The Groom Speech 5-MINUTE GUIDE

Purpose The main purpose of the Groom Speech is to thank key people and give guests an insight

into the couple and their relationship.

The speech is also an opportunity for the Groom to express his love for his new Bride.

The Groom usually speaks second, after the Father of the Bride but before the Best Man.

www.weddingspeechcoach.com

Duties In his speech, the Groom will traditionally:

²  thank the Father of the Bride for his speech and his toast to the Bride and Groom

²  raise his own toast to the Bridesmaids

He will usually also:

²  hand out any presents to the wedding party on behalf of him and his new wife

²  say a few words about his Best Man

www.weddingspeechcoach.com

Content The very best wedding speeches include lots of personal detail and draw inspiration from shared memories and experiences.

However, too many speeches rely on generic material copied from elsewhere.

Resist the temptation to cut-and-paste content from the internet.

Talk to your partner and her family for additional inspiration and to make sure no-one important is left off the thank-you list

www.weddingspeechcoach.com

Structure A simple but effective speech structure is:

²  Acknowledge the Father of the Bride Accept his toast and thank him for his speech

²  Express your gratitude Thank key people by name and give out any presents

²  Tell the story of your relationship Say how you met and share some important memories

²  Pay tribute to the Bride Say why you love her and share hopes for the future

²  Raise a Toast! www.weddingspeechcoach.com

Tone The Groom Speech should be: ²  warm and generous

²  happy and romantic

Also remember:

²  humour can be very effective – particularly if it’s self-deprecating

²  sensitive topics (such as temporary break-ups or past relationships) should be avoided or handled with great delicacy

www.weddingspeechcoach.com

Delivery When delivering your speech:

²  aim to speak for no longer than 10 minutes

²  keep it conversational – i.e. try to speak as you would normally speak

²  take your time – pause between each of your main points

²  use small cue cards to prompt you – don’t try to do it all from memory or read from a script

And make sure you practice before the big day!

www.weddingspeechcoach.com

Pitfalls The Groom should try to avoid:

²  thanking too many people by name

²  alluding to any family disagreements

²  making ‘in’ references not everyone will get

²  using all-too-familiar ‘jokes’ and clichés

²  drinking too much before the speeches!

www.weddingspeechcoach.com

What Next? Three steps to a finished speech: ²  make a list of people you will need to

thank (and what to thank them for)

²  pick one or two stories about your relationship and write a rough first draft using the recommended structure

²  practice your speech out loud and keep revising your draft until you’re completely happy

www.weddingspeechcoach.com

Good Luck!

For more free resources visit:

www.weddingspeechcoach.com