe you ever did.
If you’re at the wedding on the bride’s side, then it’s probably because you’re pretty close to her – she’s your sister, your best friend or both. With a title like that, you definitely need to step it up when it comes to flattering her on her special day. Explain how much she means to you as a loved one in your life. Share a few moments when she’s inspired you or supported you when you were down in the dumps.
If you’re here for the groom because he’s your brother or best pal, then make be sure to toast that friendship. According to Huffington Post, you’re representing him and his friends so you should present a good image to those who may not know him as well. This means that if you’re going to add some good-natured teasing, make sure to keep it respectful.
The entire ceremony is obviously the greatest way to celebrate the couple’s love, but your speech is a great way to make them feel even more amped up about their future life. Share how you feel about their love, why you think it’s special or how much you admire their partnership. Give examples of the times you’ve watched them overcome hardships. Insert some funny stories about their DIY “Aladdin and Princess Jasmine” matching costumes five Halloweens ago. Basically, describe how they were made for each other.
According to The Knot, you should offer encouraging words of advice for their future together. Remind them that, throughout any journey they take, they’ll always have loved ones to support them – or knock some sense into them.
And most importantly, don’t forget the most important tip – practice. Practicing your speech several times before the big day will help you get rid of unnecessary jitters. You may even want to have a friend listen to it so they can give you the thumbs-up. When the moment finally arrives, breathe, speak slowly, and speak sincerely because you’ve got this.
