Preparing Your Speech Outline

A speech outline is a way to organise your ideas, thoughts and speech topics in a logical and clear way. Your audience will only be able to follow your speech if it is very clearly organised and follows a logical format.

A great speech is similar to a great song – it has a regular beat and a rhythm of its own.

So if your speech is structured properly it will develop its own highs and lows giving it a natural flowing format. This will make it easy to listen to.

This is why a speech poem or ode works so well at weddings. It’s so different from the usual speech and has a natural rhythm of its own that is easy to listen to, fast moving and fun which keeps the interest of the audience.

But whatever format you choose for your speech use this structure in your speech outline. Think of it like a map – you wouldn’t start out on a journey would you without knowing where you were going!

Every speech requires a speech structure and it’s very simple, there’s:

a middle

and an end.

As you are putting your ideas together use bullet points and some simple key words and phrases to build your speech outline. You can build on these later as you write your speech.

The Beginning

A very good place to start! Your opening is crucial as this sets the tone for your speech. And it’s the first 30 seconds that are the most important. You’ve heard the expression – first impressions count and you only get one chance to create a first impression – well the first 30 seconds of your speech will form your first impression so make it a good one. This is where you get the attention of your audience and give them a flavour of what’s to come.

So whether you choose to deliver a traditional speech or something a bit more radical your speech outline should begin by addressing the room, introducing yourself and the reason why you are all there.

This is the core of the speech and follows on seamlessly from your beginning. The core of your speech will contain the detail and is the longest of the three parts of your speech. So it makes sense to continue with a logical sequence starting with childhood tales and moving through to adulthood using funny anecdotes to illustrate each point.

Everyone loves a story and story telling is a fantastic way to keep the attention of the audience. Supporting evidence, such as blown up photos or a copy of the newspaper headlines when he/she was born can really add to your material if well thought through and prepared. But only consider using props if they add to the story and not just for the sake of them, otherwise you could lose your rhythm and the momentum you’ve worked so hard to build.

There is a speech etiquette for wedding speeches where each individual delivering a speech does so in a certain order and has certain elements that must be included.

For example, the Father of the Bride will welcome the Groom and the Groom’s parents into his family as part of his speech. The Groom will thank the Bride’s parents for their support and most importantly raise a toast to his beautiful new wife and finally the Best Man will do all the other thank yous!

If you speak from the heart it will make it sincere and make it personal and that’s what everyone will warm to. You don’t have to deliver a series of one liners or be the greatest comic that ever lived to hold your audience spellbound.

The End

Closing your speech is where you produce your best material. You are literally saving the best till last. This is where the compliments flow for the bride and/or groom and where you show how much you really care for him or her.

If you are the Best Man be careful here – you want to get the balance right. This is about showing genuine affection for your best mate not sloppy sentiment. Leading into how well suited the happy couple are and a glimpse of the happiness to come for them.

Remember the whole point of the speech is to reiterate to everyone the rightness of this match. These two belong together and will live happily ever after.

And finally… end with a toast
Ask everyone to stand and raise their glasses to:

The Bride and Groom or
The two sets of parents or
Someone special

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