Today is National Thesaurus Day. Yes, it’s a thing, and the so-called tool is often used to think of creative or alternative language when you’re writing your speech, especially if you’re trying to avoid the cliches and write an epic wedding speech. If your wedding day is fast approaching and you’re still struggling to write your speech or you want to be super organised and nail it early we have some top tips from speech expert Heidi Ellert-McDermott, founder of Speechy and author of The Modern Couple’s Guide to Wedding Speeches…
“At Speechy, the bespoke wedding speech service, our writers are banned from using about a dozen words. Words like ‘soulmate’ and ‘beautiful’ are so over-used they’re now the equivalent of white noise; meaningless and bland. When it comes to speeches (or actually any content) you want to use words that wake up an audience. ‘Newness’ makes people sit up and notice and it also helps retention of your message.”
“Admittedly, a thesaurus isn’t always great at coming up with less clichéd words. For ‘soulmate’ an online thesaurus suggests ‘true love’ and ‘friend’. It also suggests rather odd alternatives. Personally, I wouldn’t want to call my partner my ‘alter ego’ (unless I was Batgirl) or my ‘companion’ (unless I was picking up my pension). But a thesaurus does get the brain thinking… the suggestion of ‘partner’ makes me think ‘partner in crime’ and that seems a fitting moniker for a lot of newlyweds.”
“The thesaurus alternatives for ‘beautiful’ does provide a few decent nuggets like ‘delightful’, ‘dazzling’, ‘exquisite’ and ‘foxy’ no less. Not all of them will suit every newlywed but a thesaurus stops you lazily using the same platitudes as so many other brides and grooms getting hitched. ‘Love’ is obviously another word that gets used a lot on a wedding day, and to be honest, we don’t have many great alternatives. Supposedly the Eskimos have over 50 different words for snow and I reckon we need a few more for one of our prime motivations in life. Words like ‘affection’, ‘desire’, and ‘fondness’ just don’t cut it.”
“Ironically, I sometimes find it more powerful to write about why someone ‘likes’ their partner as opposed to using the L-word. It somehow feels more refreshing to tell someone why you think they’re a certifiable good egg”
“Another great way to avoid the clichéd adjectives is to avoid them altogether. Instead of referring to your partner as ‘gorgeous’ or ‘stunning’, tell them they’re the perfect blend of Audrey Hepburn chic and Debbie Harry’s style. Tell them that they’re so damn cool they manage to make Crocs look sexy. Tell them that when you saw them walking down the aisle, you had to resist taking a picture and posting it on Instagram; hashtag-I-can’t-believe-she’s-marrying-me.”
“Rather than saying ‘I love you’, say they’re the only person you could last four days in a tent with and still want to cuddle. Tell them they have the power to make waiting an hour in the rain for the AA to arrive a pleasurable experience. Tell them they’re the only person in the world who you’d share a Krispy Kreme doughnut with.”
“So my advice? Cut the clichés and add some personality to your sentiments. Start with a thesaurus and then get creative. Tell your partner and your guests something that’s worth remembering.”
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