Due Date: _____________
Special Occasion Speech (a.k.a After Dinner Speech or Speech to Entertain)
Audience:
to be determined, but needs to be specific
Length:
3 1/2 to 5 minutes
Process:
Extemporaneous
Outside Sources:
none required but can be used for quotations, etc.
Visual Aid:
choose.)
none. (However, speaker should dress appropriately for the occasion you
Grading:
Content, organization, vocal delivery, and physical presence (including
dressing the part)
Steps for Designing a Successful Special Occasion Speech
Step 1: Pick your setting, audience, and tone for your speech. Common choices include the
following: a wedding reception, a club meeting, a birthday party, a retirement party, a eulogy, a
protest rally, a political speech, a sports pep talk, a sports or club banquet, an award acceptance
speech, and the list goes on.
Step 2: Start thinking about what topics you would talk about for that type of speech. Be
tasteful. For example, if you’re doing a wedding reception speech, don’t talk about the bachelor
party.
Step 3: Write the speech keeping the following parts in mind:
These parts are modified from http://www.ehow.com/how_2315795_write-afterdinner-speechcompetition.html
Part 1: Thank all the people in the audience for coming to whatever the event is. This
lets the audience know who they are supposed to be pretending to be and what the
occasion is. For example, “Thank you friends and family for coming to celebrate the
wedding of Joe and Sue.” OR “Thank you members for attending the Third Annual Justin
Bieber Fan Club Convention.”
Part 2: Sum up your topic and give any background stories or information that the
audience might need to hear to understand your speech or want to hear. For example, if
giving a wedding speech, could say how the couple met or the story of their first date. For
the above occasion of the Third Annual Justin Bieber Fan Club Convention, you could
talk about the first time you heard or saw Justin Bieber in person, how the fan club got
started, what the first convention was like, etc.
Part 3: This will vary depending on your occasion, but it’s the meat of the speech. This
Due Date: _____________
is where you pick a topic and expand on it. For a wedding speech, it might be talking
about how you know the couple is going to be happily married for a long time and why.
For the Third Annual Justin Bieber Fan Club, you might talk about why you all love
Justin Bieber and why he is important to you.
Part 4: Add jokes or pieces of humor to your speech after you have the bulk of the
speech done. You want a good speech with a touch of humor to lighten things up. Keep it
appropriate and keep your audience in mind. Would they think your joke is funny?
Part 5: End your speech on a positive note so people feel good about what you have
said. You want your words to be remembered in a positive way.
Step 4: Practice your speech and make changes as needed.