The important part of delivering the speech is being heard. Pick out someone in the back of the room and make sure he hears you. Take a deep breath at the beginning so that you don't run out of breath in the middle of a sentence.
Posture is necessary in projecting your voice. Stand up straight and look at the audience. Do not look down at your shoes or your notes for the entire speech. Try to make eye contact with various members of the audience as you speak. This will not only prevent you from looking down but also insures that you have the attention of at least one person in the audience. Try not to read your speech from your notes and do not become preoccupied with your notes. Sometimes your voice will fade in the middle of a sentence while you're scanning your notes for the next remark. Don't let that happen!
Hold the audience's attention throughout the speech. Pausing to shuffle through your notes might cause the audience to lose interest. People tend to mutter and talk amongst themselves, making it difficult for your speech to be heard. Your should only pause noticeably after a joke or at the end of an amusing anecdote. The reasons being that if it is a particularly good joke, you need to wait for the laughter to subside and also to signify the end of the joke to the slower members of the audience.
Be aware of the pace of your speech. Most people rush through their speeches, speaking so fast that they are incoherent. Force yourself to pause once or twice to slow down the pace. Try to introduce emotion into your speech. Delivering the speech in a monotone voice will sound like you are reading and lose the attention of the audience. Try to emphasize words.
Do not gesture wildly with your hands. Not only is this distracting, but you might accidentally knock your drink over or worse knock the person sitting next to you over. However, this does not mean you should keep your arms at your side and stand stiffly upright either. Strike a relaxed stance and gesture sparingly. Avoid distracting habits like twirling your hair or shaking the change in your pocket. Practice in front of the mirror a couple of times to reduce distracting habits.
Confidence is the key in good speech delivery. Don't be overwhelmed by the situation. Remember, it is a happy occasion. Everyone is here to enjoy themselves and they know you're here to say something happy. They all want you to succeed.
Comfort breeds confidence. Make eye contact with a close friend or relative of yours at the beginning of your speech. As you progress through your speech, look for other friends and as you see them enjoying themselves and your speech, you will feel more confident. Remember to smile!
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