It is natural to feel nervous when you speak in front of a large crowd. On a wedding event, speeches are expected, as they are a traditionally part of the special occasion. If you have the role to give one, these are the tips you need to learn and follow, in order to avoid feeling nervous.
1. Try not to be Perfect
Whatever your participation is, it is true that you cannot please everyone. You will hear comments that are either good or bad. That’s how people react to things, so do not think it is a personal thing that is directed toward you. It is not your goal to please everybody when giving a wedding speech. Instead, you impress the newlyweds if you are a family relative or a friend. If you are the bride or the groom, you concentrate on your partner and the families you have.
When you forget the thought of being perfect, you are most likely feel more confident to stand and face the audience. If you know you can do mistakes, at least you won’t feel embarrassed. This helps reduce the feeling of being nervous.
In case of a mistake, just go with it and regain your self-confidence and composure. You have to continue until you finish this task. Just remember and focus on the things you say next. Do not just stumble on the mistake and leave other things.
2. Think Positively and Confidently
Pressure is a self creation, so the only thing that helps you overcome it is when you are more confident about yourself. You keep in mind always, especially before you speak, that you can do this. If you believe in yourself, there is no excuse as to why you would feel less confident. To add this, just think in a positive way. If you are more negative and question your capabilities, it will eat you up in, and at the end you lose your self-belief.
3. Prepare in Advance
One thing that really helps you collect more confidence is to prepare. Do not just make a speech and practice it a few minutes before your turn to speak. You need to take some time preparing what you need to say. It makes you feel more nervous if you are not prepared, because you simply do not know what to say, or what to do.
4. Have Enough Rest before the Day You Speak
The reason why you need to prepare your speech beforehand, is to give yourself some time to rest. It is important that you sleep early the night before the wedding. You need energy that is responsible in helping boost your confidence. If you do not feel good, such a headache in the morning, it can affect your mood, which may result to bad speech.
5. Avoid Hassles and Vices
You also have to stay away from substances that may trigger to alter your mood. Smoking cigars, drinking alcohol, and taking up weeds can surely make you behave differently. There is absolutely wine or champagne during the wedding, but make sure you do not drink enough, or else you end up embarrassing yourself. Other than vices, try not to be busy the day or some hours before your speaking engagement. You have to relax before your time to speak.
6. Be at Your Best
Confidence level is increased when you dress appropriately. You also have to check on yourself if you look good to speak in front of some people. Is your hair combed properly? Are your shoes polished or shining? What about your attire for the occasion? For women, there is more than just wearing a dress and a pair of shoes. You need to have a set of jewelry, and makeup, too. For men, just being neat and formal can make them look stunning.
7. Make Eye Contact
Whether you have a note or not, always look straight into the eyes of your audience. You need to make a connection to them when giving a speech. This is more applicable if you are referring to a particular person, let’s say the couple, who you must focus on the entire time. Also, you must just look at people who have friendly aura. Those who are smiling and looking attentive can cheer you up to speak more confidently.
8. Stand Properly
As soon as you speak, you must be standing properly. How you stand and move can have an effect on getting the attention of the audience. You also be aware of the gestures you are making if they can be distracting or grabbing interest. This also includes your way of holding the microphone. You must talk to it so everyone can clearly hear you.
9. Drink Water
ike what is discussed in number five, you must avoid drinking anything that can make you feel bad. Instead, have water instead, but not too much, or else you will need to find the bathroom. When you drink water, you avoid making your mouth dry.
10. Talk as if You are Alone
To gain the confidence you need in giving a speech, you speak as if you are the only person in the room. The less people you think about, the less nervous you would feel. This is also a good strategy on how you can believe in yourself that you make a beautiful speech.
Remember that these ten tips can help you feel a lot more confident when speaking in public. If it is your first time to talk in front of audience on a wedding, you surely need these things to follow. To make you feel better, you only need 5 minutes or less to do this and achieve a goal of providing a wonderful wedding speech. You do not need to stand for half an hour, so you just have to chill and relax. At the end of the day, you will proud of yourself and realize that it is just a piece of a cake.
