So, you’ve proposed, and the ring is safely on your fiancée’s finger. Congratulations! You are now looking forward to the big day itself and, of course, your groom’s speech. Ah, yes… the speech. Unlike the words you carefully delivered – or stumbled over – during the proposal, your speech will be in front of all your friends and family. The pressure is understandable.
This is why I’ve written these groom speech tips. I’m a wedding speech writer who’s written hundreds of wedding speeches and I’d like to help you deliver an exceptional groom speech.
These groom speech tips will cover elements such as icebreakers, thanks, structure and toasts. So, let’s remove some of that apprehension you might be feeling and look at how to write a great groom speech.
Let's make it all right on the night with these Groom speech tips
- Groom Speech Icebreakers
- Who To Thank In Your Groom Speech
- Giving A Toast
- Including Your Bride In Your Groom Speech
- Showcasing Your Proposal In Your Speech
- Nailing Your Groom Speech Structure
- Things To Avoid In Your Groom Speech
- Additional Blogs
- Groom Speech Writing Packages
Groom Speech Ice Breaker Ideas
“Groom speech icebreakers” is a very popular Google search. And it’s obvious why. They set the tone of the speech, and with an early laugh, the guests relax and your confidence soars. So here are some tips on funny groom speech opening lines.
“Without all of you here today, it wouldn’t be the same…but it would be cheaper.”
The old favourites will always have their day in the sun. But rather than use a groom speech opening line that’s more ancient than the Pyramids, why not aim for something original? Here are some angles that might inspire you…
Travel
People’s journeys are fresh in their minds so you might want to make a reference to dodgy budget airlines or SatNavs breaking down in tears in trying to find the venue.
Famous wedding
If a celebrity wedding has taken place or is due to, you could draw some fun comparisons. Yours is better obviously…
Calendar clash
Does it clash with a big sporting event? Perhaps people will be checking the latest on their phones…so, if you hear cheers, it’s not because your speech is ending…
Linked In
Can you link your job to a line? For example, if you’re a pilot, you’re used to having an audience that can’t escape for two hours…!
Want some funny opening groom speech jokes and lines delivered to your inbox? Why not check out my Groom speech icebreaker packages?
Tips For Who To Thank In Your Groom Speech
The thanks are a bit like wedding invitations. As soon as you go beyond close friends and family, you suddenly don’t know where to stop. It’s best to resist this temptation to include everyone. A long list of thanks is a chore to read and a bore to hear. Try to keep the list short, the lines snappy and have a light-hearted remark for each.
The key thanks are to your parents, parents-in-law and those with an important role such as the Best Man, Bridesmaids and Maid of Honour. Here are some examples:
The usual suspects
- Parents
- Parents-in-law
- Ushers/groomsmen & Best Man
- Bridesmaids & Maid of Honour
The less usual suspects
- The staff at the venue
- Page boy & those who’ve done a reading
- The wedding planner
- The celebrant (if it’s a friend)
“And for supporting me – and putting up with me over the years – a massive thanks to my mum and dad.”
“Thanks to [PARENTS-IN-LAW] for welcoming me into their family so warmly. They clearly didn’t know what they were letting themselves in for!”
“And now my Best Man – I find myself thanking him before I’ve heard what terrible things he has to say about me….”
Add a little humour to each thanks and it will make the world of difference to your groom speech.
How Best To Give Toast During The Groom Speech
A wedding toast is a few words where you wish people well, thank them or remember them. You then raise your glass and the guests do so too. Nice and simple, but don’t overdo it.
Who should I toast?
In a groom’s speech, it’s traditional to toast the bridesmaids at the end, but this is becoming less common. You might wish instead to toast your bride, your family or everyone for coming. One toast at the very end is standard. If you wish to do one or two more, try to do them nearer the beginning to give maximum effect to the final toast.
How many times?
I’ve seen some grooms wishing to toast 4 people or more. I’d strongly advise against this as each extra toast dilutes the effect. Moreover, the guests don’t want to feel they’re participating in an interactive show.
So, other than the bride or bridesmaids, who might a groom toast? Well, it could be to absent friends but check whether the Father of the Bride plans to do this. It could also be parents with some grooms opting to toast parents and parents-in-law in one: “To family!”
What’s best?
My advice with toasts? Less is more.
Ideas For Your Groom Speech To Include Your Bride
Your bride will obviously be the main focus of the speech. Yet how do you encapsulate her and your relationship in just a few minutes? Here are some potential things to cover. Each element has the potential for that winning combination in a groom speech – humour and heartfelt emotions.
How you met
Not everyone will know how you met your wife. Even if it seems fairly normal, such as meeting at work, you’d be surprised how that can be turned into a nice story. Did you have to keep it a secret? Did either of you actually hire the other?
First date
Was one of you late, and is that still mentioned? What was the spark? Perhaps it was your shared sense of humour or tastes. Maybe you both ordered the same drink or meal or were you the opposites that instantly attracted? Did nerves quickly become a conversation that wouldn’t stop, and the staff thought they’d never go home?
