how to end a groom's speech

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In This Article

• Speech Examples
• Speech Template
• Speech Tips
• What to Avoid
• Toast Ideas
• Wedding Party & Reception

Groom at Wedding Speech Templates And Ideas

phuket_wedding_planner via Instagram

Everyone wants to hear the groom say something at the wedding because he’s the man of the hour. For this reason, you must make the opportunity count. While it’s easy to celebrate the good fortune of finding your beloved, giving a speech is a different matter.

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Ironically, brides are always prepared, but grooms often leave the speech at the last minute, probably from panic. So whether you’re shy, confused about what to do, or don’t have the time to whip up something, we’ve got you covered. See our Post for the best groom wedding speeches tips and ideas ever.

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Groom Speech Examples

As against the best man speech which focuses more on the groom, the speech of the groom is for everyone, his bride inclusive. As a result, a groom’s speech is either light-hearted, funny, or witty. It has no blueprint or strict rules but two elements are ever-present regardless of what kind of speech it is – emotion and sincerity!

It is a special day and a lot of people made the day possible. In his speech, he will thank everyone and even those absent. He will salute his new father-in-law, the bridesmaids, the maid of honor, and even the bride’s mother.

He will thank his groomsmen and especially his best man for holding him up all the way. The highlight of this speech is when he would make a wedding toast to his beloved, with so much love in his eyes thanking her for coming into his life. He’d tell his love story and show his optimism and willingness to be her husband.

My speech today will be like a mini-skirt. Long enough to cover the essentials and short enough to hold your attention. Apparently, it’s my job to do all the thank you’s, so on behalf of my lovely new wife and I, the biggest thank-you goes to all of you for coming. The day would not have been the same without you and neither would my bank balance! But on a serious note, it is lovely to see so many of you here. Particularly those of you who have had to travel many miles. Amy and I would like to thank our parents for all the love and support both emotional and financial they have given us. And a special thank-you to Vanessa who is responsible for making our fantastic wedding cake. Sharon, Sue, Vanessa, Ray, Steve We’d also like to thank Darren for his services as the best man today and of course our ushers. You’ve all done a grand job. Darren, Mark, Jon, Jim, Adam That brings me onto our bridesmaids. Thank you all for your help and for being there for Amy through the ups and downs of wedding planning! I’m sure everyone will agree that you all look stunning today. Nina, Laura, Charlotte, Kirsty, Fiona, Lillie, Jordan, and Emily. Finally, I would personally like to thank my lovely wife, Amy, for having me as her husband! I read somewhere that “You don’t marry the person you can live with, you marry the person you cannot live without”. Well, we’ve lived together for five years and I know I’ve married the right person. I’m so glad I can at last call you my wife. Now all that remains is for me to say please enjoy the rest of the day…… and mine’s a foster!

………..Good evening ladies, gentlemen, family, and friends. First of all, I must say a big “thank you” to Colin for his kind words. His speech was so good, he’s going to do mine for me too. As many of you will know, I am of the shy retiring type that likes to keep quiet and keep my opinions to myself, therefore you can understand my nervousness at standing up here in front of all of you making a speech. And as many of you will also know, I’m also a compulsive liar, but I am still nervous, that bit is true. I have been fearful of this bit for weeks, and as you can imagine, this isn’t the first time today I have arisen from a warm seat with a piece of paper in my hand. I read while researching wedding speeches that a good speech has a good beginning and a good ending. But the best speech of all is one that keeps these close together. So I will try and keep this as short as possible and will try my best not to do a “Gwinny” with my list of thanks. Firstly I would like to thank any Rangers fans for still being here and not walking out at 4.30 as usual. Pause for cheers But then again, I don’t think we’re friends with any of them anyway. I would like to thank my parents, Ian and Margaret for all the help they have given me over the years, if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be here now. So, Helen, if it doesn’t work out you know who to blame. I would also like to thank Helen’s parents, Colin and Sandra, for making me feel like the son they never wanted, sorry the son they never had, right from day 2. Day 1 was a bit rough, but hey, they’re over it now……….

……….You are all aware of our problems over the last few years and one of my biggest worries, especially when I was “down South”, so to speak, was that my two children, Michelle and Nick would go off the rails. I’m pleased to say that they didn’t and they’ve both made us so proud of their achievements so I’d like to propose my toast to them….Michelle and Nick. Very few of you will know, but I am an erstwhile poet when the mood takes me. Anita has always complained that I have never written a poem for her, so I will today amend that omission. It’s called Wedding Day…………

………..On behalf of Julia and myself, or should I say on behalf of my wife and me, we would like to thank everyone for coming today. Everyone has traveled in some way to be here and share this special day with us and we’re delighted to see you all. A special thank-you goes out to those of you who have traveled a greater number of miles to be here today. It’s quite humbling to realize that you’re friends and family that care so much and are willing to travel all that way to share in your special day. Thank you for your cards, kind thoughts and of course all your wedding gifts. They’re all greatly appreciated. Unfortunately, there are two people who can’t be here today, my Dad and my granddad so, it would mean a lot to me if you would all stand for a toast in their memory – To Billy McCleery and James Harrison Snr…………

………….On a serious note, I’d firstly like to say a big thank you to my new Dad Dave. I’m proud to be his son-in-law and hope I can live up to his expectations, which should be easy, compared to his other son Mick! But let us not take this Father, Son thing too seriously, as I’m not into 10-mile runs before breakfast like you were in the Paras. Both Sharon and I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone for coming here today and sharing this special occasion with us. Especially those who brought expensive presents. Its much appreciated! Thank you to Edwin and Elsa, Margaret and Linda and many others who have traveled a long way to be here. It’s certainly a long way from Brighouse! We hope you all enjoy the day, have fun, relax and be merry…………….

Groom Rehearsal Dinner Speech

Congratulations on your upcoming rehearsal dinner speech! Here are three tips to help you write a memorable and meaningful speech:

• Keep it concise: Your speech should be short and sweet. Aim for no more than five minutes. Remember, this is just a rehearsal dinner, not the main event. You want to keep your guests engaged and entertained, but you don’t want to bore them with a long-winded speech.
• Personalize it: Share stories and anecdotes that are personal to you and your fiance. Talk about how you met, what you love about your fiancé, and what makes your relationship special. Don’t be afraid to show your emotions – this is a special occasion, after all.
• Thank your guests: Your rehearsal dinner is a time to thank the people who have supported you throughout your wedding planning process. Take a moment to express your gratitude and thank your guests for being a part of your special day.

Here’s an example of a groom rehearsal dinner speech that incorporates these three tips:

Good evening everyone, and thank you for joining us on this special night. I want to start by thanking our parents, who have been there for us every step of the way. Your love and support mean the world to us. I also want to thank our friends and family who have traveled from near and far to be here with us. We feel incredibly blessed to have you in our lives. As we sit here tonight, I can’t help but reflect on how lucky I am to have found my soulmate in [bride’s name]. I knew from the moment I met her that she was the one for me. Her kindness, intelligence, and beauty continue to amaze me every day. [Optional: insert a personal anecdote here] [Optional: insert a joke or humorous story here] As we prepare to start this new chapter of our lives together, I am filled with gratitude and joy. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.

The Great Groom Speech Template

Here’s a groom speech at wedding template that will help you create a winning speech with ease.

• Thank the guests Say a heartfelt thanks to the guests for leaving their busy schedules to honor you on your big day. Many of them sacrificed time, money, work, and even their safety to come all the way because they love you. Say thank you, mean it, and crack a joke. This is also the time to distribute little gifts or wedding favors to the guests.
• Say some words about the bride Gush about the woman of the moment. Let the guests feel your joy at getting married to the love of your life. Talk about what attracted you to her, what she means to you, and reiterate your vows. You may also seal this part of your speech with a kiss and watch her blush.
• Share a memorable story Getting to your wedding day was a long journey and there are stories that bind you. Let the guests know the beautiful way you met, and share sweet memories, funny ones, and romantic events. If both of you have a favorite song, pick a line from it and incorporate it into your speech. Avoid near break-up situations, forgiveness for some errors, or unpleasant situations that happened in your relationship.
• Share your impressions about the day Recount something beautiful about your wedding day. Maybe talk about how the sun shined bright because it knows an angel got married today. Talk about the beautiful reception, cake, or decor. Just incorporate something from the present.
• Say some words about the best man Your best man is arguably one of your strongest support systems throughout wedding planning. Give him some accolades in your speech. Talk about how you met and him being your main man through life. Appreciate him sincerely and even take a friendly jab at him.
• Thank your parents There is no better time to tell everyone how awesome your parents are. Talk about the bride’s parents too because you’re family now. Thank both families for being in your corner and promise to always behave. That will get in a few laughs.
• Close with a toast Finish your speech with a toast to your wife, parents, guests, love, and happiness.

Groom Speech Tips

A lot of grooms always get confused when trying to write a speech for their wedding. Days before the wedding, they go into a fit of panic because they know absolutely nothing to write. While writing such speech, you are conscious about the introduction, body, and conclusion. You want to catch the guests at the beginning of your speech, keep them interested and close off to a magnetic finishing.

The speech tips below are simple, concise and will give answers to all your questions.

• Prepare your mind and calm your nerves for the speech.
• Run speech by your best man to sieve out off liners.
• Make eye contact with everyone.
• Address the audience as a couple. Include your wife.
• Do away with vulgar words or jokes.
• Include the decent but minimal amount of humor.
• Don’t forget to thank your parents and in-laws
• Always throw some compliments the way of your wife and make the core of your speech.
• Dedicate some part of your speech to your wife. She is the main focus.
• Make the last toast go to your wife.
• Make your speech heartfelt and let your personality shine through.

What Not to Say in the Groom Speech

kreativwedding via Instagram

A perfect speech will give you unending applause from everyone. But a bad speech? The disasters are too much to mention. You will have in-laws getting pissed at you, the bridesmaids coming for your head. Your best man gunning to have you quartered and your wife preparing to give you hell.

To avoid the later and all other unforeseen ills that could happen with a badly given speech, here are some don’ts to the rescue.

Don’ts

• Don’t build your speech around anyone else but your wife.
• Don’t include vulgar words or insensitive jokes.
• Don’t take too much time making your speech. 5-10 minutes is enough.
• Don’t forget to introduce your best man and compliments the bridesmaids.
• Don’t forget to make your last toast to the bride.

Groom Wedding Toast Ideas

The groom’s wedding toast is quite numerous, most of which he will give as he makes his speech. For every stage he concludes in his speech, there is a toast. A toast to the father-in-law, to his best man, to the bridesmaids, to the guests present, and many more. The most important toast is to his wife and both of them as a couple.

