5 Tips to Calm Your Nerves Before Making a Wedding Speech
As an Ibiza wedding photographer who's stood behind the camera for more speeches than we can count — nervous best men, brides who steal the mic, fathers who can't get through the first line without their voice cracking — this is the advice we actually give the couples we photograph here: five tried-and-tested ways to calm your nerves before you stand up to speak.
Get the Timing Right
Tradition says every speech comes after the meal, but most of our Ibiza couples are marrying somewhere with a proper sunset, and that view is worth building the evening around rather than saving for last. Move the speeches to cocktail hour, before anyone sits down to eat, and two things happen at once: you get it over with while your nerves are still fresh rather than simmering through three courses, and the light behind the best man is doing half the work for you.
It also means the room hasn't had two glasses of wine and a heavy meal by the time you're asking for their attention — a crowd that's still standing, drink in hand, tends to listen harder than one slumped over dessert.
Set Expectations
We're not suggesting you preview your speech for the bride or groom ahead of time — some things should stay a surprise. But do get everyone's expectations clear, and for no one is that more important than the best man or maid of honour. What's the couple's sense of humour like? Are there stories that would make them, and their nan, wince rather than laugh? Get that right and the speech does exactly what it should.
Our Ibiza weddings tend to pull guests in from several countries at once, so it's worth thinking about which jokes travel and which only work for the ten people who were there — a story everyone in the garden can follow beats an in-joke that lands for three of them.
Make It a Team Effort
You don't have to do this alone. Brides and grooms, remember your favourite person is standing right there — you can talk to them mid-speech, or just let their presence steady you. Best men and maids of honour, if the nerves are getting the better of you, pull the room in with you rather than trying to hold their attention by yourself.
Some of the best speeches we've photographed have turned into something closer to a group performance — a full table chiming in, someone starting a chant, a flash-mob toast. It's exactly the sort of unscripted moment we're already waiting behind the camera to catch.
Practise, Practise, Practise
If a friend or family member is doing a reading during the ceremony, they'll rehearse it until it's word perfect. Treat your speech exactly the same way. Read it aloud, more than once, ideally standing up — it's a different job for your nerves than reading silently on your phone the morning of the wedding.
A bit of repetition lets the words come naturally and slows your delivery right down, which matters more than the words themselves. Practising properly doesn't flatten the emotion or make it sound rehearsed — it just means the emotion has somewhere solid to land instead of a blank page.
Have a Plan
No matter how confident you are normally, a room full of a hundred friendly faces will empty your head of every word you'd planned to say. At the very least, work out the bones of it in advance — who you want to thank, what you want to say about the person next to you, the story you're building towards.
Leave room for something unscripted — the best speeches always have a line that clearly wasn't written down — but know the shape of where you're heading. You'll feel steadier for it, and it'll read that way to the hundred faces watching too.
We photograph the whole of that moment as it happens — nerves, laughter, the bit where someone's voice cracks — because it's usually one of the most honest few minutes of the whole day. If you're planning your own celebration and looking for an Ibiza wedding photographer to capture it, take a look at our portfolio, or browse the journal for real weddings from start to finish.
We see every speech from the front row
Here's what that vantage point has taught us about the moment right before you stand up.
We Photograph The Whole Room
Not just whoever's holding the microphone — the best man's own nerves, the laughter, the tears three seats down. That's usually where the real story is.
Your speech, and everyone's reaction to it.
Two Photographers, One Story
With our Premium Plus and Luxury collections, Nick and Aimie shoot together — both sides of the room, covered at once. Whichever collection you choose, it is always Nick or Aimie, never an associate you've never met.
Exactly who you see is exactly who shows up.
We've Heard Hundreds Of These
We've watched enough speeches to know that the nerves never show up in the photos the way they feel in the moment. It always goes better than you think.
Nerves are normal. It works out every time.
What our couples say
“We honestly cannot thank Nick and Aimie enough for capturing our wedding day so beautifully. They made us feel completely at ease and comfortable.”
“Nick and Aimie are honestly amazing. I booked them nearly three years before my wedding — the photos are so stunning, more incredible than I imagined.”
“Nick and Aimie were absolutely amazing, they completely brought the energy. They really are the best in the business, I highly recommend!!”
“Honestly, I have no words to describe how amazing Nick is! He had everyone laughing and smiling all day — he has a true talent.”
“I honestly can't recommend Nick and Aimie enough! We're absolutely over the moon with our photographs — we know we'll treasure these memories forever.”
“We honestly cannot thank Nick and Aimie enough for capturing our wedding day so beautifully. They made us feel completely at ease and comfortable.”
“Nick and Aimie are honestly amazing. I booked them nearly three years before my wedding — the photos are so stunning, more incredible than I imagined.”
“Nick and Aimie were absolutely amazing, they completely brought the energy. They really are the best in the business, I highly recommend!!”
“Honestly, I have no words to describe how amazing Nick is! He had everyone laughing and smiling all day — he has a true talent.”
“I honestly can't recommend Nick and Aimie enough! We're absolutely over the moon with our photographs — we know we'll treasure these memories forever.”
