348- Wedding Speeches and public speaking

If you are planning to make a speech at your wedding, hire an MC (or ask a friend or family member to host)or you just want to become more confident at public speaking and making presentations at work, this episode of Bridechilla is wonderful for you! Aleisha chats to her friend Julia Zemiro and MC Samantha Savoia. I know you'll find value and laughs in this episode and feel like jumping up on stage with a microphone by the end!

Listen to episode 348 of Bridechilla

Why you need a MC at your wedding

A Master of Ceremonies can make the wedding day a smoother, better experience. The MC is there to help keep the agenda moving as planned. They also help to set the tone of the day. To have the best experience, it is important for the couple or the wedding planner to communicate clearly so that the MC knows the timeline of events for the day. Providing the critical information can help your MC do their job better. Listen as Aleisha talks to two pros who give valuable insight on what makes a great MC.

How to be a great MC

Samantha Savoia is a professional MC from Toronto, Canada. She contacted Aliesha with some great ideas about how to hire a great MC from her expertise and experience. Samantha says that ultimately the MC is there to keep the party going. By interacting with the crowd, leading in games, and getting people on the dance floor, the MC is the one who can really elevate the celebration. Samantha also gives great tips for wedding speeches and wedding planning during this interview.

Rich and Aleisha Co-hosting our friends, Hannah and Phil's wedding

Tips for giving a great wedding speech

Many people are afraid of public speaking. Unless it is something you do often, speaking in front of a crowd can be intimidating. How can you ensure that you give a great wedding speech? Julia Zemiro says that confidence is key. And the best way to feel confident is through preparation. She encourages anyone giving a speech to write down their thoughts then read them out loud. She also says that there is no pressure to be funny. Just be authentic. Hear more of Julia’s tips on this episode of the Bridechilla podcast.

How to seduce and cajole a crowd

Along with great tips for delivering a meaningful and memorable wedding speech, Aleisha’s guests share the importance of knowing and interacting with a crowd. Whether you are the MC or just one of several giving a speech, you must consider the audience. Make sure you don’t embarrass the couple. Celebrate and honor them. You also need to be able to read the room. Understand what is appropriate and what is out of bounds. And funny is great, but sentimental is even better. Let the Bridechilla podcast help you give better wedding speeches.

Photo by Alasdair Elmes

Show Highlights

[1:35] Introduction of this podcast’s topic, public speaking, and the two guest interviews
[3:58] Aliesha’s connection to her first guest, Julia Zemiro
[6:38] The importance of the MC’s job at a wedding
[11:49] How an MC can help the speeches at a wedding reception not go on too long
[14:00] How the MC plays the role of the mediator at the wedding.
[19:35] Introduction of Samantha Savoia, professional MC in Toronto, Canada
[23:26] Samantha describes how people connect and hire her to be the MC at the wedding
[26:10] Tips for being a great wedding MC
[28:12] How to deal with bad speeches
[32:24] How to get in touch with Samantha Savoia to MC your wedding
[34:10] Having confidence when doing any kind of public speaking
[40:05] Tips for how to keep the speech interesting
[45:23] It is great to be funny in your speech, but it is even better to be authentic and sentimental
[48:19] How do you create space as an MC to allow for meaningful, touching speeches
[50:40] Letting more women speak at weddings instead of it just being all men

Photo by Andreas Rønningen

Memorable Quotes

“When you MC a wedding, you have a big responsibility on your shoulders because you’re not only running that day, you also set the tone.
“Five minutes is a great starting point for a speech”
“Tony you’re not funny. Wind it down. You’re not that great Tony. I’ll have the microphone, let’s move on with your life.”
“Breathing is very important. If you take some deep breaths before you do any kind of public speaking I swear to you, you will calm down.”
“Put the strongest person last. You want a big finish.”
“Break the rules if it means you are going to have a better day.”

Meet This Episode’s Guests

Julia Zemiro is a French-born Australian television presenter, radio host, actress, singer, writer and comedian. She is best known as the host of the music quiz and live performance show RocKwiz. She is a professional public speaker with great advice for how to make wedding speeches and toasts great.

Samantha Savoia is a professional MC in Toronta, Canada. She works for an in-house DJ company and is available for events and weddings.

Show image by Everton Vila