To the father of the bride

“Let us toast to my father in law for raising and giving me this beautiful woman. For being a wonderful father to her, although I’m taking over. For accepting me as a son……. “

To the best man

“To my right-hand man for being there all the way. For taking time off work to make all things ready for my big day. For all the sacrifices you made from way back until now. For being my best friend in the real sense and too many more years as friends…..a toast to my best man (insert name)”

Toast To the guests

“A toast to you wonderful people. You are all amazing. Thanks for being here today and sharing in our joy. To many more years of celebration and happiness………. “

To the bride

“Whoever thought this angelic beauty seated here will be mine? Let’s all make a toast to my heartthrob, whose smile lightens my world. A toast to you baby, for all you are, for all you’ll be. To us, to life, to our love, to your happiness, too many blissful years with me, to our future, to forever…………”

Frequently Asked Questions

What should the groom say in his speech.

The groom’s speech typically includes gratitude, compliments to the bride, thanks to guests, and a toast.

What should the groom say at the rehearsal dinner?

The groom at the rehearsal dinner can express appreciation to those involved, share anecdotes, and convey excitement for the upcoming wedding.

How Long Should A Groom’s Speech Be?

A groom’s speech typically lasts around 5 to 10 minutes. It should be long enough to express gratitude, share anecdotes, and convey heartfelt sentiments, but short enough to maintain guests’ interest and keep the overall flow of the wedding reception.

Thank you all again for being here tonight. Let’s raise a glass to love, laughter, and happily ever after! The groom’s speech is one of the most anticipated speeches at a wedding. It doesn’t need such long preparation but could flop if you don’t get the hang of it. Give the best groom speech at wedding ever with the tips, ideas, and templates we’ve curated in this post. Speak from the heart, let your love shine, add some humor and you’re home free.

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The Best Ways To Conclude A Wedding Speech

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To conclude your toast, you ask everyone to raise their glasses and say something endearing, humorous, or heartfelt aloud for everyone to repeat. Typically, you would end it with “to the bride and groom/happy couple/newlyweds” or use their names, and the wedding party would repeat it back to you.

How do you wrap up a wedding speech?

According to Chertoff, “the conclusion of a wedding speech should summarize the feeling of the speech and the occasion.”. “The speaker might ask everyone to raise a glass in toast to the couple, or they might just want to end by expressing their love for the newlyweds. It’s actually that easy. CachedSimilar.

In the past, guests at weddings would raise their glasses to their gods. Giving a speech (or toast) in honor of the newlyweds is still a significant component of wedding celebrations today.

According to Allyson Joseph, an event producer at Bob Gail Events in Los Angeles, California, wedding speeches are typically given by the newlyweds’ parents, one member of each side of the wedding party (the best man and maid of honor), and the newlyweds themselves.

Given that they frequently host this event, the father and mother of the groom typically make a toast at the rehearsal dinner, whereas the bride’s family typically does so at the wedding.

What phrases are used to conclude a wedding toast?

Please lift your glasses in honor of the bride and groom. These are some common closing statements for the maid of honor speech. Join me in congratulating the bride and groom on their marriage! Here’s to you, bride and groom, with love and happiness! Cheers to the joyful newlyweds!

Amy has a B and has worked in a variety of fields. A. to coordinate events like weddings, which is why communication skills are so important.

Making sure the bride and groom will remember and find the maid of honor’s toast meaningful is crucial. Unlike other maid of honor duties that are done “behind the scenes,” the maid of honor toast is one responsibility that will put you in the spotlight. You can make the perfect toast with the help of a few useful writing and speaking hints, as well as fantastic examples of speech endings.

Some people may find it difficult to write a toast. Even if you are the bride’s sister or her best friend and the maid of honor, you might struggle to find the right words to use during the toast. When writing your essay, try to keep these suggestions in mind.

How do you make a toast?

If you frequently attend formal dinners, it can be a good idea to memorize one or two go-to toasts, whether heartfelt (“May your house always be too small to hold all our.

If you came across this page after frantically searching for “how to give a wedding toast when you just got asked to be the maid of honor and you’re terrified of public speaking,” welcome. You’ve found yourself in the middle of a book about public speaking. We’ll do our best to educate you.

When we consider public speaking situations, wedding toasts frequently loom large in our minds. This perception may arise from the fact that wedding toasts combine several of the distinctive (and potentially intimidating) aspects of public speaking that we have practiced throughout this course. The components of public speaking for a toast at a wedding are:

Of course, most weddings will deviate from this trend, particularly considering that all of the speakers on the aforementioned list are male. More importantly, every family and every couple is unique. What happens if there are two brides or grooms, a female best man, the couple pays for their own wedding, etc.? The main benefit of the “traditional” toasting order at weddings is that it makes sure that everyone is acknowledged and thanked. Find out if there is anyone or anything at the wedding that you should specifically mention in your toast before beginning to prepare your speech.

What should a thank-you speech’s final words be?

Thank you for your time today, tonight, or this morning. That concludes our discussion. I appreciate you giving me your time and attention today. I greatly appreciate your interest and focus.

Do you have anything in mind for your audience to do or consider after your presentation? Give your audience clear instructions on what to do by using a Call to Action if you want them to take action.

Please take two minutes to leave a comment about your experience with presentations after you have finished the lesson for today. The comments section at the bottom of this lesson is the ideal place to join a discussion on this subject; feel free to add your ideas or pose questions there.

Here are a few helpful phrases to use when introducing your CTA:

How do you toast at the conclusion of a speech?

The Customary Toast “Please join me in raising a glass to the happy couple, (NAME) and (NAME).” “I’d like you all to join me in wishing the new Mr. and Mrs. (NAME) all the wealth, health, and happiness in the world.” Greetings from the new Mr. and Mrs. or Mr. and Mrs. (NAME) to my best friend and his lovely bride or groom.

Making a toast to the happy couple is a requirement for the best man speech; here are 22 toasts to get you started.

Give a best man toast to the newlyweds as part of your best man speech preparation. You’ll need to ask everyone to raise their glasses in celebration of the happy couple and their future together.

The best man’s wedding toast is the traditional way to conclude a best man’s speech, but if you need some inspiration for a memorable conclusion, check out these great best man speech toast examples.

What is a suitable way to conclude a speech?

The simplest way to conclude a speech after delivering the content is to say, “Thank you,” to the audience. That has the advantage of being widely accepted. Anyone can use it to tell the crowd that it’s time to applaud and then go home.

The beginning and ending of your presentation are the most important. You must capture the audience’s interest at the outset of your speech if you want them to pay attention for the duration of it. Your opportunity to leave a memorable impression that listeners will carry with them is at the conclusion.

According to studies, people perform best at the beginning and end of recall tasks. It’s therefore essential that you leave an impact with your closing statement. A compelling conclusion inspires action, empowers the audience, and motivates readers.

We frequently use the rule of three in both written and verbal communication because it is a straightforward yet effective method of communication. The audience is more likely to remember information when it is presented in groups of three.

How do you toast the bride and groom at the end of a speech?

Congratulate the happy couple. Tell them how excited you are that they are getting married and how much it means to you to be there. Say hello. dot. A story should be told. dot. Address each partner separately. dot. Choose the favorites of the crowd. dot. Raise your glass for a toast.

Trying to figure out how to write a wedding toast can be a very nerve-wracking and intimidating task. Wedding toasts can go one of two ways: they’re either hilarious, memorable, and totally sweet, or they’re a train wreck waiting to happen and a moment guests dread. Every couple hopes the speeches at the reception fall into the first category, but there is no assurance—until now.

To combat those awful speeches, Marisa Polansky and Kristine Keller founded Speech Tank, offering completely custom, one-of-a-kind toasts for any occasion. And what better reason to turn to the experts than for your best friend’s wedding? We sat down with Polansky and Keller to get the inside scoop on writing a totally killer speech. With their help, your audience will be begging for an encore!

Your toast should be heartfelt but brief. An introduction, middle, and conclusion should all be included.

What particular speech pattern is a closing toast known for?

To conclude a toast, simply say something like, “Please join me in recognizing Joan for her achievement” and lift your glass. When you lift your glass, this will signal to others to do the same, and then you can all take a drink, which is the end of your speech.

Many entertaining speeches fall under the category of special-occasion speeches. All the speeches in this category are given to mark the significance of particular events. Common events include weddings, bar mitzvahs, award ceremonies, funerals, and political events. On each of these different occasions, speakers are asked to deliver speeches relating to the event. For purposes of simplicity, we’ve broken special-occasion speeches into two groups: ceremonial speaking and inspirational speaking.

Ceremonial speeches are speeches given during a ceremony or a ritual marked by the observance of formality or etiquette. are speeches given during a ceremony or a ritual marked by the observance of formality or etiquette. It shouldn’t be surprising that these ceremonies provide platforms for speeches because they are typically very special for the participants. Let’s examine each of the eight types of ceremonial speaking: introductions, presentations, acceptances, dedications, toasts, roasts, eulogies, and farewells.

The first type of speech is called the speech of introduction. Speech given by the host of a ceremony that introduces another speaker and his or her speech. to introduce another speaker and his or her speech, which is a brief speech delivered by the host of a ceremony. There are few things worse than when the speaker or introducer stands up and announces, “This is Joe Smith; he will talk about stress.” While we did learn the speaker’s name and the topic, the introduction falls flat. The audience won’t be the least bit excited about listening to Joe’s speech.

What is a good sentence to end a speech?

Once you’ve finished presenting your content, thanking the audience is the easiest way to conclude a speech. Everyone will be able to understand that, so that is a plus. Anyone can use it to tell the crowd that it’s time to applaud and then go home.

The most crucial parts of your presentation are the beginning and conclusion. The beginning is where you grab the audience’s attention and ensure they listen to the rest of your speech. The conclusion gives you a chance to leave a lasting impression that listeners take away with them.

According to studies, people perform at their peak during the beginning and end of recall tasks. You must make sure your closing statement has impact. People are inspired, empowered, and motivated to take action by a strong conclusion.

We frequently employ the rule of three, a straightforward but effective communication technique, in both written and spoken communication. Information that is presented in groups of three helps the audience remember it better.

How do you end a speech sentence?

Here are some options for ending your speech: Close with an inspirational quotation. Find a short quote that captures the feeling you want the audience to have. Include a call to action. Tell a story. Describe the impact of what happens if the audience does what you ask. Transition to Q+A Match the opening sentence.

