Meanwhile, if you are a nervous speech maker to be, take comfort from the words of someone who has already taken on the challenge and succeeded.

Newspaper editor Katy Harrington felt privileged when she was asked to be a bridesmaid at her friend Nikki’s wedding eight years ago. And she was especially honoured when asked to make a speech at the event.

“It was an honour,” Harrington recalls. “The bride didn’t have family there for personal reasons, so I really felt like my speech was important, and I wanted to speak for her as best as I could. She didn’t want to speak herself, so her other best friend and I were the speech makers on the day.

“I read mine from an iPad, as I would have been too nervous to do it without notes. I didn’t think it would look great, but it kept me in line. I realise now that writing it down is not a cheat and stops you from rambling. I have been to so many weddings with terrible speeches. I didn’t want to sound smart or funny; all I wanted was to talk about Nikki, and that’s what I did. I had never written a wedding speech before, but once I kept the focus on her, talked about the person she is and why I love her, well, the words flowed easily.”

And Harrington’s most significant piece of advice? Practise, practise and practise.

“You must practise,” she urges. “There is no other way to get comfortable with it. Preferably, do it in front of someone on the day before. I read mine twice out loud and timed it. If it’s more than three minutes, it’s too long. It’s not a performance.

“Then speak slowly and clearly. It’s very easy to rush if you are nervous, but take a breath and remember to look up from your notes. Do all of those things and I promise it will go off without a hitch.”

If you’ve been asked to be a bridesmaid this summer, this is how to write and deliver a wedding speech