The groom's speech is probably the most straight forward of all the wedding speeches. In fact, many grooms are happy to just rattle off a list of thank you's, say a few nice words about the new wife and sit down.
But come on, you are the man of the hour. It doesn't take too much preparation and effort to give a polished speech to be proud of.
Here are some pointers to start you on your way.
1. GET STARTED EARLY
You are going to be flat out in the week leading up to the wedding. Organising last minute details and meeting up with friends and family who have flown into the country for the big day.
In other words, you do not want to be writing a speech around this time. That's why you often see grooms frantically scribbling notes in the minutes leading up the toast.
Whether you want to give a ten minute speech or just say a few words. Get started early and write it out at couple of weeks ahead. You will be so glad you did when it comes to the week of the wedding.
2. DON'T STEAL YOUR BEST MAN'S THUNDER
Yes, you should aim to get a few laughs in your speech, but don't go overboard and turn your speech into a best man speech. This isn't time to start telling the audience about all your past exploits with your groomsmen.
That is the best man's job.
Just a witty comments or two about each person you thank will hit the mark perfectly.
3. THESE AREN'T THE ACADEMY AWARDS
There is nothing worse than listening to the groom thanking every single person who contributed to the wedding. Especially if presents are given out at the same time. Your guests will feel as through your speech is dragging on forever.
A well written groom's speech should just thank the key family members and the wedding party. Followed by some sincere words about your new wife. That alone will easily take up 5 minutes. The perfect length for a groom speech.
For everyone else, there's plenty of time to thank them in person and give out presents after the speeches.
4. NO HALLMARK QUOTES ABOUT YOUR WIFE
Hopefully you are already aware that the most important person to thank is your new wife! You need to speak honestly and from the heart. So, please don't turn to the internet for some generic romantic quote. People will know that you didn't think it up yourself!
If you're struggling to find the right words, then just ask yourself some questions. What first attracted you to your wife? When did you decide you were going to propose? What is your favourite thing about your new wife? It really doesn't take long to come up with something good.
Sum it up in three or four well written sentences and you will definitely hit the the mark.
5. MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT THANKING THE SAME PEOPLE
There will be a lot of people you want to thank. However, there is also a very good chance that some of those people will have already been thanked in one of the previous speeches, like the Father of the Bride. So, co-ordinate in advance with the speech makers exactly who is going to thank whom.
AND IF ALL ELSE FAILS...
Remember that the Wedding Toaster is always here to help! Have a look at our speech writing package to help you craft a speech you will be proud to see every time your wife digs out the old wedding DVD! (or MP4, or whatever it is they do nowadays)