Making a speech and a toast is one of many responsibility given to the maid of honor.
It can be nerve wrecking if you dislike public speaking.
Imagine a room full of guests and family members waiting to hear what you are about to say.
Preparation is the key to calming those nerves.
Set aside sometime for writing the speech.
Do not put it off.
Brain storm ideas on what you would to say.
Think about the tone of your speech.
Is it sentimental,serious with a dash of humor.
Or a bit of everything.
Run through those ideas you wrote.
Take out those which you think might be thought of as mean-spirited or unkind.
Its a good practise to write down important things on cue cards, You can refer to them when you need to.
If you are uncertain how the bride may feel about your speech.
Go through the whole process with her.
It can be a great bonding experiences.
Try a story telling approach.
Start by introducing yourself.
How you met the bride.
Silly or interesting adventure that both of you shared.
You can also add little details of what the bride feels about the groom in there early days of courtship.
Let the guest knows what this relationship meant to you.
Add a spiritual comment or a meaningful piece of writing that you dedicate to the bride and groom.
And of course, remember to give them a dash of marital advice and wish them well on their journey.
If you are single, you can tell the couple what you admire about their relationship when you see them together.
If you are still stuck on speech writing, A poem or a lyrics from a song is a good way of expressing your thought and feelings for the couple.
Do keep the speech brief.
It should last about eight minutes.
The focus on that day belongs to the bride and her groom.