I was talking yesterday with Don, a new father of the bride client from Richmond, Va.  He was describing how he had been online looking for ideas and guidance for his speech and was shocked at what schlock he found. 

In particular, he was surprised by how generic, dull and silly everything was.  As an example, he mentioned a wedding speech template he found that had the poor speaker defining the word “love” to the bridal couple in flowery, overwritten, scholarly prose.   

Not exactly unique to the bridal couple.  And a little goofy, too.  But Don’s story is common. 

I worked with another father in Denver named Fred recently who had been on YouTube and was seriously considering whether he should replicate a video he saw of an off-key father singing the 1964 Temptations hit, My Girl, to his daughter in front of a stunned crowd.  

I can only imagine being in the room to witness that embarrassing moment live.  

But that’s what’s out there for fathers, maids of honor, best men and other wedding speakers to model their speeches on.  That—combined with the fact that most people have little or no speechwriting or public-speaking experience—is why most wedding speeches are simply awful. 

If you actually want to be fun, warm and completely original, don’t look to the web.  A tight, punchy, entertaining speech requires original thinking and skill to give people an inside look at the bride and groom through your eyes.  It has to be a speech only one person in the world can give—you. 

There’s no such thing as a “one-size-fits-all” wedding speech. 

Don't underestimate the power of a well-written and well-delivered speech to strengthen your relationship with the bride and groom while entertaining and impressing the audience.  

Be original.  And the audience will be thrilled they didn’t have to sit through yet another dull, rambling speech from a speaker who thought they could “just a few things down” or “wing it."