The first step that you need to take when actually writing your speech for a special event or anything is to know your subject first. You should already have this down because you are probably close with either the bride or groom. You should Start your speech with one of your favorite memories of the time spent together. This memory can be sentimental or funny, but nothing too embarrassing for the couple to share in a public space.
Remember you should only share information that is appropriate for all ages. The next step of your speech that you should do is to reflect on the history of the happy couple. Recount a short story of how they met and how the relationship has affected the both of them positively.
One of the best ways to get started on what you plan to include in a wedding speech is to brainstorm your ideas. This is also called mind mapping. Mind mapping is a very useful technique that is used when creating a new presentation idea because it helps you to visualize your speech’s structure. It also makes it easier to develop when it is time to write out your speech in long form.
From the time we are old enough to learn how to write in school, we’re taught to organize our thoughts in an organized way which is line by line, left to right, top to bottom on the page. You may have even learned how to prepare speeches that way already; either writing them out word for word or writing outlines with the main points, then sub-points, then sub-sub- points, and so on.
But that’s not how our mind actually works. We have to train our minds to think this way. When you are getting a speech ready, you don’t think in terms of points and sub-points. We usually think in separate idea links. We will conceptualize a quotation here … a statistic there or a funny anecdote etc. Mind Mapping is simply a technique that is used for translating these mental ideas to paper. It will help you to:
- put your ideas down on paper quickly so that they are remembered later
- build a speech out of disorganized thoughts, ideas and fragments of ideas
- reduce - and possibly even eliminate the need for structured notes