Your best man’s speech may be eagerly anticipated, but make no mistake, all eyes will be on you during your groom’s speech! When preparing a groom’s speech, you’ll have a lot to think about. As a result, the pressure to deliver can get to the most confident groom. Speech writing is, however, an art you can master with the right guidance. With the following top tips, you’ll be able to write the perfect speech that’ll be remembered for all the right reasons.
Start preparations early
Speech writing isn’t a quick job. Most grooms revisit their speech time and time again in the months leading up to their wedding days so don’t leave anything to the last minute. Start preparations months in advance to avoid panic writing. Trust us, the quality will suffer if you leave writing your groom’s speech too late.
Aim to have your speech done and dusted at least one month before your wedding date to ensure the last minute bits and bobs every bride and groom have to do during that last foray of wedding planning can be completed.
Find a structure that works
Revisit your school days and plan your speech as you’d plan an essay. Defining the structure of your speech before you start adding the content will guarantee everything you want to say can be included and your speech flows naturally. Here’s a great example of a groom’s speech structure that could work for you.
Every groom’s speech should begin with the thank yous. Thank the father of the bride for his speech (which is traditionally performed before the groom’s speech), thank your guests for celebrating this very special occasion with you, and most importantly, thank your wife for being the beautiful bride she is!
Finish your speech with a final set of thank yous before introducing your best man and finishing with a toast. This toast is usually given to the bridesmaids but you don’t have to stick with tradition.
Strike the right balance
A great groom’s speech offers the perfect mixture of thanks, anecdotes, emotion, mentions and toasts. Striking a balance between all of these aspects is the key to ensuring every base is covered.
Your speech should have the potential to make people laugh and cry. You should, however, ease up on the jokes. Entertainment and fun may be what a groom’s speech is partly about but it is important to acknowledge your wedding day as the special moment it is. Too many jokes can undermine the emotional side of your speech so stick to including just a couple. Your speech isn’t a comedy sketch, instead, use jokes and stories to keep the speech interesting and engaging. Avoid risqué or ‘in’ jokes that not everyone will understand or find funny. You should live by one mantra when writing your speech – “if in doubt, leave it out!”
Don’t be afraid to mention the ‘L’ word a few times. Love is what brought you to this day in the first place so make sure everyone knows just how you feel about your wonderful new wife. You don’t have to be overly sentimental if it’s not you. You can still be genuine and sincere without sharing personal stories. Why not include one of these romantic quotes to get your message of love across?
Remember practice makes perfect
The best speech can fall flat without the right delivery. Once you’ve perfected the content of your speech, take the time to rehearse it regularly. Use your commute to work or your evenings in front of the TV to get some speech practise in before the big performance. When delivering your speech, Bridebook offers the very best advice:
“The best advice we can give you on your speech is to relax and have fun while you are doing it! Remember, wedding planning is over, you’ve ticked all the items from your checklist, you are now married to the love of your life, all of your nearest and dearest are in one place, drinking and dancing and celebrating YOU! Bask in the glory and enjoy this moment, you’re a rock star!”