This month’s topic addresses a special request from one of our readers. Jon writes, “I was wondering if… you could cover dynamic closings in speeches. My team and I work very hard on that aspect of our presentations, and any advice you could give us would be extremely helpful.

Absolutely! In fact, the opening and closing sentences are the two most important parts of any speech or presentation.

Every speech is an opportunity to influence people’s behaviors, beliefs, or actions. That’s an incredible opportunity and a deep responsibility to make your speech matter. One of the ways to do that is through writing a powerful conclusion.

How do you say thank you at the end of a speech?

And the most basic one you can give is whether you can say is. Thank you for being here today. I really appreciate that you took the time to be here and listen to my presentation.

How do you end a wedding speech, maid of honor?

How do you end a maid of honor speech? A maid of honor speech should end on a sincere and happy note. Celebrate the couple and how they make each other better, share your love for the bride, offer pearls of wisdom for a happy life together, or recite a meaningful quote.

One of the most challenging maid of honor duties can be giving a speech at the reception or wedding ceremony.

Although the MOH is typically someone who knows the bride well as either a best friend, sister, or other family member, public speaking is one of the most common phobias, and the pressure to come up with the right words to describe the bride and groom can leave maids of honor not knowing where to begin.

To give maids and matrons of honor a good starting point for their wedding toast, we’ve pulled together some helpful tips for making your speech memorable.

What is an example of a good closing speech?

Formal Closing Remarks It’s been a pleasure being with all of you today; thank you. Thank you all for your patience. I wish you all a very good evening. Good Bye. It’s been an honor to be among such accomplished individuals and to be able to present my perspective before you all. Thank you and have a good evening or day.

Two aspects of a speech or presentation hold immense importance to ensure that you are able to leave a lasting impact on your audience, i.e., the opening and closing remarks. Using the right words can help you leave on a high note, and needless to say, failing to do so can make your presentation forgettable and, in some cases, regrettable.

The type of closing remarks you add to your presentation will depend upon the environment, the topic of the speech, and the kind of audience you are addressing. Let’s take a look at some sample closing remarks that you can use, along with some basic tips for concluding your presentation in an appropriate manner.

You might want to end your presentation formally with comments like these:

Related Articles:

• How To Give A Great Wedding Speech Or Toast Speech Delivery Tips, How To Memorise A Speech, Tips Fo
• How To Write A Wedding Speech. How To Write Your Best Man Speech Or Maid Of Honour Speech
• How To Conclude Your Vows
• How To Conclude A Wedding Wish
• How To Conclude Arguments In A Marriage

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How to Write a Short and Simple Groom Speech

The Groom Speech is one of the most important pieces of the wedding ‘jigsaw’.

Get it right and you’ll be a hero in the eyes of your new Bride and leave your guests with big smiles on their faces.

Get it wrong and there could be a big, embarrassing hole in the middle of an otherwise perfect day.

So the pressure’s on and while the Groom speech is not a hard one to pull off, it’s also an easy one to screw up.

But there’s no need to panic! Take a deep breath, think calming thoughts and read my Stress-Free Guide to Writing a Short and Simple Groom Speech .

An Effective Groom Speech is as Simple as ABC

Some Groom speeches are masterpieces of speechwriting - full of touching stories, memorable details and clever jokes.

But the truth is that as long as you include just three essential elements you can deliver a rock-solid Groom speech that ticks all the right boxes.

So here’s my ABC for an effective Groom speech, which tells you exactly what to say, and when to say it…

A is for… Acknowledgements

This is non-negotiable - acknowledging the important people in your life, particularly those who’ve helped with the arrangements for the big day.

Forget to say “thank you” and you’ll not only look ungrateful but your speech could leave a bad taste in the mouth of anyone who felt they deserved a quick mention.

And remember, even if you’ve thanked someone in person - or plan to - nothing can quite replace giving them public recognition in front of the other guests.

”Thank You” Checklist

Here’s a checklist of people you might want to thank:

• The Father of the Bride for his toast to you and the Bride
• Your parents for their support over the years
• The Bride’s parents for:a) bringing up your wonderful wife, andb) for welcoming you into their family
• Your Groomsmen for their help on and before the big day
• The Bridesmaids for the help they’ve given the Bride

”Thank You” Gifts

If you intend to hand out any gifts you can do this as part of the acknowledgements.

Absent Family and Friends

It’s also customary to acknowledge absent family and friends.

This can be a poignant moment so make sure there’s a brief pause to remember important people, before diving into…

B is for… Bride

Once you’ve shown your gratitude by acknowledging all the key wedding players, it’s time to get to the main topic of your speech, which is of course - the Bride!

Yes, the thank you’s are absolutely essential, but they’re really just a polite preamble. It’s the bit where you start to talk fondly about your new wife that your guests are really looking forward to hearing.

Even if you’re the strong, silent type, your wedding day is the one occasion where you get to show your softer side and let a few honest feelings show through.

But don’t worry, it’s dead easy to write a crowd-pleasing Groom speech. Because although the Best Man’s speech, for example, is expected to be funny, all that the Groom’s speech really needs to be is sincere - and a little romantic.

In the spirit of minimalism, here’s a simple template to use if you’re lost for words when it comes to talking about your beautiful Bride:

• Tell the story of how you first met
• Say what you love about her - illustrated with a quick anecdote
• Tell us something about your hopes and plans for your future together

Do this right and you’ll score some serious points with your new wife and have all the guests (well the women at least!) thinking you’re the ultimate romantic hero!

C is for… Cheers!

So you’ve thanked everyone who needs thanking and you’ve made your new Bride swoon with some well-chosen words straight from the heart.

Job done, right? Time to sit down.

Well, not quite.

Wrap it up and end on a high

All good speeches have a clear beginning, middle and an end, and the Groom speech is no exception. You’ve just nailed the beginning and the middle, so let’s wrap things up neatly and end on a high.

Nothing gets a more enthusiastic response than an invitation to drink, and it’s traditional for the Groom’s speech to end with a toast to the Bridesmaids.

In an ultra-minimal Groom speech you could simply thank everyone for listening and immediately propose the toast.

However, it’s nice to acknowledge the next speaker - usually the Best Man - before you sit back down (and hopefully receive a big kiss from your wife).

A simple template for the perfect ending

So, with that in mind, here’s a quick guide to the perfect ending:

• Thank everyone for listening and say it’ll soon be time for the Best Man to speak
• Say a few short words about the Best Man and how much you’re looking forward to his speech
• Raise a toast to the Bridesmaids and hand straight over to the Best Man (or the MC)

So that’s it! You’ve reached the end of my Minimalist Guide.

Hopefully the prospect of writing your Groom speech is now about as stressful as gently raking the sand in your Zen garden whilst listening to an iPod full of whale song.

Now take a deep breath in, hold it for a few seconds, then slowly exhale any remaining worries and fears about your speech.

Just pick up a notepad and your favourite pen, and get writing.

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GROOM SPEECH STRUCTURE

Wondering how to put together a speech for your wedding and what the groom speech structure should actually be? We’ve provided a simple guide to what you should include in your speech on your wedding day.

Let’s be clear for starters, there’s no right or wrong way groom speech template to use. You can include anything you want in your speech – it is your wedding day after all!

There’s also no requirement whatsoever on length. Make it as long or short as you are comfortable with and use these groom’s speech examples for some inspiration.

While you might well want to make things special to you, your new wife, your families and guests with some personal touches and stories, there are several things that you should definitely include in your speech.

• The Ultimate Guide to Wedding Speeches & Toasts . Our go-to guide.
• Groom’s Speech.  Deliver an amazing Groom wedding speech. Groom speech examples .
• Best Man Speech.  Create an awesome best man speech. Example best man speeches .
• Father of the Bride Speech .  A heartfelt father of bride speech. Example father speeches .
• Sample Toasts & Speech Quotes . One liners, funny quotes, love parables and much more.
• Recent Wedding Speech Posts . Latest blog posts about wedding speeches and toasts.

A great way to start your speech, for example, is to begin with the words “My wife and I…”. It will be the first time you have addressed anyone as husband and wife and it gets the speech off to a great start.

Don’t forget the thank yous either. Get off to the right start with your new father in law by thanking him for his kind words, if he has delivered his speech before you, and your mother in law if she has performed a speech too.

Thank you guests for coming and being part of your special day, thank your own family for all the help you have received, and also anyone who has gone the extra mile in the build up to the wedding. And finish by thanking your new wife, giving her some flattery in the process too.

FUNNY ANECDOTES / STORIES

This is now your stage and certainly the time to include some groom’s speech jokes . The formalities are out of the way. Start with a gag or a one-liner and you’ll be off and running. Use props to add to the stories you are telling.

Tell a story or two about how you met, how you fell in love and why you knew she was the one for you. Entertain guests with some of the funny moments of relationships, buying your new house or living together for the first time, a holiday moment or something that will make the guests laugh. Even talk about something poignant in your speech at this stage if there is something close to your hearts.

RAISE A TOAST TO THE BRIDE

End the speech with a return to the formalities. After a special message to your new wife make a brief comment to the guests – “Finally, I would like to say thank you again to all of you for celebrating with us today” or something similar – and get the wedding breakfast to raise a toast to your new wife:  “And could you all please raise your glasses to my beautiful wife, the one I love…”

HAND OVER TO THE BEST MAN

It is time for you to take a deep breath, sit back and relax and have a bit of fun poked your way by your best man. At the end of your speech, hand over to him and prepare to be the center of the ribbing.

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Everything to Know About Your Groom Speech: Tips, Advice, and Examples

Our expert says all you need is 15 minutes to prepare.

Photo by Chi-Chi Ari

In This Article

When it comes to wedding speeches , there's no rule that says the groom has to give one; generally speaking, the father of the bride, the best man, and the maid of honor are the only people required to grab the microphone, but there's even some flexibility here. As the groom, if you feel inclined to say a few words during the party, you absolutely should. This is a great chance for you to say thanks: You can thank your guests for being there, thank your family members for their financial and emotional support, thank your wedding vendors for bringing the day to life, and thank your partner for making you the happiest man in the room.

If you're feeling nervous about the idea of giving a speech, here's the good news: According to Pete Honsberger , the author of Wedding Toasts 101: The Guide to the Perfect Wedding Speech , preparing for your moment in the spotlight is surprisingly simple. What's more, he says, this is an opportunity you won't want to pass up.

Meet the Expert

Pete Honsberger is the author of Wedding Toasts 101: The Guide to the Perfect Wedding Speech , He has been a serial groomsman, speaker, and wedding toast advisor for most of his adult life. When it comes to wedding toasts, he's seen just about everything.

