A SPEECH expert from Wotton has revealed the dos and don'ts of a wedding speech - including collaborating with your spouse and not being offensive.
Heidi Ellert-McDermott, 46, delivered her own bridal speech at her wedding and insists couples should not be bound by tradition.
She wants to help others break tradition and doesn't think the wedding speeches should be left to the same people each time and says it is no longer ‘a three-bloke tradition’.
Since at most weddings, the best man, the father of the bride and the groom will deliver a speech.
Heidi, author and founder of Speechy, said: "You are wanting to make everyone in the room feel more loved.
"Everyone should be left with a grin on their face.
"What a way to pay a massive tribute to your partner in a way that gets everyone in the room rooting for your relationship a bit more.
"Having given my own bride's speech, I thought it was such a missed opportunity.
"At Speechy we have been encouraging more women to get involved with speeches whether doing it themselves or taking some responsibility for it.
"It's a joint opportunity to add something nice to the day rather than it being a duty that needs to be done."
Heidi has recently written a book called 'The Modern Couple's Guide To Wedding Speeches' which helps couples to deliver unforgettable speeches.
She says that speeches should make people in the room feel loved and leave them remembering the speech for the rest of their life.
"We are encouraging more people to think creatively by looking at the women in their friends and family. It is no longer a three-bloke tradition," she said.
"Couples are diverse, it is much more inclusive in recognising who is up there and who may want to give a speech.
Some of the don'ts of a speech include not having a speech overtaken by etiquette and having cheesy gags from Google.
Heidi also said that all speeches should be around 10 minutes long and around 1,200 words.
Heidi said: "Sometimes it is hard for people to be descriptive. It comes down to storytelling and noticing the little ways you both work together and sharing some of those moments.
"Anything that makes people cringe is not good, you should not be trying to give people genuine chuckles as opposed to groan laughter."
DOS
- Make everyone in the room feel loved
- Collaborate with your partner on the speech
- Don't stick to traditional roles of who gives the speech
DON'TS
- Don't speak for longer than 10 minutes
- Don't read from your phone
- No crude gags
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