Do’s and Dont’s for your Groom Speech

The wedding ‘season’  is coming to an end, but I have had a flurry of enquiries about groom speeches over the past few days.  Every Groom requires a different approach. And every speaker has a different style. But these tips will be relevant to most Grooms.  I hope you find them useful.

A Groom SHOULD

1. Thank your guests for attending, particularly those who have travelled from far and wide
2. Mention any special guests (i.e. elderly relatives)
3. Thank your new in-laws (particularly if they are hosting the wedding)
4. Mention your own parents – this is an opportunity to thank them for all those years of help and support
5. Talk about the Bride, in a way that balances warmth with a little bit of humour
6. Introduce the Best Man
7. Finish with a toast to the Bridesmaids

A Groom SHOULD NOT

1. Spend more time building up the Best Man than the Bride
2. Waste too much time thanking people who’ve been paid to do a job (e.g. caterers or planners)
3. List so many ‘Thank yous’ that the speech resembles a school register
4. Talk for too long. Generally I recommend 10 minutes as an optimum speaking time
5. Forget this is a celebration of love, not an opportunity for a 10 minute comedy stand up routine

A Groom MIGHT ALSO want to mention

1. Any friends or family who have made huge efforts in organising the day
2. Flower girls and page boys
3. Those who are not able to be there on the day
4. The ushers
5. A relative/close friend who has been a particular source of strength to the Groom over the years
6. The Vicar/Priest/Rabbi or whoever conducts the ceremony

The balance between sincerity and humour is a difficult one for the Groom. The hardest task is to fit so much in to such a short space of time. The ultimate objective is to weave all these together in an original, memorable way. If you do have any concerns about your own speech, I would be delighted to chat, edit your draft or even write it for you.  Please do get in touch!

Best wishes

Lawrence