Naturally many people feel incredibly nervous about the thought of making a speech, but read on and you will not be lost for words...

Tradition

It is normally the father of the bride, groom and then the best man who deliver speeches, but there is no reason why a mother of the bride shouldn’t make a speech herself, or raise a toast. It is becoming more common for the chief bridesmaid to speak too, and the content usually mirrors the best man’s role, only applying the same rules to the bride instead of the groom. In other words it can include humour, anecdotes, stories illustrating how lovely the couple are together, advice for married life and, finally, a toast.

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Nerves

If you’re worried about your nerves being a problem on the day, prepare yourself with ways to help you cope beforehand. To calm your nerves make sure you breathe deeply, which will also energise your voice when you do speak. Give yourself plenty of practice and preparation time before the wedding. Make sure you road-test your speech in front of friends to give you an authentic feel of presenting in front of an audience; this will also give you the chance to gain feedback and make any appropriate changes before the wedding. But don’t be too swayed, remember you know the couple inside out and nobody is expecting perfection, rather words from the heart that are true to yourself.

Delivery

Having practised several times beforehand you should feel comfortable with your speech, so try not to worry too much. Remember to keep it as succinct as possible and if you are showing any images ensure they complement your speech. Project your voice and pronounce every word as clearly as possible so that older relatives and guests at the back of the room don’t miss anything. Pace yourself, and don’t be distracted if you fluff a line – it happens – regain composure and carry on. You may want to consider having a piece of paper with your speech written down, whatever you feel most confident with. Many people find bullet points are more helpful are prompters than having the whole thing written down.