<p>(not the bread kind – the wedding reception kind)</p>
<p>D emailed me for suggestions. She said she had to “make a speech” at the wedding. I had to smile. She is very shy. In theory, being fairly well-read, she should have been able to find a poem or something. In reality, she just found out about “the speech” and is busily trying to juggle things before she drives 400 miles. She will miss the rehearsal in fact.</p>
<p>Are my helicopter blades whirring if she asked me for help?</p>
<p>Anyway… I am turning to you all for suggestions. Have you heard any poems or prose passages that you would recommend?</p>
<p>The most important thing to rememeber is to speak only in positive terms throughout the speech. She might have been chosen for her kindness and “shyness” because some of the speeches I’ve endured recently at weddings (by drunk best-men, generally) are cutting, sarcastic, embarassing. The goal is not to get a big laugh, it is to give honor to the couple. </p>
<p>I think it’s great she went to you for advice.</p>
<p>I liked the links although in my experience the allotted time is a bit shorter than Speech #1. She might also have one delightful personal story to share about the bride or couple that absolutely expresses all their merits. </p>
<p>Keep the main focus on the recent past, present moment or near future, as compared to when they were babies or will be grandparents! </p>
<p>If she gets up and it’s a noisy, talkative crowd that isn’t pausing to listen to her, she might try the “teacher trick” of stopping mid-sentence until the room quiets for her, then continue with her speech. Out-shouting a crowd doesn’t work; pausing a moment often does quiet the group. If she’s never before spoken into a microphone, tell her she doesn’t have to shout into it, just talk. Have her ask a friend to give her a thumbs-up signal during the first sentence if her voice volume is fine, or if she can’t be heard, put her hand to her ear. The hardest thing for a speaker to know is how the sound is coming out to a large crowd. The sound system points to the crowd, not the one giving the speech, so often they think they’re not being heard and start screeching into the mike; not necessary at all! </p>
<p>Just had a flashback. At my brother-in-law’s (my husband’s brother) wedding… the maid of honor said something to the effect of, “I hope it works out, but if not, there are always more fish in the sea.” ! :eek: </p>
<p>15 years later… they’re still married. </p>
<p>It turns out that that young woman was being abused by her husband and no one yet knew… They’re divorced now and she never remarried.</p>
Thanks.</p>