• Practice - It's good to remember keywords and use cue cards to keep you honest.  Nobody is expecting a Shakespeare soliloquy and people expect some nerves, so just nail certain areas of the speech and you'll be fine.​​​​

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• Check the venue - Take a look at where you'll be speaking.  See if you can stand in the spot and visualise.  Check how the room is set up - is it large or small? high or low ceilings? Any background noise? If you're not the first to speak, then how loud does the other speech seem? If you're up at the start, then it's fine to start with a few 1 2's or "can you hear me at the back".   It's better to find out now, rather than guests telling you that they couldn't hear a word!

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• Timings - When roughly will you speak?  Is it before or after food?  You can a joke if people are hungry or they how the food went down.

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• Drinks - If you have alcoholic drinks, go easy!  There will be plenty of time after your speech to enjoy.  By all means, have a drink to steady nerves, but too much and you'll slur, stagger, forget your words and be remembered for the wrong reasons!  However, have a large glass of water beforehand and on the table ready.

• Microphone / Cue Cards - If you have a mic, then try practising at home with one (cheap to buy) or use similar.  Cue cards are great but only put a few keywords on them as reminders of your stories.  Remember if one hand has a microphone and one had cue cards you limit yourself with hand movements.

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• Look around - Don't just look at your speech or one place.  Raise your head and scan the room.  If you don't want to catch people's eyes, aim for the top of their heads.

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• Sit down gracefully - Ensure people know it's the end of your great speech and sit down knowing you've performed amazingly!

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