How to Do A Wedding Toast or Speech If Your Shy

Being given the honour to write a wedding toast or speech is something to smile about. However, of you are shy then this can be the scariest moment of your life. Maybe you don’t like public speaking or you more like to keep to yourself than to have attention on you. Regardless of the reason why you have stage fright, this article is here to give you a helping hand.

Keep it Short & Simple

How long does your wedding toast or speech have to be? You can have a special toast within five minutes, you don’t have to have something super long or spectacular. Remember that people’s attention span is short which comes to your benefit. Have your speech long enough to get your message across and short enough to keep the guests from falling asleep or turning their attention to their phones.

Make a Joke Laugh

If you have a cute and funny story about the happy couple then share it. It is always nice to have the reception guests all share in a laugh during a speech. Just make sure not to go too far with your jokes, think PG especially if you know there are kids in the room or older family members who could take offence from it. If you are worried about your jokes, have a test run with a trusted friend or family member who you know will give you the honest truth.

Be in the Moment

Allow yourself to be vulnerable and present at the moment. This is a very emotional time for close friends and family members. Don’t worry about ruining the mood with your tears or the fact that you are having trouble with the words coming out of your mouth. This is your words and your time to express your love towards the couple. Look at them and say what you want to say. Take your time when you speak and the words will flow through.

Keep Notes Handy

Practice makes perfect but having your wedding speech or toast on a piece of paper or your phone notes is something you should think about doing. It is important to have this because you don’t want to be up there while everyone is watching you and forget what you want to say. This is not the time to wing it. After all, you want to feel confident in what you are saying and not too overwhelmed with nerves to remember what you want to say. Don’t be shy about reading it word from word off your notes, we all need a little help.

Beforehand Reminders

Think twice before drinking too much before your speech. Remember that this is supposed to be a happy moment. As much as you want to take a drink to calm your nerves, this can also result in slurring words and getting mixed up. This makes everyone feel uncomfortable and takes away from actually celebrating and toasting the couple. Make sure that you ask if everyone can hear you right off the bat to avoid having to repeat yourself over and over again. Save yourself the trouble and have that addressed before starting.

Final Thoughts