Here, Honsberger's top tips for writing and delivering an amazing wedding speech as the groom, including exactly what to say to get everyone clapping.

Groom's Wedding Speech Tips

If you're feeling like you can't possibly add another task to your pre-wedding to-do list, remember that writing your speech shouldn't take long at all. "You only need a few minutes to prepare and about two minutes to deliver your speech ," Honsberger says. "This is your chance to recognize the hard work that others (and you) have put into this amazing day, to thank everyone for giving you the gifts of their time (and money, haha!), and to add another twinkle in your love’s eyes. "

His best advice? Keep it brief, but make it count. "From my experience [giving a speech at my own wedding] and those that I’ve witnessed, it’s so worth it," says Honsberger.

How to Prepare for a Wedding Speech as the Groom

Honsberger says that preparing for your speech should take less than 15 minutes. That's right: In less than the time it takes to watch a rerun of your favorite television show, you'll be able to pen a thoughtful message for the big day. "Just be sure to have a tidbit for each and you’ll look like a pro. Most importantly, you’ll show the crowd, your family, and your partner that you genuinely appreciate them," he adds.

When should you give your speech? Honsberger says either right before or right after dinner is served. "You'll want to speak to your planner in advance about fitting your toast into the reception timeline , but once it's go-time, simply gesture for a microphone and ask for the guests’ attention," he explains.

Groom Speech Template

To begin, simply prepare these five steps.

Step 1: Give Thanks 

In today's modern world, most of your wedding guests are traveling to be part of the big day. "And regardless of wedding size, you’ve had people traveling distances and giving their time to be in attendance," says Honsberger. "Most (and hopefully all) have brought you gifts , many of the pieces of green paper that will serve you very well as you start your new life. And even more than that, they deemed you important enough to spend a day of their lives participating in your celebration." That's why it's so important to take a moment and thank your guests. After all, regardless of how big or small your wedding is, there's a good chance you won't be able to spend quality time with each guest, which means you likely won't be able to thank everyone for being there.

At a loss for what to say? Honsberger suggests: "The only thing I want to say is wow. People have told me this would be the best day of my life, and I can honestly say it’s true, because of all of you (pointing at the crowd), and especially you (pointing at your partner). I cannot thank you all enough for being here."

Step 2: Give One Compliment to Your Partner

Your wedding day is about the two of you coming together, so you'd be remiss not to say something sweet about the person who just married you. "Cue up a classy and perhaps playful compliment about their dress or tux, the work they did to make the day possible, their patience in dealing with you, their resilience in wedding planning while you were out of town on a business trip, or simply their unwavering love throughout a challenging process," says Honsberger. "Tell them this publicly. You only need one or two lines to share your appreciation and to make their eyes sparkle and their face blush with slightly embarrassed happiness. "

An option he likes? “[Name of your partner], I’ll never forget seeing you walk down the aisle today. You are beautiful in more ways than I can count.” As a funny alternative, he also suggests: “[Name of your partner], you must be a parking ticket because you have fine written all over you right now!” 

Step 3: Recall One Memory 

"You don’t have a lot of time for this, so pick out one noteworthy anecdote or short memory from your relationship, from the wedding planning process , or from your interactions with their family and friends," says Honsberger. "Share your most compelling and enthusiastic version of that story and you’ll delight the whole crowd." A good option, according to the pro, would be something like: “When [name of partner] and I first met, we talked for hours until our friends all wanted to leave. I started to panic since I didn’t want to stop getting to know them. So I suggested we keep the party going by getting some pizza while everyone else went home. We’re only here tonight because my [husband or wife] likes pizza!”

Step 4: Share One Reception Comment 

Whether it’s about the dinner being currently served, the signature cocktail available at the bar, the DJ/band, or the overall atmosphere in the reception space, pull out one comment to share aloud related to the evening’s experience. "The purpose of this is to connect the whole room with your vision for the night," says Honsberger. "If you want the dance floor absolutely packed, speak it into existence. If you have a specially requested song you want to tease, mention it here."

Step 5: Give Thanks Again

Before concluding your speech, give one more round of thanks for everyone involved. Anyone you missed on the first pass—your families, any special friends, and especially your wedding vendors—should be noted here. Then, ask everyone to raise a toast to your partner, your families, the friends in attendance, and the hardworking staff working to bring the day to life.  

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Writing the Groom’s Speech: The Ultimate Guide to Your Wedding Toast

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Unless you’re a fan of public speaking, you’ve probably found your way here wondering how on earth you’re meant to begin writing the speech for your wedding day…

Well, as a groom, you’re in luck, the Groom’s Wedding Speech is actually a very simple, straightforward one to write, and with a couple of read-throughs, you’ll nail it (even if you are reading this the night before.

In what order should the Groom’s speech be?

A Groom’s Wedding Speech is one of the four traditional wedding speeches. Typically, the Groom’s wedding speech follows the speeches of the Father of the Bride and the Best Man, and is followed by the Maid of Honour (historically, a Bride would not make a speech). Of course, it will be completely up to you as a couple to decide who will be speaking, and what order that should be in (though someone may just surprise you and wish to speak on the day!), and of course, if this is a same-sex wedding, there may be two Grooms making speeches.  See all the different ways  same-sex couples can reinvent the speech section of their wedding.

Why the Groom’s Speech is the Easiest Wedding Speech to Write

It’s often said that the groom’s speech is the easiest speech to write because it has a simple structure and purpose. Here are some reasons why:

• Shorter length: The groom’s speech is usually shorter than other speeches, such as the Father of the Bride or Best Man’s toast. This means that there is less pressure to come up with a lot of content, be particularly funny or entertaining, or even share personal stories – leave that up to the others if you wish.
• Simple structure: The Groom’s speech typically follows a very simple structure, starting with an opening thank you and acknowledgment of the Bride, followed by a brief anecdote or two, possibly about wedding planning (and how much or little you’ve had to do with it), and ending with a toast to the future. This structure makes it easy to plan and write the speech.
• Personal experience: The Groom’s speech is often based on personal experience, making it easier to write from the heart. The Groom can share stories about how he met his Bride, how he fell in love, or when he knew he wanted to marry her, which can easily make for a heartfelt and meaningful speech. Trust us, all anybody really wants to hear is how stunning you think your new wife is, and what a phenomenal job she has done planning the day (even if you think you took on a fair share of it!)

How to Write the Groom’s Wedding Speech

• Start with a plan

Before you begin writing your speech, it’s important to have a plan in place. Think about the key points you want to make and how you can weave them together into a cohesive message, possibly incorporating a point into both the introduction and conclusion.

• Begin with a strong opening

To captivate your audience from the start, consider beginning with a strong opening. This could be a heartfelt quote or a humorous story that sets the tone for the rest of your speech. The goal is to grab the attention of your audience and set the tone for the rest of your speech.

• Speak from the heart

The best wedding speeches are those that come from the heart. While it can be tempting to focus on jokes or generic sentiments, take the time to speak honestly about your feelings. Share what you love about your new spouse and what makes your relationship special. Speak from the heart, and your words will be sure to resonate with your audience.

• Keep it concise

While you may have a lot to say, it’s important to keep your speech concise. Aim for a speech that lasts around five minutes, as anything longer can cause your audience to lose interest. Stick to the key points you want to make and be mindful of your audience’s attention span.

• Include humor

Wedding speeches don’t have to be serious all the time. In fact, including humor can be a great way to engage your audience and lighten the mood. Consider adding a funny story or anecdote to your speech to break up the more serious moments., practice, practice.

• Practice Reading Your Speech

Once you’ve written your speech, it’s time to practice. Read it out loud several times to get a feel for how it sounds and to make sure it flows well. Consider practicing in front of a mirror or in front of a friend to get feedback. The more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll feel delivering your speech on the big day.

Making the Groom’s Speech Funny

If humour comes naturally to you, your speech is likely to be funny too, and your guests are the ones who know and love you best (so they’ll definitely laugh along with you). If you struggle to tell personal anecdotes, consider including some funny quotes or sweet sayings:

• “The secret to a good marriage is to be a little deaf.”  —  Ruth Bader Ginsburg 
• “If at first you don’t succeed…try doing it the way your wife told you.”  —  Unknown
• “The secret to a happy marriage remains a secret.”  —  Henny Youngman
• “A successful marriage requires falling in love many times—always with the same person.”  —  Mignon McLaughlin (this one’s in our ‘ I still do ‘ anniversary journal)
• “To keep your marriage brimming with love in the loving cup, whenever you’re wrong, admit it; whenever you’re right, shut up.”  —  Ogden Nash

What should the Groom actually say in his wedding speech?

Of course, the groom’s wedding speech is also an opportunity to express his love and appreciation for his partner in front of friends and family. It’s a chance to share heartfelt words that capture the essence of their relationship and the depth of his feelings. While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to writing a groom’s speech, the following tips can help create a personal and loving tribute:

• Start with gratitude: Begin by thanking everyone for being there to celebrate this special day. Express your gratitude for their love and support, and how much it means to have them all there with you.
• Acknowledge your partner: Take a moment to acknowledge your partner and how much they mean to you. Share a personal story about how you met or something that has strengthened your relationship over time. Speak from the heart and let your emotions guide you. Thank them, if they have worked really hard to plan the wedding , as it has probably been a huge emotional undertaking for them too.
• Speak to their qualities: Talk about the qualities you admire in your partner, such as their kindness, compassion, sense of humor, or intelligence. Share specific examples that demonstrate these traits and how they have impacted your life.
• Express your love: This is the perfect opportunity to express your love and affection for your partner. Use language that is personal and meaningful to you, whether it’s through poetry, song lyrics, or your own heartfelt words.
• Make promises: A wedding is a celebration of a lifelong commitment, so take this opportunity to make promises to your partner about the future you will build together. Reinforce the vows you wrote to each other . You might promise to support them through thick and thin, to always be their partner in life, or to continue growing and learning together.
• Thank the families: Thank both families for their love and support, and for coming together to celebrate this special day. Acknowledge any special people in your partner’s life, such as parents or grandparents, and express your gratitude for their presence.
• End with a toast: Raise a glass to your partner, your families, and your future together. Invite everyone to join you in celebrating this joyous occasion and toast to the happiness and love that lies ahead.

Is there anything the Groom shouldn’t say in his speech?

Ah, yes, we’re so glad you asked, there are a few things never to include in a wedding speech .

