Father Of The Bride Speeches

Now that you have a completed speech in your hand, you now need to practice speaking it aloud and start to make any changes to the way it flows so that you can speak it naturally. When we write we usually do so quite formally, but since you’ll be talking you need to rewrite it to reflect that. You won’t need the entire speech in front of you on the night, but it will help you gain confidence to say it now as you intend to speak on the night.

The aim isn’t to practice a run through of the speech yet, but if you feel like it you can treat it as such. Sitting comfortably rather than standing is perfect for what we want to do and the moment.

So, here we go; read your draft speech aloud changing anything obvious so it flows better. Normally when we speak we abbreviate words (cannot to can’t for instance), and this is exactly what you should be aiming for with the next draft of your speech. Once you’re happy with the result you’re in a position to rehearse properly.

Depending on how you feel about it, you may want to ensure there is no one in earshot, but when you’re ready to rehearse you should stand, imagine yourself at the wedding, take a couple of relaxed breaths and then start talking.

You’ll probably want to do this a few times so that you get the hang of the words, and it can be a huge benefit if you record yourself speaking and notice what can be improved. Speak at a steady pace, but change your intonation and speed of delivery to make it interesting; project your voice and allow yourself to pause for breath; allow gaps for laughter and other pauses; look around the room trying to include the entire room in your gaze; try and eliminate filler words (such as um, like I said, you know) from your speech.

Also, remember that your body language is important too and that you’ll speak to the audience before saying a word, so practice getting you posture and non-verbal signals right, but remember that you should be yourself.

As you practice you’ll find that you can start to remember what you are going to say. This is the point that you should condense you speech to a few notes to guide you through the speech and instead of reading your script you can speak about the points on your notes; this will make your speech sound even more natural.

I can’t emphasise how important good practice with good material is. By the time you’ve done this a few times you will definitely be ready for the big day. You’ll be able to relax better and should enjoy giving your speech when the time comes.

Is the thought of giving the father of the bride speech giving you sleepless nights?
If you are feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of having to speak at your daughter’s wedding, here is the information you do not want to miss. Detailed info to help you plan for all aspects of the speech to help you deliver it flawlessly. Click here to learn more