How to Give a Good wedding speech

So, you've got a close friend or family member getting married soon and you've either been selected or "voluntold" to give a speech. Whether you're great on the mic or hate being in front of people, you're probably feeling both a little nervous and excited. Either way, you know you want to knock this one out of the park to give the couple a speech they'll remember for years to come. Well, I'm here to help! After 8 years in this industry, I have heard hundreds of wedding speeches. I've heard them all, amazing, terrible, boring, hilarious, and even some disturbing speeches. Regardless, I've noticed a few things that I think would go a long way in helping you write an amazing speech, so here are my top 5 tips. The first 2 tips are do NOTs and the last 3 are DOs.

1. Don't copy from Google

I know how tempting it is! If you are preparing a wedding speech, the first thing you will probably do is go to Google for help, just like you would when trying to solve any problem. However, when looking through the results, you're going to find a ton of speech examples, and inevitably, you'll find something that makes you think, "Oh, I should add that to my speech!" The only problem is, 99% of everyone else in the world who is also using Google to help them write their speech is also seeing those same results. So, in the end, you'll come up with some generic copied version of what everyone else has already said before. I promise you, over the years, I've heard the same jokes and one-liners at so many weddings that I'm sure the speaker probably found after 5 minutes of googling and thought it would be great. So, don't be generic. If you want a great speech, shoot from the heart and write something in the way that you want to express it!

2. No more sex jokes!

I know this one may pain some groomsmen out there who heard a clever joke one time and can't wait to use it on their bro and make all the other groomsmen die with laughter. But here's the thing, at this point, it's so overdone that it's just not funny anymore. I do get it, though! The inner middle school kid in me totally laughed the first time I heard that joke about the groom in bed, but I've heard it 500 times now. And I'm all for roasting the couple with some good zingers, but it doesn't have to be a joke that's going to make all the parents and grandparents of the couple extremely uncomfortable. Going back to our previous point, you can be original! I'm sure you could write a much better joke than any of those you've heard online or at previous weddings. Go for something that will really stick!

3. Practice beforehand

First of all, you should absolutely write your speech beforehand. Unless you're a seasoned public speaker, you should never try to wing it up there. Second, don't just write it beforehand, but actually, practice speaking it beforehand. A great speech can be completely ruined if you just stand up and read straight from your paper. I know that kind of feels like speech class in high school, but it's so helpful! If you run through it a few times by yourself, you'll be much more confident and prepared when you get up in front of everyone, and you'll be less likely to stumble over your words or lose your place trying to read it. This doesn't mean you have to memorize, but you'd be shocked at how smoothly it helps you recall everything you wrote down! 

4. Be natural

Again, this seems like an obvious one, but it's so easy to get up and feel the stage fright and get lost in the moment. Mentally prepare yourself to go up there and just be your natural self. Speeches are so much more powerful when they feel like they're coming from the heart and not just reading lines. When you can speak in a way that is calm and natural, you will immediately grab the attention of the room and leave a lasting impact on everyone. I know some suffer from stage fright more than others, but by mentally preparing yourself by using all the previous steps mentioned above, you'll be able to walk up to the microphone as confidently as possible and knock it out of the park.

5. Focus on who you're talking to

This one goes right along with what we mentioned above. When you put all your focus on who you're talking to, it makes it so much easier to be natural. After all, if you're giving a speech at the wedding, you're obviously very close with the couple, and, therefore, comfortable when it's just you and them talking. So treat it just like that! Put your focus on the couple and act like you're telling them all this in private. Putting your attention on them allows you to forget all the other people in the room and give an incredible speech. In fact, some of the best speeches I've ever heard were ones where I almost forgot they were even giving a speech, and it felt more like I was hearing a story or listening to a conversation. That's what this last step can help you do!

And that's it! With all of these steps taken to heart, you should be well prepared to give a speech that will leave a lasting impact on not just the couple but the guests too. These steps are also a great way to end up in the wedding film. I love adding a powerful speech to bring a new level to the story being told in my films! So, get out there and give the best speech of your life!