The best way to tackle nervousness and fear about giving a speech is through preparation.  If your speech is well written, rehearsed and you know all of the details about the speech location your nerves will be calmed. In contrast, if you storm out of your house, twenty minutes late with a yogurt stain on your blouse and you did not get a chance to practice your speech, you will most likely be nervous.  Even Oprah Winfrey would be nervous speaking under those conditions.

Arguably the most famous orator of the 20th century had a rule about the amount of preparation that is necessary for speeches.  Winston Churchill would spend one hour for each minute of speaking time! This fact clearly dispels the notion that phenomenal public speaking is an inborn talent.  Churchill is testament to the fact that it takes hard work and preparation. The modern rule of thumb for preparation is that you should spend 10 hours for each hour of speaking time.

1.  Memorize the Opening and the Closing

Once you have prepared your speech you are now ready to rehearse the speech.  Firstly, you must memorize the opening and the closing of the speech.  You do not want to look down at your notes during these two key periods of your presentation. This is your chance to seize the audience’s attention or leave a lasting first impression.  You need to use every tool in the arsenal.  Since body language can account for upwards of 65% of all communication, you cannot afford to look down at your notes during the opening and the closing.  For example, imagine toasting the bride while reading from a cue card - it would lose impact.

2. Read the Speech Aloud

The next step is to read the wedding speech and listen for what is pleasing to the ear.  As you are writing the speech you will be reading aloud certain paragraphs. A speech is not an essay! It requires a special consideration to the way sentences sound as opposed to how sentences are read.

As you read the entire speech aloud you want to listen for key phrases that require emphasis.  If a phrase requires emphasis you might want to make it bold on your page.  Another option is to highlight in yellow marker all points of emphasis. That way when you look down at your page you will see that this point needs to be emphasized and delivered in a forceful manner.  For example, when one expresses gratitude one might touch their chest.  Think about how strange it would be if you expressed gratitude to the groom's family and made a fist!

3.  Practice the Speech In Front of a mirror.

Next, practice the speech in front of a mirror.  Use a full length mirror if possible.  You want to be able to detect any rocking from side to side or overzealous foot movement.  Study your hand gestures and facial expressions.  Are your gestures consistent with the content of your speech?

4. Practice the Speech In Front of a Confidante

It is now helpful to practice your wedding speech in front of your spouse, friend or business colleague. Anyone who can offer helpful suggestions and constructive criticism is worth practicing your speech in front of.  It is helpful to give this person an idea of what you want them to look out for.  For example, you might instruct your friend to pay particular attention to your body language or whether you're enunciating words clearly.  Remember, it is important to give guidelines in order to receive constructive feedback. Below you will find a sample feedback form that you can provide to your “test” audience.

5.  Record Your Speech on Your MP3 Player or Video Camera

Another great method for practicing your wedding peech is recording it on your MP3 player, iPod or even an old tape recorder. Recording is especially useful to time your speech and ensure that it follows the stated time guidelines.  Please note that the timing of a recorded speech is no guarantee of the length of your “live” speech. Speeches that were recorded at 6 minutes can run as little as 4 minutes during the actual presentation.

Recording your speech and listening to it in the car or while taking a walk is also a great way of helping you to memorize your speech. You may only memorize key points using this strategy because it is difficult to memorize a speech word for word without writing it out several times.

Another option is to video tape your speech.  Again, this is an easy option in this day and age.  Any digital camera gives you the opportunity to view your progress. Place the camera about ten feet away and try to capture your entire body.  Again, you want to be able to detect if your feet are rocking back and forth.

If you follow these five tips you can eliminate most wedding speech anxiety.