Giving A Birthday Speech

If you haven't given any birthday speeches yet, believe me you will have to eventually! It could be at your best friend's 21st birthday or at your dad's 50th birthday or at your favorite cousin's 30th birthday. So you have to be ready for it!

Here are a few tips to help you get your message across...

Party Speech Suggestions

Be Prepared. When you're asked to make a speech on important occasions like a birthday celebration, you have to make an effort and be prepared.

Write down a summary of what you want to say. Write something heartfelt and sincere. Try to learn your speech by heart, so you don't have to keep on checking the index card when you do your speech.
Inject Humour. Humour is always good. If you can get your audience to laugh, they'll warm up to you and pay closer attention to what you have to say. Humor also calls for great timing, so try not to over do it.

On the other hand, if you're not really the funny type - and you have flashbacks of blank stares where laughter was meant to be heard... I suggest that you do not use humor. Waiting for people to laugh at your joke could make you feel awkward and put you off your main message.
Keep it Short. Nobody wants to listen to a long speech, especially not at a birthday party! So keep your speech short and endearing. The simpler, the better.

Here are some key points in preparing a great birthday speech.

Greet the guests. Say that you're happy to see everyone gathered together for such a special occasion.
Thank the person who organized the party and compliment the venue or the food.
Talk about how much the person celebrating the birthday means to you. Or if it's your party, thank those that have spoken before you and how much they mean to you.
Speak about his qualities and what makes him really special. He could be a great friend, a wonderful son or a great humanitarian. You can add stories of your experiences together proving the qualities you have mentioned.
Make fun of her a bit. You can speak about her funny habits that everyone already knows - although be careful not to bring up anything too risque!
Always close on a positive note. One way to do this is to propose a toast while repeating your well wishes for the birthday recipient!

If you get unstuck giving a speech - simply stop, smile and compose your thoughts before continuing. No one will really mind, as friends and family all want to see you do well.

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