So it's the night before and I can't sleep. I'm the best man at a friend's wedding tomorrow. You guys want to rate the speech???
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For those of you that don’t know me, my names John and I’m the best man tonight. When Josh asked me to be his best man, I happily agreed. I’ve known Josh since the eighth grade and it has been an absolute privilege being able to be here tonight.
When Josh and I were in High School, my Dad used to give me and my friends lot’s of advice. I have forgotten most of it, except for one thing he told us repeatedly. “You gotta talk to pople”….”You gotta to talk to people.”
I’ve thought about that advice many times over the past few years - and it took me until now to really understand what his message was.
He wasn’t telling us to talk –at- people, his message was that listening and getting to know people will make all the difference in your life. And Josh has made a difference in so many lives by being the living example of that advice.
Look around at his friends and family. He takes a genuine interest in everyone – and people just like him. Josh considers everyone here his family. And today we celebrate that his family has officially doubled.
I am honored that Josh and CeCe asked me to be part of this special celebration. I now ask everyone to stand and raise your glass in a toast to a long and happy marriage.
You obviously mean everything you've got in the speech there, so once you get up there just think about your buddy and his fiance and you should be fine. It's just a speech, and noone is going to think twice if you get nervous
Plus if you get nervous and mess things up you can always reference the words of advice from your father and make a joke about how perhaps you didn't follow the advice very well lol.
i don't know what the expectations for such a speech are in the US but generally: don't be afraid, your audience won't give you grades, they're there to have some fun and be delighted by a few nice words. and if you can: get the number 400 out of your head; there is no physical difference between reading it to 1 person or 400, just what psychology does to you, ignore that shit thirdly: these people are not your enemies, they are guests at the wedding of one of you best friends, so chill~
Your speech is fine. At a wedding, you are not really talking to an audience of strangers, you are talking to people that you either know already, or will meet and gain connection with. Instead of thinking of it like a speech, think of it like you are just talking to a bunch of friends. GL at the wedding.
nervousness is fear of the unknown. if you know that you will nail your speech and that everyone will like you then so it will be. otherwise, you ought to be nervous
I'm a really fucking good public speaker, it's just what I do. Just remember that you are better at whatever it is you're doing than the other people listening. That always calms my nerves, though I rarely get nervous at such things.
Speech is fine! It's not a test or a competition, it's simply saying what's in your heart and what's on your mind.
If lose your train of thought, get freaked, or whatever, just look straight at the bride and groom because they will be the post you can lean on for such an eventuality. They and everyone else there are your friends and family, nothing to be worried about.
just listen to day9, the nerves are simply chemical reactions going through your body, what do they really do? Nothing if you think of them as just that and nothing more
I won the top award for public speaking when I was like 7 then I lost my abilities o.o. Make sure you 'accidentally' hit your head on the microphone when you bow at the end of your speech. Good luck my friend.
i just talk to everyone either 1. like i'm their friend or 2. like im their superior, even though i don't know them. in both cases you raise your own comfort level with the individuals and then have little issue talking to them.
if you can't manage that, you probably are a bit shy/have social difficulty in crowds (nothing to be ashamed of) and probably nothing someone says or tells you to do will help you. just try your best.
or, do what alot of people do, and just talk to the couple, ignoring the crowd completely.
Your confidence in your speech is mostly going to be your delivery. Speaking is always going to be more than just reading something aloud. Just practice giving the whole speech in front of a mirror, in the way you expect to give it before an audience. Keep doing it until you get it right.
You'll deliver it much better and be much less nervous if you know exactly what you're going to do.
4. Rehearse. Jobs rehearses presentations for hours. Nothing is taken for granted. He knows the flow of his story, how he is going to build up to a big moment, what he is going to demonstrate, and how he will open and close the presentation. He appears effortless — but only after hours of rehearsal. Motivation takes preparation.
Very bland speech, it severly lacks fun. Make jokes about when bride and broom were little, silly things they did when they first met, their parents they're now fleeing etc.
On July 17 2010 15:46 Wr3k wrote: You obviously mean everything you've got in the speech there, so once you get up there just think about your buddy and his fiance and you should be fine. It's just a speech, and noone is going to think twice if you get nervous
Plus if you get nervous and mess things up you can always reference the words of advice from your father and make a joke about how perhaps you didn't follow the advice very well lol.
This is really brilliant!
Just reiterating what everyone has already said - I tend to find my nerves go away if I put them in the back of my head and just focus that I'm talking to a group of close friends/family. No one there is gonna be like "What the fuck, why did he pick THIS guy to be best man.." if you get nervous or anything.
The speech itself is touching, but it's all about the delivery! Don't be nervous though, your not on the spotlight nearly as much as the bride and groom are. Also, chances are that by the time you give your speech people will be on their 2nd or 3rd glass of wine, so they'll think your extra funny! Good luck, and don't forget to tell your friend congratulations!
if you want to invest some more time.. do it like actors do and just rehearse it on a walk, in your bed, under the shower..
when i have to give presentations at university i often play it through in advance. sometimes just wandering through our garden, undisturbed, so i can really put emphasis in my speech and feel sure about myself and what i'm saying.
you could do that, but you don't have to stress it man : ) it's not that much of text
EPT
