Making speeches isn’t something that’s part of most people’s daily lives. Unless you’re the CEO of a company or a politician, it’s likely we’ll only make a handful of speeches throughout our lives, meaning it’s not something we get to practise very often.

However, infrequent as they are, situations like weddings mean we’ll likely have to engage in a form of public speaking at some point in our lives - be that as the bride, maid of honour or mother of the bride. The thought of speaking in front of others can be nerve-racking, but there are ways to make the whole process – from writing to delivery – easier, less intimidating and, dare I say it, even enjoyable.

Heidi Ellert-McDermott is a professional speechwriter who’s been helping people – from brides and best men to CEOs and celebrities – craft tone-perfect speeches for the last 10 years.

“It sounds obvious, but the more planning you put into a speech, the better it will be,” says Ellert-McDermott. “People feel so much pressure around writing a speech that they put off even thinking about it. The sooner you sit down and start putting words onto paper, the more confident you’ll feel.”

Here, she shares how to turn an average wedding speech into one people will talk about for years – for all the right reasons.

Use the espresso rule and find the hook zone: 10 rules for nailing the perfect wedding speech, according to a professional speechwriter