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[F122]Father Groom Wedding Speech

by Denise Duncan, Den

Whether a wedding ceremony is the simplest or the most extravagant of all, it is not complete without speeches from the newly-wed couple, the parents, principal sponsors, and even relatives and closest friends. It is at this point and time in the wedding celebration where laughter as well as tears of joy and mixed feelings about the affair is displayed.

Many years back, a wedding speech was reserved mostly for the fathers of the bride and groom to give and to the groom himself. A bride delivering a speech on her wedding day was very unusual. Gender sensitivity was not yet as strongly practiced then as it is today.

There are a variety of wedding speeches which have gained prominence. Some of these speeches have even been written in books to serve as references for the present generation. In Egypt, these speeches were attributed to the gods in the form of offerings and blessings. On the other hand, in Europe, it is the fathers who usually do the talking during the wedding reception.

Times are really changing and people are now, little by little, getting away from tradition. Modifications are being made to be in tune with the present times. It is very common now for the maid of honor to deliver her speech. Part of this evolvement also is the content of speeches. It used to be that speeches were once more inclined to giving blessings, wishes for good luck, good health and more kids and so on. Modern speeches inject humor, drama, and many tales which usually exposes the personalities of the bride and groom as well as their respective families.

Generally a wedding speech tells of the feelings of the speaker towards the newly-weds. The speaker himself usually writes it or asks somebody to write down his feelings for him. There are a lot of styles, tips and approaches to wedding speeches and they can be found in reference books on how to effectively deliver this kind of speech. The following guidelines have proven to aid first-timers:

1. Be familiar with the place. This includes checking the area where you will speak. Acknowledge the person who introduces you. Greeting the attendees/audience will establish rapport with them.

2. Avoid negative thoughts about your capacity to deliver this speech successfully. And always SMILE.

3. Stand with confidence and try to connect with your audience. Look at them one at a time for 5 to 7 seconds. Do not address them as a whole. Establish eye contact. Eye contact in this process helps the audience to feel important, and they realize what you are about to say is important also. This will give you confidence.

4. Speak from your notes or memory, if possible. The main point is, you want to say your message from the heart and do it naturally so that is it heartfelt.

5. Just be yourself. Don’t be afraid to use your sense of humor.

Giving a speech can be daunting, so when it comes to wedding speeches, the keyword is preparation, preparation, preparation. On the day of the wedding, the speech must be prepared enough that you are able to appear off the cuff and spontaneous-only then will the audience believe that it is as heartfelt and sincere as you meant it to be.Practice, practice and more practice. The best speakers are those who practice what they have to say. They may look like they've been giving wedding speeches all their lives. The fact remains that to look spontaneous, fluent and a great orator you have to put in some effort. It is important to practice your speech before the mirror or an audience at least 7-10 times before the actual D-day.

For the actual writing of the speech, try to find as much information about the bride and groom and their families as possible-after all, this speech is for them. Be certain that whatever information you gather is absolutely correct, and check with several sources. Try to find a funny story or two to sandwich into your speech in order to keep the audience interested. However, be very careful-what you think is funny, the bride and groom may not find tasteful. Thus, make sure jokes and stories are tasteful and will not embarrass or upset anyone. A safer way to crack jokes is to target yourself: make yourself the butt of your jokes, and nobody else will feel insulted. Keep in mind that the audience is there to enjoy the wedding and have fun, just as you are, so they will most likely laugh at your amusingly corny lines anyway. But don't be too much of a comedian-the audience is here for a wedding, not a comedy show.

Be comfortable. Remember this is not a job interview. It is a wedding and an occasion to celebrate. Most people wish you the best and will receive the wedding speech well. So there really is no reason for you to be nervous or worry.

Keep your speech interesting and full of content; cut out any unnecessary words or descriptions-long flowery phrases sound much better when written than when spoken. Do not try to reach a certain time limit; it's content that matters, not length. If you find yourself adding extra phrases here and there and switching around words to make the speech sound sophisticated, stop. Speeches are better left in plain, simple, and direct wording so as not to confuse the audience or bore them. The ideal length of a wedding speech is less than five minutes.

Finally comes the memorization portion. You should memorize the introduction and conclusion of your speech by heart, in the case that you forget parts of the middle. Rehearse, rehearse, and rehearse! Practice in front of the mirror, and match gestures to your words to make the wedding speech more engaging. Bring along note cards to look at only if you blank out and desperately need to. Be sure to start your preparation at least two or three weeks early!

Article Source : Free Wedding Speeches

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Both Denise Duncan & Nick Clipton are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Denise Duncan has sinced written about articles on various topics from detox diet, Pets and Wedding Flowers. Denise Duncan has been involved in the wedding planning business for a number of years, and is an author and editor for Website.. Denise Duncan's top article generates over 2400 views. to your Favourites.

Nick Clipton has sinced written about articles on various topics from Dogs, Getting Pregnant and Teeth Whitening. A generally closes with a toast to the bridal couple. Use these tips to ensure that your Wedding Speech brings a smile to everyones face and a t. Nick Clipton's top article generates over 165000 views. to your Favourites.