11:03 pm
October 7, 2009
OfflineFor many of us, acting as best man will present us with our first, last and only foray into the scary world of public speaking.
It's important to be confident, both in your content and in your ability to deliver it, but the weight of the occasion coupled with the presence of friends and family can mean nerves get the better of you.
What we know;
- Rehearsal is key
- Picturing the audience naked is a stupid idea
- Celery is a little bit stringy
But we want your confidence tips.
What have you found to be a successful confidence-boosting technique?
What techniques have failed you?
Can over-confidence be a problem?
4:50 pm
September 14, 2010
OfflineWhen I was Best Man for my brother, I found that writing down your thoughts before you right down the actual structure and the wording really helped. It's a nerve-racking thing to do even when you have had some exposure to the murky world of public speaking!
However, the best advice I can say is pick a core message, 2 anecdotes and then don't write too much – we can read quicker than we speak, so a little will go a very long way.
Especially because it's easier to keep calm and centred if you take your time and pace the speech. Less is definitely more!
10:46 pm
That's Mr Groom To You
June 22, 2010
OfflineI've done best man duty and the top confidence tip is to remember everyone is on your side, they've had a few drinks and they want to laugh. You only have to be a little bit funny to get a few laughs.
If you can start with a good, shortish gag – once you get your first laugh you'll relax and start to enjoy it. My mate has longish, floppy blone hair so I opened with "I was a little surprised when Ed asked me to be his best man. I wasn't wearing my specs and I thought he was Boris Johnson." Not the best gag ever but got a big laugh, and was obviously specific to him rather than being an endlessly recycled standard best man line.
Unless it's a hugely formal do where you're asked to do something specific in terms of what you say, who you thank etc, don't be worried by the occasion. Think of it just like telling (reasonably clean) jokes and stories at the pub. That's fun, right? Then your speech should be fun.
I was hugely nervous but really enjoyed it. Absolutely nobody noticed my nerves apart from the photographer, who said he could see my hands shaking when he zoomed in.
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