Another angle is to describe your feelings when you first saw or spoke to your fiancée. It doesn’t need to be poetry. It can even be: “Wow!”
What you’ve learned about each other
Your groom’s speech is a chance to tell the world all about your fiancée’s qualities and talents. Try not to make it a list though. Give a little detail for each one. For example, if she plays an instrument, what’s the piece she plays that always amazes or moves you. If she’s super-kind, how does she show this? Perhaps it’s patiently listening to you recite your woes after work. Is her smile so radiant and calming it’s a miracle cure? With each of her qualities and talents, try to paint a little picture.
Silly habits either of you might have
Mention these and you’ll get laughter and a free pass to be a bit more sentimental later. Here are some examples…
Poor timekeeping – do you have to tell her the show starts 30 minutes before it actually does? Or are you the one that has to be dragged out of the house?
Hoarding – does your wardrobe resemble an Amazon warehouse? Does she laugh at all the old cables you keep “just in case”?
Unable to pass a particular type of shop – does she agree with the statement that there’s no such thing as too many handbags? Or is that you with gadgets or sports equipment?
Superstitious – do either of you believe in horoscopes or fate?
Obsessed with a band/TV show – can she quote Friends or Gilmore Girls word for word? Or is it, worryingly, a true crime show, “America’s Worst Serial Killers“?
Spreadsheet – could your life be described as excellent mainly because your wife organises it on Excel?
Stories
If you plan to speak for 7-8 minutes, it’s a good idea to include a couple of stories about your bride or you as a couple. Keep them fairly brief – one that can be told in one paragraph is ideal – two paragraphs at a maximum.
You might wish to include one from early in your relationship, such as how you met. Other areas include nights out, holidays, meeting your future parents-in-law or asking for permission to marry your fiancée. And, of course, there’s the proposal…
Top Tips To Showcase Your Proposal In Your Groom Speech
The proposal isn’t always needed in your groom’s speech. However, mentioning how you felt when you said the words – or how your fiancée reacted – can be a nice touch. If you want to include it, a proposal story naturally has the following elements:
- Did you manage to keep your plan secret?
- Where did it take place?
- What was the reaction when the ring was produced? A peal of laughter, a tsunami of tears?
A good place to include the proposal is nearer the end of the speech, after all your main stories about the bride. Your natural lead-in is then: this is why you wanted to make her your wife.
Hacks For A Perfectly Structured Groom Speech
You want your groom’s speech to be memorable. You want it to be special. However, don’t fall into the trap of assuming you need an elaborate structure to do this. A simple groom speech structure allows the listeners to know where they are in the speech. They can relax and focus on your carefully crafted lines. Here’s a classic structure you can use:
You can usually cover all of the above in seven to eight minutes. If you wish to tell more stories – or have longer thanks to make – then a longer speech might be needed. That said, I’d advise not going much longer than ten minutes.
- Icebreakers
- Welcome and thanks
- A lighter-hearted section about the bride – how you met; first impressions; stories about her or the two of you as a couple
- The proposal (if you wish to include this)
- A more heartfelt section about the bride
- A toast to end
Avoid These Things When Writing Your Grooms Speech
One of my main groom speech tips is: if in doubt, leave it out. Here are some examples of what to leave on the cutting room floor.
“And I’d also like to thank…”
Avoid reciting a stream of “thank you”s. You don’t want your speech to be remembered as the acceptance speech that went on and on.
The gifts that keep on giving…
Handing out gifts is surprisingly time-consuming and can turn your speech into an adult version of Santa’s Grotto. Keep this to a minimum or, better still, don’t do it during the speech at all.
Too much about the Best Man
I recommend poking some gentle fun at the Best Man before thanking him for his support and friendship. Choosing one simple foible can suffice, e.g., his timekeeping, his obsession with sport, etc. Joking about your fear about what he will say is also a traditional angle. However, don’t use this as an excuse to do a mini-Best Man’s speech. You’re not marrying him, after all.
“I love my wife. I really really really love my wife.”
Don’t go overboard with expressions of love. The more you use them, the less impact each one will have. Think of it as your joker. When used, it will have maximum effect.
Wonderful, brilliant, amazing, delightful
A groom speech with ten “wonderfuls” won’t sound wonderful. Use a variety of positive adjectives throughout your speech. If you’re struggling, don’t be scared to use an online thesaurus.
Check Out These Blogs below For More Groom Wedding Speech Tips
My Groom Speech Writing Packages
If you’re still scratching your head on how to write a great groom speech, and are feeling a bit overwhelmed, I have the perfect groom speech writing packages and services for you.
Bespoke wedding speech
- from the opening welcomes and icebreaker to the final toast, I write you a speech from scratch. Jokes and heart-string-tugging lines written just for you
Groom speech edit
- if you’ve written a draft (or most of one) and want it to go to the next level, I can help. I can take a look at the flow, balance, and write new original lines and jokes. Not sure if you need help? Send your speech over for free feedback.
Groom speech icebreakers and tearjerkers
- A PDF of 60 gags and tear-jerkers for your groom's speech. 100% original material. Takes you from the opening funny lines to final toast.
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