Public speaking is either a love or a hate for most people… I must admit, it is hard for me. (Unless you get me talking about blogs, teaching kids, or crafting. But, when it comes to your best friends special day, the pressure is on. You want the speech to me memorable, clever, sweet, and really say how you feel. All while, looking cute, poised, and trying to make eye contact. It’s scary. The end.
I have been a maid of honor 4 times now. Yep, 4! Have you ever seen 27 Dresses? That’s me! I don’t have a lot of friends, but I have a few really good ones! Here is my 1 giant piece of advice:
I discovered rhyming poems and they saved my speech writing life. Kind of. Here is my Maid of Honor (MoH) speech history:
As you can see, It’s been a major learning curve for me. 4th time was a charm. Here she is… the rhyming poem/ MoH speech that I actually read!
Here’s how you get started with your own rhyming poem:
- Make a list of a few events you know you want in the poem.
- Type the alphabet below the list of events.
- I always do mine in chronological order.
- These words are in all 4 of my poems: say/ day, galore/more, fun/sun, said/wed… use ’em!
- Switch lines up if they don’t end in a good rhyming word. For ex., “Betty called to tell me she met a boy a work” Nothing good rhymes with work, so I switched the line to read, “Betty met a boy at work, she called to tell” Lots more words rhyme with tell.
- Steal my last 4 lines… Just change the “Christmas holidays 2010” and “September 17th” to whatever is true for your friend.
Here is me in action…
Since we are in the midst of the Pretty Parties Series… I just have to share a few details of Bethany’s beautiful South Florida wedding.
Close up of the sliver branches covered in orchids…
How cute are these corks turned place card holders… Bethany used Corky Creations, but I know a few crafters who could whip these up.
This confetti was a surprise to all (by the groom), but check out these great pics…I think everyone should have confetti at their wedding 🙂
Are you a good public speaker? Have you ever had to give a speech in front of lots of peeople? Do you have any techniques or good advice? I would really love to hear…
PS: since I’ve got wedding on the brain… have you seen the adorable free printable kid activity book yet?
Haha – those pictures made me laugh because I could kind of see how giddy you were. Rhyming poems are a nice style to use if you don’t want to try to be too funny or too sentimental. They definitely keep it light and happy. And, yeah, totally agree with you on watch your pace (ie: not reading it too quickly)
My husband has been best man 4 times too as well as MC (master of ceremonies) twice. Since I’ve watched him all these times, I can definitely agree that practice makes perfect!
The best tip I’ve ever had was to memorise your speech – this way it sounds natural and unrehearsed and you might just need to check your notes briefly rather than read verbatim. I agree with the comment above on eating/drinking anything but water beforehand (especially alcohol before a wedding speech) – it can dry your mouth up terribly.
I took a public speaking class. One of the most important tips she gave us was to not eat sweets, carbs, or drink soda or juice..just water. These make your glands work more and create more saliva, giving you trouble talking smoothly.
I had to speak at a treatment program graduation the other day. I knew what sorts of things I wanted to say. I wrote it out and practiced a few times until I was comfortable enough to say it without note cards. So it came of as a perfectly polished speech, that was off the cuff 🙂 My boss LOVED it!