In the good old days, a bride was seldom given the opportunity to voice her opinion, let alone stand up and make a speech on her wedding day. However, we are living in enlightened times, where brides not only make wedding speeches, but often steal the show!

Yeah! I hear you moan it’s all right for some brides, isn’t it? The bride that isn’t afraid of speaking in public in case her voice comes out all squeaky the bride that is so sure of herself she oozes confidence from every pore! What about me, I hear you squeaking. I’d love to be that super-confident, calm, composed bride with poise to rival the Queen on Christmas day. If only I knew how. If only I dare. If only I knew what to say.

Let’s take it one step at a time. The how is easy, you stand up, you open your mouth and you speak. What can be hard about that? Talking is something you do everyday, to all kinds of people, even strangers! Just because there’s a room full of them, it shouldn’t be any different than having a conversation about the weather with the old dear at the bus stop on your way to work!

Seriously though, even the most professional of speakers admit to stage fright occasionally, and they dare to get up regularly and do what you’re considering doing only once. But if you’re reading this, you’ve already made up your mind to try, so read on.

Be prepared and tackle the - ''how do I dare?'' - nerves beforehand. There are thousands of articles on the web about this particular hurdle, so I don’t need to go into detail. Here are just a few easy tips to help:-

1. Deep breathing, yeah right… in this corset gown?

2. No alcohol before the speech, - yeah - like I’m going to do this sober???

3. Make eye contact with a friend or two in the audience, -yeah - they’re all friends! My eyes will be like ping pong balls bouncing all over the place!

Ok, well, you get the picture. But nerves can be overcome, and let’s face it, you have the ceremony to get through first, and if you survive that, with everyone hanging on your every word, the speech is going to be a doddle! Isn't it?

Next is knowing what to say. That can be as easy or as difficult as you make it. If you know you’re going to be a nervous wreck, but still want to have a go, make it easy on yourself, and keep it short.

If you’re the lucky lady with bags of confidence under that white meringue of a frock, you might want to seriously compete with your husband. You will want get your own back on your dad, you just know he’s going to tell that embarrassing story about you when yeah, well he might!

Then there's the best man, who usually gets all the limelight when he dishes the dirt on your new man. If you really want to top his speech, you’ll have to do some serious research! Good luck if you choose this approach. You’ll need to gather your material, write the speech, and than you’ll have to work on the timing, to get the laughs in the right places.

If you choose the straight forward, easy option, recommended if your nerves outweigh your confidence, keep it traditional. Usual things to include in any bride's speech are the obvious ones like talking about the in-laws and how they welcomed you into the family. Talk about your own parents and how they supported and nurtured you as you grew up. If you can think of one or two funny anecdotes, include them, if not, it doesn't matter, you're not auditioning for a comedy spot at the Edinburgh festival! Do a few obvious thank-yous to guests, bridesmaids, and special people who helped you with the arrangements for the big day, and end with something nice to your new husband. Something along the lines of - thank you for coming into my life, I'm so proud to be your wife, etc etc. Don't gush too much. A long and embarrassing ending will get them squirming in their seats. A short and sweet wrap-up will always get a smile and a round of applause to end your performance, and everyone will remember your speech as lovely and romantic.