Stress-free Wedding Planning Podcast #176: Transform Your Wedding Speech. Essential Tips For An Impactful Moment!
The Wedding Speech. Discover how to transform your words into a heartfelt moment.
The Stress-free Wedding Planning Podcast
Recognized as one of the Top 60 Wedding Planning Podcasts by Millionpodcasts.com
Meet Sal and Sam, your hosts for The Stress-free Wedding Planning Podcast. Additionally, this podcast is for engaged couples who feel overwhelmed with wedding planning and family expectations but want a memorable and fun wedding day.
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Sal and Sam are your hosts, two professional DJs with over 80 years of combined wedding expertise and thousands of happy couples. Furthermore, they’ll guide you through planning your wedding. As a result, taking you from concern and being overwhelmed, to a memorable, fun, and stress-free wedding.
Also, listen for engaging interviews from event professionals and insightful topics.
In This Edition
In this week’s edition, discover how to transform your words into a heartfelt moment. From timing to delivery, Sal and Sam spill tips and tricks that’ll leave you feeling confident for your wedding speech.
Most importantly, they cover everything from avoiding inside jokes to getting your audience emotionally invested.
And finally, you’ll hear personal stories, heartfelt messages, and insider tips to help with your wedding speech.
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Stress-free Wedding Planning Podcast #176: Transform Your Wedding Speech. Essential Tips For An Impactful Moment!
Host: Sal & Sam
Music: “Sam’s Tune” by Rick Anthony
Join our community for free tips and suggestions – Stress-free Wedding Planning Community
Produced by Atmosphere Productions in association with After Hours Events of New England
Transcript
Transform Your Wedding Speech. Essential Tips For An Impactful Moment!
DJ Sal: Today’s edition is about transforming your wedding speech. Oh yeah! We’re talking about wedding speeches and of course don’t forget the toast.
DJ Sam: Exactly the part of the night where people either laugh, cry, or quite simply pray that it’ll be over.
DJ Sal: How true! How true! We’ve all been there! The speech that goes on forever or the one filled with inside jokes that no one gets!
DJ Sam: We’re breaking down what makes a great toast and how to make sure your moment on the mic is remembered for all the right reasons.
DJ Sal: Thanks for joining us. Hi I’m Sal from After Hours Events of New England. That’s After Hours Events Of N.E dot com
DJ Sam: I’m Sam from Atmosphere Productions, all the W’s Atmosphere hyphen P roductions dot com. Learn more about our experience and the journey to help you with stress-free wedding planning in the trailer, or pilot of this podcast.
JR: Welcome to [00:01:00] Stress-Free Wedding Planning, the podcast that will transform your wedding planning journey from chaotic to enchanting. Sal and Sam bring over 80 years of combined wedding expertise and exclusive insider information to the table. If you’re recently engaged, feeling the pressure of wedding planning.
Struggling with family expectations, but still dreaming of a joy-filled wedding. You’ve come to the right place. Get ready to unveil the best-kept wedding secrets. Discover practical tips and strategies and learn life-changing lessons for a Stress-free wedding. Your unforgettable wedding day awaits.
We’re here to take you on a transformative journey of love, laughter, and memories, so don’t miss out on the podcast. That just might change your life. This is the Stress-Free Wedding Planning Podcast with Sal and Sam.
DJ Sam: Are you giving a wedding speech or a toast soon? Then don’t panic. We’ve got you covered.
DJ Sal: We’ll break down how to create a short, heartfelt, and memorable speech that leaves everyone smiling.
DJ Sam: We will explain structure, timing, and delivery.
DJ Sal: You’ll [00:02:00] learn what not to do.
DJ Sam: By the end of this edition, you’ll learn how to turn nerves into a confident, impactful moment that the couple and guests will never forget.
DJ Sal: But first, let’s congratulate Erica and Chris, who got married this past September at the Whitmore at Vyne in Middlebury, Connecticut. Thank you for listening to the Stress-Free Wedding Planning podcast to help you plan your wedding. All the best to Erica and Chris.
DJ Sam: So, Sal, why do speeches and toasts matter so much?
DJ Sal: They’re so important. But you do need to realize what the difference is between a speech and a toast. A speech, you’re kind of talking about the couple and giving some information to everyone. And a toast is “live, love, laugh, cheers,” type of thing. So it’s just a quick thing that you’re just cheering to, but the speech is more information about the couple and, uh, your experience with them. uh So your speech is more than just words. It’s a chance to honor the couple and [00:03:00] celebrate their story.
