by: When my very good friend Cheryl asked me to be her MOH, I was so honored and immediately said YES!
It would later hit me that I would also be expected to make a toast (speech) at the reception. At this thought my stomach dropped, my hands went to ice and panic quickly set in. I do not like being the center of attention! To be honest, it has nothing to do with humility and everything to do with a fear of humiliation. Invariably, embarrassing things happen to me whenever I am in the center~ whether it’s something stuck to my chin, the bottom of my shoe or something much, much worse.
After my panic subsided and I told myself that “it’s not about me” “it’s not about me” a million times, I started on my homework. I jumped on the internet to discover a way to educate myself, so even if there was something stuck to my chin, maybe the guests would pay more attention to my thoughtful words.
Thankfully, I found plenty of resources out there and I settled on How to write a great wedding speech by Leslie Anne from www.Wedaholic.com. This post talks about the main purpose of a speech and of being organized with a beginning, middle and an end while combining thoughtful sentiments and humorous anecdotes.
Here’s an excerpt:
The main purpose of the speech is to congratulate the happy couple, and wish them all the best in their new life together. The general idea is that the father of the bride and groom keep their speeches both touching, and humorous, while the best man has to be light-hearted and entertaining. Each speech involves thanking the relevant people, a few anecdotes, and ends with a toast, which many think is just an excuse to knock back more champagne (so it’s all good)! If it’s that simple, what could go wrong?
While I can’t tell you there wasn't anything stuck to my chin during my toast, I can tell you, I felt fairly comfortable giving it~ after reviewing the tips and practicing, practicing and practicing!
Pass along these tips to your wedding party. Let us know how the toasting went!
Cheers!