• No matter how funny the anecdote sounds to you on paper, ex-girlfriends or past relationships for either party are off the table . It’s best to avoid this topic entirely.
• Controversial or sensitive topics: Weddings are a time to celebrate love and happiness, so it’s best to avoid controversial or sensitive topics that could potentially upset or offend guests. This could include politics, religion, or other divisive issues.
• Inside jokes or stories that are inappropriate: While inside jokes and stories can be entertaining, it’s important to consider whether they are appropriate for a wider audience. If a story or joke could potentially embarrass or offend someone, it’s best to avoid it.
• Negative comments about anyone (ANYONE): A wedding is a time to celebrate and show love, so it’s important to avoid negative comments or criticism of anyone. This includes family members, friends, vendors, or even the bride or groom themselves. Don’t resort to self-deprecating humour, this just isn’t the time. See etiquette guide to wedding speeches .

Remember, the most important thing is to speak from the heart and be true to yourself. While it can be tempting to focus on jokes or generic sentiments, take the time to speak honestly about your feelings. Share what you love about your new spouse and what makes your relationship special. Speak from the heart, and your words will be sure to resonate with your audience. Don’t worry too much about getting the words perfect – the emotion behind them is what really counts. With these tips in mind, you can create a personal and loving tribute to yo.ur partner that will be remembered for years to come.

Finally, the best, most entertaining and engaging speeches are ones which are to the point and concise. Aim for a speech that lasts around five minutes, as anything longer can cause your audience to lose interest. Stick to the key points you want to make and be mindful of your audience’s attention span.

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Groom Speech Structure: Write The Perfect Speech

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(*Of course, if you’re looking for more than ‘advice’, check out all the different ways the Speechy team can help you write & deliver a great speech. Or check out our new AI-powered team member, SpeechyAI .)

Never mind ‘how’ you’ll write your speech, worry about ‘when’.

Start soon , ideally two months before the wedding. Do not be tempted to put off writing until you’re hit by divine inspiration (it rarely strikes) and do not get side-tracked by table plans or biscuits.

Don’t underestimate how long it can take to be witty, meaningful, and memorable. Yes, you know your subject rather well (we’re hoping) but even professional comedians can take months to write five minutes of content.

So, lock yourself in a room, turn off your notifications, and get STARTED.

2. The Basic Speech Structure

A speech is not about handing out gifts and it’s not (just) about thanking people. It’s about reminding everyone why they should be celebrating the newlyweds getting hitched. It’s explaining why two sane people have just promised to tolerate each other’s crazy habits and personality quirks for the rest of their lives.

So, forget the old-fashioned etiquette books, the basic structure for a modern groom’s speech is relatively simple…

• Hello, welcome & thank everyone
• Relationship stories and insights to make your guests smile & laugh
• A meaningful tribute to your partner (poignant & unique, not cheesy or cliched!)
• The thank yous (we’ll get to those next)
• Possibly a tribute to the dearly departed 
• A toast that leaves everyone smiling (not bored by how predictable it is)

And that’s it really.

3. Know Your Speech Etiquette

There are plenty of good etiquette guides online but sound the klaxon, they come with a warning. Etiquette guides can seriously damage your speech. They can make you think your groom’s speech has to include a long list of thank-yous and old-fashioned clichés. Resist the urge.

Here’s our no-nonsense guide to speech etiquette –

• Be yourself – just because you’re wearing fancy clothes doesn’t mean you need to use formalities like ‘Ladies and Gentlemen’. Your friends and family want to hear the real you.
• Thank the important people –  Sure, thank everyone for coming but don’t namecheck half the guestlist.
• Remember those actors who win an Oscar and thank their parents, the director, the lighting guy, and their dog? Boring isn’t it? Especially when you don’t get a mention.
• Simply thank both sets of parents, anyone who’s contributed financially (though don’t be explicit about that), the people who have gone beyond the call of duty to help, and any children you may have.
• Don’t thank people like the caterers or anyone who you have paid.
• Don’t give thank-you gifts – Well, feel free to but don’t include the gift-giving as part of the speech. It will put you off your flow and it’s awkward to sit through. Give any gifts earlier or later in the day.
• Be clever – Make the thanks yous feel part of the story you’re telling. If you’re having a festival themed wedding then thank the backstage support and the incredible roadies who have helped.
• Your toast – Don’t feel pressured into toasting the bridesmaids. Certainly, thank them and say how stunning they look (they took three hours getting ready after all!) but these days you can toast anything you want and we encourage you to be personal.
• Why not propose a tequila toast ? Something inclusive, something about love, and something that gets people in the mood to party.

4. Wedding Speech Material

So, other than the speech ‘to dos’ what makes up the bulk of your speech? Well, stories of course…

STORY-HUNTING – Imagine you’re one of those detectives you see on TV (only without the Swedish accent or psychological problems). You have a theory, maybe that you’re marrying someone kind of special. It’s now up to you to prove it.

Retrace your romantic steps (metaphorically not literally, that could take some time) and work out the key bits of evidence.

What moments have been meaningful, funny, or illustrate a point? If you want to reference the fact your partner is a bit ditsy, remember the time they reported her car stolen only to discover they’d parked it round the corner.

GET INSIGHTFUL – Hunt down the things that make you and your partner unique. This is what adds depth, meaning, and humour to your speech. It also stops you from sounding like a generic cliche of a groom.

So, how does your partner put up with you? Are you the husband who can’t open jars? Do you eat your burgers with a knife and fork? It’s time to confess.

And what unique traits does your partner have? The ability to respond to Whatapp messages before they’re actually sent? An encyclopedic knowledge of The Great British Bake Off and its soggy bottoms? A ridiculously long tongue? Whatever it is, make sure you pay tribute to their individual quirks. It says much more than just saying how awesome they look (though it’s essential you say that too!).

5. Find a Theme

Right, this is the important bit.

Your speech is made up of lots of different elements but your job is to bind them all so your speech needs to sound like a story rather than a list of unconnected thoughts.

You need to hook people in from the beginning, establish a theme, and carry that through to an almighty climax.

There are infinite theme ideas but here are a few classics you could consider…

THEME IDEAS BASED ON YOUR RELATIONSHIP

• Love Lessons. What you’ve learnt from each other over the years; the good, the bad and the plain ugly. A theme like this is great for starting with comedic examples and moving on to more profound ones.
• The power of serendipity. This works if luck has played a part in your relationship (even if it was simply that your partner lived within a 20km radius of your online dating search).
• How love changes with time. This is a good concept if you’re getting married at a later stage in life. It can include comedic insights (‘Less podium dancing, more pension haggling’) but conclude with more a meaningful sentiment (‘When you get to your sixties, you know what’s important to you and you can promise things that you only now truly understand.’)
• The international language of love. A great theme if you have an international guest list. Use proverbs and words from their countries of origin to punctuate your speech. Say it in your guest’s native language and then translate. It makes everyone feel included in the speech and also brings something new to the table. There are some great proverbs out there, from Ethiopia’s ‘ Coffee and love taste better when they’re hot’ to India’s ‘It is love that makes the impossible, possible’.

You get the idea.

6. Be Funny

Even if the crux of your speech is emotional and romantic it’s still good to have some humour in there too.

Nobody is expecting you to be a stand-up comedian but try to find the comedy in your reality. Are you and your partner really alike or really different? Do you share a guilty pleasure? Do you have a distinctive style of arguing? These sorts of areas make great speech material.

Whatever you do, resist the Googled gags or cheesy wedding jokes. Instead, check out our how to be funny guide.

7. Be Sweet (Not Sickly)

Firstly, be honest. There’s no point making declarations of love if people don’t recognise the person you’re talking about.

Don’t pretend that your partner is perfect or that you don’t argue over control of the TV remote control. Love them for the crazy nut-job they really are.

Secondly, don’t go OTT. You have to get the balance right between sweet and just showing off. Leave the pet names at home and keep anything overly gushing for the bedroom.

A good trick is simply writing a list of all the little, quirky things you like about your partner a la When Harry Met Sally .

8. Be Different

Try to avoid cliches like ‘ special’ or ‘ the one’ and create new ways of describing love.

One groom said he was attracted to his wife because she looked like ‘ Bridget Bardot dressed up for a night at The Hog’s Head disco’ .

Another groom said his first date with his wife had left him with ‘ the feeling you get after the three course special at The Raj; very happy, completely satisfied but slightly nervous about what’s to come’.

If you’re really stuck, replace a generic cliche with a good, solid quote. Whilst plagiarism and being boring are never acceptable, using quotes is seen as positively inspired.

Check out our favourite Groom Speech Quotes.

9. Keep It Short

Aim for somewhere between seven and nine minutes. And that includes the pauses you leave for the laughter. Jokes are funnier when they’re short and punchy, and senitment is more powerful when it’s succinct.

You may feel you have SOOOOOO much you want to say but the real test is saying it in the least amount of words. It’s kind of like a perverse game of Scrabble.

10. Test it Out

Firstly on yourself. Read the speech out loud and if you find yourself stumbling on the same bit every time, change it.

Then get an audience. It needs to be someone whose advice you value, so don’t ask your mum if you’re going to ignore her.

Deliver it as you would on the wedding day. Leave pauses for the laughter (ironically speakers often talk over the laughter they’ve worked so hard to achieve). Remember to smile. Look at your audience.

And then – be receptive to criticism. If someone doesn’t get a joke, don’t waste your time explaining it as you won’t be able to do that on the day. The point of testing your speech is you still have time to change it.

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Our advice has been quoted everywhere from  The New York Times  to  Grazia  and from Forbes to The Observer . Our founder has also featured on the  BBC Sounds’ Best Men podcast with Jason Manford and written ‘ The Modern Couple’s Guide to Wedding Speeches’ , published by Little, Brown.

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The ultimate groom speech guide

The most important speech you’ll ever make.

The Groom Speech is a really busy speech. There are a lot of bases to hit – you’ve got all the acknowledgements, thanks and tributes, and if you’re not careful it can easily unravel into one long procession of thanking people, and several hours of your life you’ll never get back. So, things to remember;

It’s an amazing opportunity to say lovely things about people who are, or have been, important in your life, and you really need to make the most of it, because whilst it’s 10 minutes or so on the day, it’s something that will stick with you for the rest of your days, and so getting it right is very important.

You need to make all those thanks, acknowledgements and welcomes, in the most creative and entertaining way possible, and the magic ingredient is humour. If you can make people laugh in an original and personal way, they will love you for it and listen to everything you’ve got to say, and it acts as a perfect balance for some of the more profound things you might like to say.

On this page I’ve written out pretty much every idea, hints and tips that you’re ever going to need to write a really great groom speech.