DJ Sam: Right. It’s not about you, so you don’t need to start off the toast with, “for those of you who don’t know me”. Never do that. It’s about them and giving everyone in the room a little window into their relationship.
DJ Sal: I gotta add something to that Sam. You know, people do that all the time. Just in case you don’t know me, my name is “blah blah blah blah”. If they had a professional MC, that person is already given all the credentials to this person. “Oh, here’s Rick’s best man his older brother,” and you know the name and everything. We’re giving all the information. So why are you repeating the same exact words that we just said over the microphone? First off you wanna start off with a big smile. You wanna get everyone smiling. Maybe tearing up a bit, feeling that love. Not staring at their dessert forks!
DJ Sam: Yeah, that’s right, Sal. You’ve gotta keep it positive and meaningful. Whether you are doing a toast or a speech, no matter [00:04:00] what, keep it short, sweet, and heartfelt.
DJ Sal: You know, and one thing I wanna remind everyone, and please, we try to tell everyone. Remember, this is to honor the couple, not to embarrass them.
DJ Sam: Alright, let’s talk about timing now. Two to three minutes. That’s the sweet spot. I usually tell my clients. Do not go over five minutes. For everything; the toast, the speeches, the blessing. You want to keep it short. Two or three minutes is about good.
DJ Sal: And something people don’t remember about that Sam is too is by having these long speeches you’re actually throwing the schedule of the day off, pretty dramatically. So you wanna be careful of that. Now I know what we’re telling you for a timeframe, seems like it’s not much, but trust us. It’s perfect. Anything longer and people start checking their watches and wondering when dancing’s gonna start.
DJ Sam: Exactly. And now here’s a simple structure to keep your speech on track. Number one, [00:05:00] stay away from introducing yourself. We’ve already explained why on that. Share one great story. Keep it short and relevant. Do not do a complete history of your relationship with the couple.
Say something genuine about their relationship. Then end it with a clear toast, and remember to ask people to raise their glasses.
DJ Sal: That’s it. Don’t over complicate it. Pick one moment that shows who they are and not a full biography.
DJ Sam: Wouldn’t have said it better myself, Sal. Now remember, if you are the best man and you are doing a speech. Make sure you talk about not only the groom, but the bride as well. And the same thing, if you are a maid of honor, of course you’re gonna talk about the bride, but also make sure you say something about the groom. This keeps your speech even.
DJ Sal: Now here’s how to [00:06:00] avoid some of the most common mistakes. Now let’s talk about the don’ts.
DJ Sam: Number one on that list, of course, is don’t talk about ex’s. Never talk about ex’s. I can’t believe we actually have to say that, but just don’t.
DJ Sal: I don’t know why we have to keep telling people about this but they always make that common mistake, specifically! Also skip the inside jokes, everyone. Only three people in the room know what you’re talking about and if everyone’s not understanding you’ve just lost the room. I know some of you think it’s worth it, but it really never is.
DJ Sam: And keep it clean. Weddings are where the grandparents and kids are. It’s not open mic night at the local bar.
DJ Sal: And keep in mind too, drinking is a big thing. You don’t want to drink too much before doing a speech. That’s where it could really go off the rails. Look, just have fun and keep it together.
DJ Sam: Practice. Yes, practice. Practice your [00:07:00] speech ahead of time. Don’t think that you can do this off the top of your head, and if you have to do it on your phone, have bullet points so you can feel as if you are doing this more confidently.
DJ Sal: On that topic uh, Sam I gotta tell you, I tell everyone a cell phone cannot be used for speeches. One, it doesn’t look very good in pictures and video. But also a lot of people don’t realize the modern-day cell phone has frequencies that sometime cut into the mic frequencies of the DJ or the band. So my suggestion is always type it out, print it out, cut it out, and put it on an index card.
DJ Sam: Do you have a question or a concern? Go now to Facebook and join us on the Stress-Free Wedding Planning Community, and now in the Connecticut Wedding Advice Community. You can also join us on our YouTube channel. Just search for Stress-Free Wedding Planning podcast with Sal and Sam. Like, comment, subscribe, and get it first. We’d like to thank [00:08:00] you our listener because of you, we are now ranked at number 15 in the Top 60 Wedding Planning Podcasts by Million Podcasts dot com.
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DJ Sal: What’s this week’s Wedding Tip Wednesday about [00:09:00] Sam?
