How To Write A Wedding Speech: The Ultimate Guide For Do’s, Don’ts, and Delivery PART 3/3: Delivery

If you didn’t catch Part One and Part Two in our ultimate guide for how to write a wedding speech, read those on our blog! And then continue here for Part Three, the final installment in this series, where we highlight some tips and tricks you can implement today to deliver your killer wedding speech like a pro.

If you’re wondering how to write a wedding speech, here are a few things to keep in mind so you can deliver it like a pro.

1. Try to memorize the speech; use notecards
2. Rehearse
3. Don’t forget body language – rehearse in front of a mirror
4. Record yourself while practicing
5. Focus on the audience and how you want them to feel
6. Avoid alcohol before the speech
7. Be yourself
8. End with a toast

1. Try to memorize the speech; use notecards

The first tip for how to write a wedding speech and deliver it like a pro is that a speech will always be presented best if memorized. Eye contact with the audience portrays confidence and helps provide more connection to the ideas being conveyed. 

If you intend to memorize your speech, this will also be a further incentive to keep it short, simple, and concise – as it should be. 

Feel free to use notecards to keep yourself on track, especially if you feel you might get a little nervous and forgetful. Notecards are an excellent way to keep you grounded in your speech, but also save you from just reading the whole thing with your head down and disconnecting yourself from the audience.

2. Rehearse

The most successful wedding speech will be delivered after lots and lots of practice! Especially if you feel you will get nervous, as most do, your best defense for knowing how to write a wedding speech and deliver it like a pro is knowing your speech in and out, and having performed it for others already. 

Grab a friend or family member and have them sit and listen to your speech. This will help to ensure that all of your points are getting across the way you intend, help you time and land any jokes, and get a feeling for if your speech is too long or too short. 

The feedback will help fine-tune your speech until you feel confident in what you have. And rehearsing it will help when you get the mic on the big day and begin to feel those public speaking jitters. 

3. Don’t forget body language – rehearse in front of a mirror

When practicing your speech, don’t forget the importance of body language! 

Another tip for how to write a wedding speech and deliver it like a pro is that practicing in front of a mirror can be a big help. You can watch yourself as you give your speech, seeing if there are any weird facial expressions you make that you should work on changing. Or maybe you will recognize the need to do something different with your hands.

4. Record yourself while practicing

Another helpful trick to write a wedding speech and deliver it like a pro is to record yourself while practicing and then review the recording! 

Grab your cell phone, press record, take a few steps back, and go for it. When you watch it back, you can see for yourself how you will be perceived. 

Maybe your stance is a little awkward or you need to concentrate on correcting your posture. You can also listen to how it all sounds and whether you might be giving a flat delivery and need to add some inflection in your voice here and there. 

Make a note of all of this on your notecards and keep working on it until you feel confident.

5. Focus on the audience and how you want them to feel

If you tend to get jitters when speaking in public, the worst thing you can do is focus on yourself and how nervous you are. 

Focus instead on the audience and the newlyweds and how you want to make them feel. Taking the focus off of yourself will help relieve some of the pressure that is making you nervous.

6. Avoid alcohol before the speech

Another big no-no for how to write a wedding speech is delivering your speech drunk. It’s tacky, awkward for you and  the audience, and it never ends well. 

Even if you’re not all the way drunk, if you’re even under the influence of alcohol you might get confused and forgetful during your speech or slur your words in a way that you can’t really recover the integrity of what you’re trying to say. Alcohol can also make your throat feel dry making you trip over your words.

But if you think you absolutely cannot make it up there in front of everyone without a little liquid courage, strictly limit yourself to ONE drink or glass of champagne. Save the rest of the celebrating for after you’re done and have successfully delivered your speech. You deserve a drink after that anyway.

7. Be yourself

One of the most important reminders when you go to write your wedding speech and deliver it is don’t feel pressured to be anything but yourself. This speech is ultimately not about a performance by you, but a tribute to the newlyweds. So keep that in mind and do that in whatever way comes naturally to you. 

If you are sentimental, be sentimental. If you’re known for being humorous, ham it up. 

YOU were asked to give this speech, not some fake or forced version of you. So just be you.

8. End with a toast

Of course, the final piece of advice for how to write a wedding speech and deliver it like a pro is to end with a toast! 

A toast is like the last period on the final sentence of your speech, bringing it to a satisfying conclusion. Raise your glass and have everyone follow suit, wish the newlyweds well, and drink to their future. 

And then you can be super relieved that it’s all over.

Hopefully, you found this ultimate guide for how to write a wedding speech and deliver it like a pro helpful. Go get writing and practicing that wedding speech today!

Love this content and want more? Read more about weddings on our blog! Involved in the wedding planning process and the bride is still looking for a venue? Give us a call today and we’ll help you find the perfect place!