Quick Links

Opening lines.

• Special Thanks

Absent Friends

Groom's parents.

• Bride's Parents
• Bridesmaids

Closing Lines

• Divorce Parents
• Marrying Across Nations

The devil is in the details

• Lead the Way
• Stag Weekend

Some really bad ideas

How to write a great groom speech.

Here’s a short video with all my hints and tips for writing a great groom speech. I’ve expanded on those thoughts and ideas on this page to give you the complete guide to writing your own.

This is very straightforward. I am not a fan of clichés in wedding speeches and avoid them as much as possible, with one notable exception, and that’s the opening lines of the groom speech. There really is no better way to kick off the speech and to get people cheering from the beginning, than to welcome everyone on behalf of ‘my wife and I’. It works every single time, and anyone looking to better it, really is trying too hard to be different, sometimes, and only very rarely, the dusty old wedding clichés get it spot on.

“Good afternoon everyone…on behalf of my wife and I…thanks you all so much for being here with us, and making to day today even more special….even the best man Dave”

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen, it is so wonderful to have you all here with us today, it really does mean a great deal to us both…I’m just glad that the best man Dave made it here in one piece…because the last thing I heard his full time carers weren’t going to release him”

The structure of a groom speech is really important, because without a clear framework, it can all too soon become a rambling mess. Where people usually go wrong is to keep flitting back and forwards with the same ideas – once you’ve mentioned someone, then you should really keep moving on to different areas. Don’t forget, you’ve only got limited time up there before you out stay your welcome.

  The structure can be very basic. The beginning of the speech should of course, be the welcome, and then you can include thanks to anyone that’s really helped out. Avoid going straight into talking about your bride, as in my opinion and experience, the speech should always build towards her part in the latter stages. Once you’ve got the ‘admin’ bits of the speech covered, you can then include a toast to those no longer with us.

That brings us to the next part of the structure which is all about the important people. This should include:

• both sets of parents.
• Bridesmaids.  

Things to remember:

• You need to keep this fairly punchy and resist going into too much detail, so make every sentence count. Yes, it would be great to talk about the ushers in detail, but you simply haven’t got the time.
• You need to come up with a way of summarising their impact on your life in a really creative, efficient, and preferably funny way.  
• This is also true of the best man. Many grooms write as much about their best man as they do their brand new wife, so check your world count and adjust accordingly.  
• There is usually an expectation from the bride to lay out in detail her various relationships with the bridesmaids. Just keep in mind that when it comes to a groom speech, less is always more.
• The final part of the structure is all about the bride, and what you simply have to focus on here, is avoiding the trap of saying the same thing in about 3 different ways. This should include how you met, first dates, and how your relationship developed, and what she means to you.

Special thanks

I like to include any thanking that needs to be done at the top of the speech and to get it out of the way as early as possible.  

• These thanks should only ever be reserved for friends and family that have really helped you out with the wedding plans and/or on the day.
• If possible group them together so you’re not reading out a list of individual thanks. If you do attempt to do this it’s going to be very tedious to listen to, lose all impact and really start to rack up the word count.  
• Whatever you do don’t be tempted to start thanking the venue, the caterers, photographer etc. They are all being paid handsomely, and really, they should be thanking you!

“I would like to thank Uncle Dave for coming all the way from Australia to the UK…which, let’s face it, is just like Australia but with slightly more swimming gold medals and slightly fewer blokes with non ironic mullets”

“I would really like to thank Mary for all her hard work making our cake, and for Cassie for making all the beautiful bridesmaids dresses, thanks to them you haven’t had to look at, or eat anything or look at anything that I’ve been responsible for which can only be a good thing. I have on the other hand been responsible for the free bar which I’m not saying is as good as a dress…but it’s a pretty close second.”

Some people go to extraordinary efforts and expense to be make it to weddings on the other side of the world, and quite rightly that should be publicly recognised in the groom speech. You should try to group these together as much as possible, so if you’ve got several different guests coming all the way from New York, put them under one umbrella and avoid thanking them individually. It’s also an opportunity to have some fun with where they’ve come from and where the wedding is, so a comparison between Los Angeles and Stevenage is ripe for the picking. Maybe as a pay off you could offer some way in which all that effort is going to be worthwhile such as the free bar/meal/watching you dance.

‘Don’t worry uncle Dave your carbon footprint all becomes worthwhile when you see me dancing later on”

“I would like to thank Dave for coming all the way from New York, not saying that Dave’s usually late but to get him here on time we actually told him the wedding was last week.”

There should only be one absent friends toast in the series of wedding speeches, and that’s usually taken care of by the groom. I like to put the absent friend’s toast towards the start of the speech because you want to end on a positive, celebratory note and not to bring things down.

It all depends on how close your relationship was with friends and family that have passed away, but obviously the closer you were, the more detail you’re going to put into this section. Parents who have died, obviously deserve a really special mention, and as difficult as it may be, you’re still going to have to treat this as an overview, and don’t be tempted to go into too much detail. The day is about one person: the bride, and you need to keep the spotlight on her – in other words don’t write a mini eulogy.

“Unfortunately, my father cannot be with us today. He was a much loved family man, son, uncle and friend to many, and he is missed greatly every day.”

This is pretty much the only time in your life that you’re going to stand up and tell a room full of people what amazing parents you have, and what a great job they’ve done, so don’t blow it.  

• You need to say as succinctly as possible how much you love and respect them for the years of sacrifice, hard work and generally putting up with you. Hopefully, you’re only going to get one stab at this, so chose your words carefully.
• Again, recounting specific stories here really eats into the words, and I would only ever use one if it had a killer punchline, and keep the whole thing down to a couple of punchy sentences.
• Talking about your parents is always fertile ground for having some fun, and will balance out the more heartfelt things you might like to say, so what is it that you have, or haven’t, inherited from your parents, and how can you make that funny?

“Dad, I would like to thank you for passing on your brains…well, I say thank you but as they only led me to becoming an estate agent, the juries out as to exactly how useful they really have been.”

“Dad, thanks for the hair genetics, you really shouldn’t have. I mean you REALLY shouldn’t have.”

The Bride's Parents

What you’re looking to do here is achieve roughly the same world count for both sets of parents. Focussing on one set of parents is the kind of thing that really sticks out in a speech, and usually grooms are guilty of giving their new in laws the big up, and skimping on their own mum and dad, so make sure it’s even.  

• Here you talk about how they’ve welcomed you into their family, and what it is about them that you love so much.  
• Try to draw parallels between the people they are, the way they raised their daughter and the person she is today.
• If there are specific times you’ve shared together that really mean something, then here’s where to add them in.
• If there’s any conflict between you and either your parents and/or the bride’s, then just glide over it. Don’t use the speech as attempt to point score, as it will only backfire.

The Best Man

I much prefer to handle the best man in the middle of the speech and avoid any clumsy handover at the end, because I believe the conclusion of your speech should be all about the bride. You need to say what a great friend/brother he has been and how much better your life has been for having him in it. This isn’t to be taken lightly, best men are appointed because of their close connection, and it’s the only time you’re ever going to get to let everyone know what he means to you, so make the most of it. Then you need to find a way of having some fun with his character and exploiting some of his weaknesses etc. that might suggest why his judgment could be poor.

“Jake is an estate agent, he’s paid to tell lies, so prepare yourself for some of his most creative work yet!”

“It should be noted that Dave is a Sunderland fan and so has never been amongst a crowd of happy people before and will probably react by creating controversy just s he can feel comfortable again.”

It’s groomsmen in the US and Australia, and ushers in Europe, but they all do the same job: support the groom in the run up to the wedding and ion the big day itself. When you’re thanking ushers keep it general, light and funny, and please don’t find things to say about each and every one, otherwise we’re going to be here all day. This should be fun as well, so if there’s a way of collectively having a laugh with them, exploit it. If you are going to mention the stag weekend or bachelor party, and it’s not something I’d recommend, then do it here, and go light on detail.

The Bridesmaids

It’s your job to talk about and toast the bridesmaids, not the best man. You need to mention them by name, and say what a great group of friends/sisters they have been and how great it is that you’ve got them in your life as well. You could thank them for organising the hen weekend, and say what a culturally enriching experience that was for all concerned. If this involves sisters you should say how amazing it is to now be related…even if you don’t mean it! The toast at the end is the only toast that the groom has to make.

‘Sarah, you are an amazing sister to Jane, and I am so happy that we are now officially family…you don’t have to agree but at least I come with access to free plant machinery hire”

“ladies you all look absolutely amazing, the facts that there are seven of you, and one looks quite grumpy is in no way going to lead me make any Disney comparisons”

This is the conclusion of the speech and in reality, should make up about 30% of the total word count. In these words, you need to describe how you met, what an incredible positive impact she’s had on your life, what her character is like, what she means to you and how you proposed.  

There is a lot to fit in there, and these words will stay with you for life, so make what you say really count. On the other hand, you can’t be too gushy, because that can come across as a little clumsy too. Think about what makes her character unique in your eyes; what is it about your wife that makes her the person you want to share your life with? In these words you could include some short anecdotes of the times you’ve shared so far that highlight her character, passions and unique sense of humour.  

This cannot be one huge chunk of emotion, there needs to be light and shade, funny ideas and observations about your new wife always go down well, and you should sprinkle these throughout. A common mistake is to repeat what you’ve already said but in a slightly different way. So, if you’ve said how much you love her in one way, then that’s enough.

The Final Toast – You’re looking to finish the speech in the most succinct way possible so don’t drag it out too long. I always avoid toasting the bride in isolation, it’s never felt right and I think in the celebration of marriage only toasting one half is a little weird. Instead, just make it a general health/happiness toast and you’re done.

The closing lines in a groom speech are a contentious issue, and I’ve always diverted from tradition. The usual status quo when it comes to the closing lines in a groom speech, is to then hand over to your best man, and this for me, is getting it completely wrong.

The best man should have already been mentioned, the last sentiment and words you should say has to be all about your bride, so why make the best man the final part? Forget handing over to him, and leave at a toast to the future. Everyone knows he’s on next, and many weddings have an MC to remind them.

Other things to consider

Delivering the speech, divorced parents.

This is a really common tricky area, and on that needs to be handled very carefully especially if new partners are involved. Take them one at a time and make sure you give each parent an equal measure. If their new partners have been around for a long time and have had a big impact on your life, then this needs to be recognised.

I usually start with the father, but with Jewish weddings you should probably start with the mother. What you’re looking to do is not give any opportunity for inequality, so don’t wax lyrical about your dad’s new partner and go light on your mum – the ramifications of this speech will last for many years. If either parent has a very new partner on the scene, then it’s best to just omit them altogether.