DJ Sam: Well, since we’re talking about speeches and toasts, I figured this one would be appropriate. Don’t make a spontaneous toast. And when it comes to speeches, more is not better. So now, if the couple didn’t ask you to say a few words, it’s safe to assume that they don’t want you talking to the guests.
DJ Sal: Firstly, the couple have already carefully selected the people who are invited to speak at their wedding. Secondly, If they didn’t choose you, no matter how amazing you think your words of wisdom might be, you should keep them to yourself
DJ Sam: And that’s another wedding tip from Sal and Sam.
Adam: Wedding Tip Wednesday is available on the Stress-Free Wedding Planning Facebook group page every Wednesday. Join the group for free.
JR: This is the Stress-free Wedding Planning Podcast with Sal and Sam.
DJ Sal: Today’s discussion is transforming your wedding speech: essential tips for an impactful moment. I’m Sal from After Hours Events of New England.
DJ Sam: I am Sam from Atmosphere [00:10:00] Productions. We’ve explained avoiding common mistakes, keeping the speech short and sweet, and why speeches matter. Now we’ll talk about delivery because how you say it matters. Firstly, smile. I was taught when I started doing radio first that if you smile, then your voice comes up from the diaphragm and it sounds better. It does. It relaxes you and makes you come across as genuine.
DJ Sal: 100 percent on that Sam, and talk slowly. Don’t rush. Leave little pauses, so your words and your jokes have time to land.
DJ Sam: That’s a good one. And keep that microphone close to you, about two inches from your mouth. It’s not a prop, it’s your lifeline. Remember, if you don’t speak loud enough, they’re not gonna hear you.
DJ Sal: I wanna add something to that, Sam. I’ve been finding lately with speeches, [00:11:00] not only are they keeping the mic too far away, but they’ll move their head and not bring the mic with them. So it’s not magical. It has to come with you, and yes, about two inches away. And also, don’t do this, and I don’t know why this has been happening lately. Pointing to the crowd with the microphone. I don’t understand that. Why are you pointing with the mic. Point with the other hand. They can’t hear you now while you’re speaking. If there’s a DJ coordinator like us, we’ll help you with all this. We’ll cue your moment and make sure you sound great. You’re not alone up there.
DJ Sam: Making it personal is also important. The best speeches feel real. You don’t have to sound fancy or rehearsed, just be you. There’s no problem just reading your speech, if that’s the way you feel more comfortable.
DJ Sal: Yeah Sam and speak from the heart. A few genuine sentences are way more powerful than 10 minutes of filler.
DJ Sam: [00:12:00] Uh-Huh! True words have never been said. And if you get emotional, that’s okay. You can shed a tear. It’s okay. It means that you care. People actually connect with that.
DJ Sal: Exactly Your job isn’t to be perfect. It’s to make the couple feel loved and celebrated.
DJ Sam: Alright, now let’s have a quick recap. Keep it short and sweet. Two to three minutes max. Tell one story and share something heartfelt and end with a toast with everybody raising their glasses.
Avoid ex’s. Please avoid inside jokes, please. And avoid drinking too much. That’s a no-no. Speak slowly. Smile and be yourself.
DJ Sal: Nailed it! Remember this is your gift to the couple a moment they’ll remember forever.
DJ Sam: So there you have it, your guide to transforming your wedding speech and toast into an unforgettable moment. At the [00:13:00] end of the day, a great speech or a toast isn’t about performance, it’s about connection.
DJ Sal: When you speak from the heart people feel it. You’ll create a moment that sticks with everyone especially the couple. So take a few minutes to prepare, relax ,and enjoy your time on the mic. You’ve got this!
DJ Sam: Now, as you spend the next week planning your wedding, if you want me, Sal, or our community of stress-free engaged couples and wedding experts to answer any wedding-related questions, then join us in the Stress-Free Wedding planning Facebook group.
DJ Sal: Once you’re in, go ahead and share your concerns and worries, and we’ll let you know if you are on the right track or if there are things you need to work on. The link to join us is in the show notes of this edition, or go to Facebook and search for the Stress-Free Wedding Planning community.
DJ Sam: Remember to do something nice for someone today, and if you can’t, then do something nice for yourself. If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve just heard, leave a review and share it with a friend or someone who would benefit from this information. Until next time, it’s. [00:14:00] TTFN, Tah-Tah For Now!
DJ Sal: Thank you for listening to this edition. A new edition is released every Wednesday. Subscribe and get it first. We’ll catch you then. Caio!
Wayne: The Stress-Free Wedding Planning Podcast is produced and copyrighted by Atmosphere Productions in association with After Hours Events of New England.
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