If proof were needed that the prospect of public speaking can turn an otherwise confident person to jelly, then it is supplied in figures released today by Great Speechwriting. They reviewed the surfing habits of the 50,000 most recent visitors to their sites, all of whom have sought speech-related help and advice, and Lawrence Bernstein, a professional speech writer who runs Great Speechwriting said, "Every day, thousands of anxious people surf to seek a cure for their public speaking nerves and the wedding season witnesses the annual culmination of this predominantly male phobia.

"Perhaps surprisingly, our statistics show that the most worried member of the wedding party is the Father of the Bride. He provides more than 20% more visitors to our sites each year than the Groom and Best Man, and spends longer looking at potential solutions.

"However, the Best Man is more likely to spend money on a cure!"

Lawrence created 'Great Speechwriting' in 2005 and is still amazed how the wedding speech can turn the most successful and accomplished professional people to jelly:

"My clients include diplomats, barristers and journalists, people for whom one might assume that a wedding toast would be a breeze. But their confidence in front of a professional audience seems to disappear once friends, family and a little emotion are involved.

"Many grooms have admitted that rather than looking forward to their own wedding, the day has loomed ahead like a visit to the dentist. And that's all due to the speech.

"A journalist who has used the service on two occasions explains: It's just like being in The West Wing. I spent weeks worrying and now I've got my very own speechwriter!

"Lawrence continues: Helping clients write a great wedding speech can be much more rewarding than corporate work because it obviously means so much more to them. Many a client has rung me from the venue to celebrate their successful delivery long before the more traditional wedding night activities get underway!"