This is a hugely important ingredient to any really great groom speech. If you make people laugh, they’ll love you for it and listen to everything you’ve got to say, and it acts as the perfect balance to some of the more profound things you might like to say. This should be an entertaining speech with some pretty big messages wrapped up in it – the entertainment factor keeps people interested because there’s only so much emotion people can take.  

However, when it comes to jokes and comedy, I’m not talking about the scripted gags you’ll find on the internet, this is about working out how to make situations and events in your life funny when you’re introducing people and thanking them. Work out what it is that’s funny about your new father in law and have some fun with it. What is it that your new wife doesn’t like about you? How can you exploit your best man’s character flaws? There’s comedy gold out there, you just have to look for it!

Many grooms see the speech as an opportunity to dish out a little treat to people that have helped and who also mean a lot to them, unfortunately it’s one of the most counterproductive things you can do in a speech. Making the whole room twiddle their thumbs whilst various people make their way up to the top table to collect tankards etc. not only makes the speech unbearably long, but also it stops it dead in its tracks.

Forward momentum is the key to a great speech and the last thing you want to do is have to get everyone back on board again. I always recommend handing out the gifts in a private moment on the morning of the wedding.

Marrying across nations

So many weddings involve the coming together of different nationalities and cultures, which adds extra fun and excitement to an already amazing day, but it can also provide a few challenges when it comes language barriers. I have written for countless grooms in this position, and here’s what I recommend:

• Don’t attempt a dual translation of the speech in real time. It will unravel into a 40 minute marathon, and be extremely tedious for everyone.
• Make the majority of the speech in your native language, but have two well crafted pieces you say in your wife’s language to top and tail the speech.
• Many cultures do not embrace wedding speeches and whilst they’re happily curious, keep things on the shorter side – listening to something they don’t understand, their patience isn’t limitless.
• Make sure the other speakers have thought about the cultural divide. Help them avoid lengthy/inappropriate speeches.

The groom’s speech is the one that can run away with you and take on epic proportions if you’re not careful. The main problem is that most grooms want to include far too many people in the speech, and talk about them in far too much detail, and there simply isn’t time to do that.

You should really aim for a total word count of 1400 words, which on the day, when read at a steady pace, will come in at around the 10 minute mark, maybe a touch longer with stoppages. Speeches always take longer on the day than they do when you’re practicing at home, but if you’re looking at anything over 1500 words then it really is time to snip a few words here and there.

You’ve also got to bear in mind that if the Father of the bride has spoken for a while and you’re up for half an hour, guests will have sat through an hour of speeches before they get to the best man, and that’s way too long.

It may sound counterintuitive, but detail really kills a speech. That doesn’t mean your speech should be a bland overview, but rather save the detail for where it really matters.

• We really don’t need a full run down on the history and provenance of the venue.
• When talking about your parents boil down the childhood memories to the most efficient minimum.
• A groom talking about his new in-laws can often be swamped with detail, in a bid to underline his love and respect for them. Less is more.
• When mentioning the best man, remember this is not a history of your days together in real time.
• You can talk about each usher in detail, but if you do, be prepared to be already single by the time you’ve finished.
• Be efficient with how you include the bridesmaids – a powerful summary is worth much more than a series of stories.
• War and Peace as to how you met, the dating days and the proposal should be avoided.

Lead the way

Most grooms don’t make the most of their position, and that’s a shame because as the guy in charge you can do your bit to ensure that the speeches are a huge hit, and not several hours of your life you’ll never get back.

• The first thing to do is make all the other speakers agree to a maximum word count, the more speakers there are, the less each individual word count should be. With 3 speakers it should be 1400 each, and then with 4 speakers 1200 each, and so on.
• You should also make sure that you’re not doubling up on any content, so ensure that each of the toasts are given only once, and then if you’ve mentioned a close relative who has passed away the best man isn’t also planning some kind of tribute. Avoiding repetition is the aim of the game.

The maximum number of toasts I would have is 4. You need a general toast at the end, a toast to the bridesmaids, a toast to the parents, and also a toast to those no longer with us.

Of course, this is completely optional but ending your speech without a toast would be odd and also tradition states that you should toast the bridesmaids, so if you’re going to drop any of them it should be the parents and those departed. I would resist the urge to make more than four toasts, so forget the best man, ushers, helpers etc.

One of the pitfalls of a groom speech is having no balance to it because you’re far too keen to talk about your bride. Diving straight in to the subject of the bride might seem like a great idea, but the latter end of the speech and conclusion should all be about her, and so there’s no point in beginning the speech talking about her and then ending it talking about her. I have seen many groom speeches which are only made up of talking about the bride and how amazing she is. You can try it, but it won’t work.

Stag weekend

Ok, it was a great few days away in Magaluf, Berlin or Ljubljana, but those things are best shared with all the survivors at the pub rather than in the groom speech.

Of course, you can thank the best man for organising a great stag weekend, but don’t isolate the rest of the room by recounting stories that make 6 people laugh and the rest of the room scratching their heads. All too often it comes across as boorish and a little conceited, and so far, has never made it into any groom speech that I’ve ever written.

One of the most entertaining areas of wedding speeches is reading what other so-called experts suggest adding to, or indeed making, your speech. You may not have the greatest speech in the world, but as long as you avoid these appalling pieces of advice, seen elsewhere, you’ll at least scrape through with your dignity intact. So, never ever …

• Rap your speech…unless you want to live with permanent PTSD.
• Start your groom speech with the words ‘Once upon a time’. Yuk.
• Perform a ‘musical mash up’…this is a groom speech, not the Edinburgh Fringe.
• ‘Get other people to do it for you’ i.e. a video montage of friends saying their bit. It’s a groom speech. If you can’t be bothered to say it, call it off.
• ‘Turn your speech into an audience quiz’. Toe curling, and about as meaningful as Blankety Blank.
• Sing the speech…even if you’re that guy from One Direction, listening to an 8 minute song about parents, absent friends, best man, bridesmaids and bride…would be a legal form of torture.

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The Ultimate Groom's Wedding Speech Checklist

Don't leave anyone or anything important off your list of thank yous.

The groom's wedding speech is often about covering all bases. It doesn't have the bravado and general LOLs of a best man speech , the gushing and poignant words of a bridesmaid speech, or all the nostalgia and tear-jerking words of a father of the bride or groom speech. Instead, a groom's speech is half admin, half emotion; kind of like an Oscar acceptance! A chance to shout out the wedding party, thank the ushers, and tell your new in-laws how chuffed you are to be part of the family. To help you write your speech - and to make sure you don't leave anyone out - we've put together a handy groom's wedding speech checklist . You'll thank us later!

A groom doing a speech solo is more common, but we've also seen lots of couples do their thank you speech together , as well as brides making speeches too ( more ladies on the mic please !). Our list covers all bases and standard family structures, but tweak it as is appropriate for you. Hopefully it comes in handy whatever kind of wedding thank you speech you're making.

Groom's Wedding Speech Checklist

(In no particular order, but this order makes for a nice crescendo!)

• Thank the guests for coming - give a special shout out to anyone who's come a long way
• Thank any staff or suppliers who worked on the day - only those present
• Thank the celebrant - if present
• Thank anyone who helped in the lead up to the day (outside of the wedding party and immediate family) - any one who gave lifts, stitched bunting, glued centrepieces, etc.
• Thank anyone who took part in the day itself - ceremony readings , music, wedding cake baker, etc
• Mention your new parents in law and siblings - this is a good time to tell them how happy you are to join the family, how welcome/terrified they made you feel, how you promise to be there for their son or daughter/brother or sister.
• Mention your siblings  - be specific about things they helped you with or special memories. This is also a good time to mention any other special family members, grandparents, step-parents, etc.
• Mention your parents - if both your parents are present, thank them both individually, usually an anecdote about the kind of person they've taught you to be goes down well.
• Thank your wedding party - make sure both sides get a mention, though it's fine to gush a bit harder about your best man!
• Thank your other half - for marrying you, for looking fabulous, for being wonderful, and all the other good things you can think of. Remember to tell them all about why you love them and why you can't wait to get started with married life!

Need more help with your wedding speeches - we've got you covered!

• 30 Funny Opening Lines for Wedding Speeches
• How to Begin a Wedding Speech: Great Opening Lines
• The Correct Order of Speeches at a Wedding?
• 9 Ways to Shake Up Your Wedding Speeches
• How to Give a Flawless Best Man Speech
• Everything You Need To Play Wedding Speech Bingo

Listen & Subscribe to The One Fab Day Wedding Podcast

Episode 22: wedding speeches 101.

You can listen to the One Fab Day Wedding Podcast wherever you get your podcasts , and search them on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Image credits

Tomasz kornas photography, via one fab day, see more in:.

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What to include in the groom’s speech

Easy Weddings

The grooms speech is usually sandwiched between the father of the bride and the best man , and for that reason is often a little overlooked. These top tips will help you give a memorable performance:

Give thanks as a couple

Most grooms start their speech by thanking their guests for coming and thanking everybody involved in planning the wedding including parents, the bridal party , and anyone that has made a contribution such as baking the cake or making bomboniere . The groom should remember to ask his wife if she wants to thank any particular individuals as he is speaking on behalf of the two of them. Some couples now choose to make a joint speech.

Do mention your father-in-law

If the father of the bride has just given his speech, the groom should thank him for his words of wisdom, especially if kind words were sent in his direction. The groom should also thank the father of the bride for allowing him to marry his beautiful daughter. This is a good time to tell the bride for the first time how stunning she looks.

Use humour sparingly

If the groom is a naturally funny public speaker, it is fine to inject a little humour into the speech. He shouldn’t feel the need to force this though; the groom’s speech can get away with being serious and heartfelt. The groom should never make jokes at the bride’s expense or include smutty jokes that won’t be appreciated by some of the guests. Humour is really the domain of the best man.

Present gifts to the bridal party

The groom’s speech is a good opportunity to give thank you gifts to the bridal party to show your appreciation for all the hard work they have put into the wedding. They should be sure to ask someone to help them with this so they don’t have to leave the room in the middle of their speech to collect the presents. Make sure the gifts are well labelled so the groom doesn’t give cufflinks to the mother of the bride and perfume to the best man.

Prepare for the speech

The groom should limit the alcohol he drinks before the speech. The slurring, rambling, and bad language that tends to accompany tipsiness probably won’t endear him to the bride’s relatives. He should practise the speech over and over so he is sure to get it right, but if he does stumble over a line he can just laugh it off; the guests really won’t mind.

