The groom’s speech is an age-old wedding tradition. And while there’s certain things your guests will probably expect to hear (for example, your thank-you’s to your spouse and loved ones), you can definitely put your own spin on it.
But where to begin when putting it together? Our team at Kindred have heard plenty of beautiful speeches that have guests laughing, crying, and feeling the love in the room. Here’s our advice for writing the perfect groom’s speech, plus a few examples.
Contents
How to write a groom wedding speech
Groom wedding speech template
How long should a groom’s speech last?
Short groom wedding speech examples
Groom wedding speech tips
How to write a groom wedding speech
As the groom, what’s most important is that you speak from the heart. You don’t necessarily need to make everyone laugh — particularly if that’s not something that comes naturally to you. You just need to be honest.
Typically, the groom’s speech is a kind of thank-you note to everyone for coming and being involved in planning the day, as well as some heartfelt words for your new spouse. It’s your chance to let your loved ones know how much you appreciate them and what the day means to you.
To help get you going, here are some prompts to ask yourself:
- Who are the people that you need to thank?
- What do you want to thank them for?
- What does their help, support, or contributions to the day mean to you?
- Are there any absent guests you would like to mention or honour?
- What would you like to say to your new in-laws?
- What would you like to say to your spouse?
- What does your relationship mean to you?
- What does this day mean to you?
From your answers to the above, you could start to form a rough structure for your speech.
Groom wedding speech template
Typically, a groom’s speech will include:
Welcome and thank you to guests
Start by welcoming everyone and thanking them for coming, especially anyone who has travelled to attend. Keep this bit short and sweet.
Thanks to family & other special mentions
Next, express your appreciation for your family and/or other key people in your life. You could mention how important these relationships are and how they have shaped you, or perhaps the role they’ve played in planning the wedding. Some people like to mention absent guests here as well.
This usually includes mention of your new in-laws, too. Most people will also thank their groomsmen and the bridal party, both for their support and friendship and help with the wedding planning.
The aim of this section is for everyone to know how much you appreciate them, so they truly feel they’re sharing this moment with you. Be honest and speak from the heart: but don’t let this section go on for longer than a few minutes.
Thanks to staff
Keep this super brief: acknowledge all the staff, planners, and suppliers who have helped your day go off without a hitch. One or two sentences is fine.
Talk about your partner
Now, it’s time to talk about your partner. Let them know why they are so special to you and what today means, and how excited you are to spend the rest of your lives together.
Most importantly: remember to be yourself. You’re giving a speech to the room but in a way, you’re also speaking directly to your partner. Tell them what they mean to you, and how you feel right now having just married them.
Personal anecdote
These often land well because they help to bring all the sentiments expressed above to life. You could share the story from how you met (if it’s a good story!) or an anecdote that captures the dynamic of your relationship. It gives people a little window into your love and makes them feel connected to the two of you.
Toast
That’s it, you’ve done it! Ask your guests to raise their glasses and join you in toasting your marriage.
How long should a groom’s speech last?
There are no rules here. But you don’t want to go on for too long — you want your sentiments to land before your guests’ attention starts to wane.
We’d suggest around 6-8 minutes, with an absolute maximum of 10 minutes. That’s roughly 1,000-1,300 words when written down.
Short groom wedding speech examples
That said, if you’re not one for public speaking, you can have an even shorter speech if you like.
At minimum, you want to thank your guests for coming, thank your families and any other key people, and share a few words about your spouse. You can certainly do that within a few minutes: again, what’s most important is that you speak from the heart.
Here’s a bare-bones example, you can fill in the blanks to make it as long or short as you’d like:
On behalf of my [spouse] and I, we’d like to thank you all so much for coming and sharing this special day with us. I’d first like to thank [my spouse’s parents] for welcoming me into your family, and for being such wonderful parents to [my spouse]. And to my parents: [a few words of appreciation]. I couldn’t have done it without you.
To my groomsmen and the bridal party, thanks for your friendship. Today wouldn’t have been the same without you.
Finally, to my [spouse]. [A line or two about how much you love and appreciate them]
Thank you again to all of you for being here, it genuinely means so much to us. And now, could we all please raise our glasses to my amazing [spouse], [name]?
Groom wedding speech tips
Feeling inspired yet? Here’s some tips when writing your speech.
Keep it simple
A speech that’s easy to understand will simply land better. Try to avoid being too wordy, as this can make your speech hard to follow. This can bury the impact of all the lovely sentiments you want to get across.
Be yourself
Your speech is about how you feel and it’s important that you stay true to that. If you’re naturally a man of few words, that’s fine — say a few words that are genuine and heartfelt.
Your guests are here to celebrate you, and most of them probably know you fairly well. They aren’t expecting you to be anything that you’re not. Your speech doesn’t need to dazzle or ‘wow’ them, it just needs to be honest.
Be specific
When you’re talking about your loved ones, especially your new spouse, it’s very easy to fall into cliché: think lines like “you’ve shown me the true meaning of love”.
Instead, be specific on what you love about them. What are their traits or characteristics that particularly stand out to you here? For example, rather than saying “you’re my best friend”, you could mention your shared sense of curiosity and love for trying new things. Some people use anecdotes here to illustrate that rather than spell it out.
You don’t have to be funny
It doesn’t matter if you aren’t naturally a funny person nor if you don’t feel comfortable making jokes in your speech. There is absolutely no pressure for you to be funny.
Write it ahead of time
We’ve all seen the movies where the groom hurriedly writes his speech the night before, hoping some last-minute inspiration will strike. Trust us, this will only cause unnecessary stress.
Like all pieces of writing, drafting and editing will make it better. We’d suggest sitting down to write your first draft a few months before the day. It’s fine for your draft to be a bit all over the place — the aim is just to get the words down on paper. Revisit the draft another day and edit it until you’re pleased with it.
Here, it’s also helpful to practice reading the speech aloud. This will help you gauge what works and what doesn’t.
Enjoy it
Audiences are great at picking up on vibes, and if you’re having a good time — even if you stumble over your words a bit — they’ll have a smile on their faces as well.
Remember: the crowd are people who love you, so if you need to take it slow or pause for a moment, they won’t mind at all. Read from a sheet of paper or cue cards if you need to but do try to avoid looking at your phone, as this can come across as a bit standoffish.
Your wedding venue
Feeling ready to write your speech? It might help to picture the venue you’ll be delivering it from.
Nestled right in the heart of west London, Kindred is ready to host your dream wedding. We’re a heritage venue designed with a modern touch, with multiple spaces to suit celebrations of all sizes.
We believe that planning your wedding should be a fun and joyful experience, and we’re here to make that happen for you. With an on-site restaurant, multiple bars, and top-of-the-range capabilities to support a range of entertainers, our friendly team will handle the stressful bits and ensure everything runs smoothly on the day.
From intimate ceremonies of up to 35 people to bigger celebrations, we’ve got you covered.
Have a flick through our wedding brochure or get in touch with our events team to see how we could bring your dream wedding to life.