Dedicate part of the speech to the wife

The most important part of a grooms speech is the part where he talks about his feelings for his new wife. He should address this part of the speech directly to her and tell her how happy she has made him, how he can’t believe his luck, and how he is looking forward to building a future together. He should use specific anecdotes, such as the moment he realised he was in love and would be with her forever. Finally he should tell her again how beautiful she looks.

End with a toast

Traditionally the grooms speech ends with a toast to his new wife. After all, she is the star of the show. By now the groom should realise that once again this is a great opportunity to mention how pretty the bride looks. It’s better to mention it five or six times during his speech than not at all!

Find more speech inspo here!

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How To Write The Perfect Groom Speech

Trying to write the perfect groom speech for your upcoming wedding? You're not alone. Lots of grooms-to-be have said they worry about their speech, what to include, what NOT to include, and in what order. Wedding speeches, as well as the  order they go in , are a tradition with plenty of longevity. This can be a little daunting... That's why we thought we'd help out. We're going to go over the structure and some writing tips for your groom speech. So buckle up, and grab a pen!

An important thing to remember before we dive in is that what you decide to include is up to you. If there are elements of the more traditional wedding speech that you don't want to do - don't! We're giving you some inspiration in the form of an outline, but what you put in it is entirely up to you. Your guests will love and appreciate the fact you've put work in regardless. Also, whilst we have referred to mothers, fathers, and best men, we are sympathetic to everyone's family dynamics. To those that have strained relationships, have lost parents, or have elected a best woman. Everyone's situation is different and we fully embrace diversity. It's your day, your way. Always.

Got writer's block? Let's go over how to write a groom speech together.

What actually is a groom speech.

The answer to the above is fairly self-explanatory. But for those of you who are new to the wedding scene, a groom speech is a speech...given by the groom (who saw that coming?). Traditionally, a groom speech comes after the father of the bride. The speech usually consists of thanks, love, and jokes. A wonderful trifecta, if you ask me. In terms of duration, anywhere between 6-10 minutes is ideal. It's long enough to get the sentiment across without dragging on for too long. Guests tend to prefer speeches that take place after the wedding breakfast rather than before. This is because, after a meal, your guests won't be hungry, and they'll probably have had a couple of glasses/pints. They won't be starving, nor will they be willing you to rush through so they can finally eat. Whereas you, the speech giver, might prefer to share your speech before the meal, so once you've said a few words you can truly relax and enjoy the meal, and not worry about enjoying one to many glasses of Prosecco and stumbling your words.

Step 1: Welcome

As we said, the father of the bride will have likely just finished. So start your groom speech off by thanking him for his. You can then welcome your guests and thank them for coming. Feel free to make some jokes about your upcoming speech to ease both you and them into it. Don't go overboard, though. 

Step 2: Thanks(giving) 

Now is the time for some thanks. Thank the bridesmaids and the groomsmen for being there and helping out. Then go on to thank the mums, giving flowers if you have chosen to do so. Show appreciation for the people who have come to celebrate your love with you - it's a truly beautiful thing. 

Step 3: Family Time

This is where it might start to get a bit emotional. Traditionally, this is where we thank our parents. Whatever your family dynamics, and whoever your support system is, I'm sure you'll have people you want to thank. Now that you've thanked everyone and your speech is well on its way, it's time to bring family into the mix. If it wasn't for them, you probably wouldn't be where you are now. So thank them for what they've done, and if they have helped out with the wedding or wedding planning, make sure to thank them for that too. This is a monumental moment not just for you, but for them, as well. Honouring your family and/or parents in your groom speech is a beautiful way to say thanks for everything. 

Step 4: Best Man

If you do decide to go down the traditional route, bear in mind that the best man speech will follow yours. Normally, the best man tends to throw some comedy fireballs at you in the form of embarrassing stories from school. So you could always choose to pre-empt these and throw some jokes of your own. Thanking him is never a bad idea either, for being a good friend - a rock to lean on. Think about why he's your best man, and then make some jokes out of it. Simple! 

Step 5: Spouse Time

This is the part of your speech that the sentimentalists amongst the crowd have been waiting for. The reason you are all together: your partner. This is your chance to publicly tell them how much they mean to you, how happy you are, and how glad this wedding occurred. Feel free to throw in some inside jokes, or jokes that the whole room can appreciate. Just ensure your love and happiness are being well construed. That's what we're all after, anyways. 

Step 6: Round off your groom speech with some toasts 

Traditionally, the groom speech is finished off with toasts. Toast to everyone in the room - paying special attention to your partner and the bridesmaids/squad. Order is fairly flexible here - the main idea is that you thank those around you for making your day so special. 

Finally, you can relax. Your groom speech is done, and everyone is either laughing, crying, or both. A happy ending indeed. You now have the rest of the evening to do as you wish - so have a drink on us! 

Some tips for when you're writing 

As we've mentioned above, what goes into your speech is up to you. If you want to focus on comedy, go for it. If you prefer to shed light on the sentimental, please do. But here are a few general tips to take into account when writing. 

• You don't need to be too formal. Your guests want to hear you speak as you usually do. There is no need for formalities - relax, be friendly and open, and smile! This isn't a court hearing. 
• Don't forget what your groom speech is actually about It's easy to get swept up in your speech - but remember who this is for, at the end of the day. The main focus should really be on your partner - a few romantic sentiments dedicated to the person you've just had the pleasure of marrying. 
• Timing, timing, timing! Don't go under or overboard. As mentioned, the best groom speeches are typically 6-10 minutes long - so make sure you're sticking to that timeframe. Written down, that's roughly 1000-1400 words. 
• If you're going funny - make it the best man and the thank yous The thank yous can typically drag on a bit, and hearing the word "thank you" over and over can get a bit tiresome. So why not spruce up this section and try to inject some comedy into it? It'll make your thanks seem more thought out, rather than the bog-standard "thank you Dad for ...". 
• Test-run it! It's highly advised to test out your groom speech before you give it. Ensuring the jokes land the way you want them to and your sentimental moments don't come across the wrong way is vital. Choose someone you trust and ask them to give you constructive criticism. 
• Opening line Ever heard of the phrase "start as you mean to go on"? This applies here, too. If your opening line is golden, that gets everyone involved and listening keenly, chances are the rest of your speech will go pretty great, too. Focusing on the start gets guests smiling from the get go.

Hopefully, you now have a better idea of how to get cracking on your groom speech!

Whether you're angling for the comedic approach or opting for sentimentalism, your groom's speech will be great. One of the biggest factors when it comes to speech-giving is confidence - go into it knowing you've done a good job, and your guests will think so, too. It's your day, your speech. Be true to yourself! Following this guide is definitely a great place to start. We've got an article all about  brides' speeches , to ensure fantastic speeches on both ends. We've got a  podcast episode  on the same topic, as well - for when you're on the move. Finally, if you're sticking to the side of comedy, then we've got a great list of  funny readings  to ensure your guests are giggling away until the early hours of the morning. 

Written by Sasha Kirkham

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Groom Speech Examples

The groom often gets a good roasting from the best man, so the groom’s speech is a chance to get in a few jokes of his own! As well as thanking the wedding party and both sets of parents, what all the guests are waiting for are some romantic and heartfelt words about his new spouse. You’ll find plenty of example groom speeches to help inspire you when the time comes to write yours, plus jokes and delivery tips.

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The Groom Speech: 10 Rules

The manual: wedding speeches, should you memorize your vows, the father of the bride toast, the toast with the most: the best man’s big speech, how to write vows, 6 things to avoid in your best man speech, 6 things to include in your groom speech.

The success of your wedding toast is based on two criteria. As the groom, it’s critical that your toast convey two qualities: humor and heart. First,  see our guidelines  for the Best Man’s toast for plenty of overarching advice. As the groom, however, you face some additional expectations and pitfalls.

Humor and heart. To sufficiently employ them, you must stick to the following rules:

SEE ALSO:  The 5 Biggest Wedding Planning Mistakes Grooms Make

ONE:  REITERATE YOUR LOVE FOR YOUR BRIDE.

Look, this is  us.  The Plunge. We’re as unsentimental as it gets. But even  we  acknowledge the importance of dialing up the whole “earnest love” shtick. Toward the end of your speech, you must say how lucky you are to have met this woman, how much you love her, how she still makes you wobbly in the knees—and you’ll feel that way for the rest of your life. We know, we know: in normal circumstances this would make us barf.   But it has to be done. And happily, this moment of ahhhhwwww will be nicely counter-balanced if you…

TWO:  INJECT HUMOR.

There’s a difference between “humor” and “jokes.” This is not the time to tell a joke like, “How are women and tornadoes alike? They both moan like hell when they come, and take the house when they leave.” (Save this for the bachelor party. If you save it at all.)

Don’t tell that joke. Or any generic joke. Instead, stick to some humorous anecdotes about how you met, how she’s the only one who finds your cooking edible (self-deprecation—always a plus), how you knew it was over when she whopped your ass at pool, whatever. What’s important is to use true anecdotes.

THREE:  IGNORE DUMB QUOTES.

Plenty of wedding websites will provide helpful quotes you can use. Ignore most of them. The Knot, for example, suggests the Congolese proverb “Love is like a baby; it needs to be treated gently.” Or the Russian proverb, “Love and eggs are best when they are fresh.” Your own sincerity is better than a random, impersonal quote. While it’s okay if your earnestness sounds a little clichéd (hey, it is what it is), never stuff the speech with corny “filler” quotes that everyone else uses at their weddings.

FOUR:  THANK THE HOSTS.

The bride’s parents, especially if they just scribbled out a check for $30,000 bucks, deserve the most prolonged expression of gratitude. It’s okay, kiss a little ass. And thank them even if they haven’t paid a nickel—it’ll score you in-law goodwill. (In fact, it’s expected.  Not  thanking the in-laws will look about as appropriate as grabbing your bride’s sister and jamming your tongue down her throat.) And give a shout-out to the schleppers. Whoever traveled 3,000+ miles just to eat some cake deserves a quick tip of the hat.

SEE ALSO:  Groomsmen Gifts

FIVE:  BUT DON’T THANK THE ACADEMY.

Don’t be like one of those obnoxious Academy Award winners who drones on and on by thanking Patty Sue for this beautiful cake, thanking your buddy Gus for the photography, and thanking our lord Jesus Christ for making this all come together. You’ve just lost your audience.

SIX:  PRACTICE. WHEN YOU’RE DONE, PRACTICE MORE. REPEAT.

Yes, we harped on this when you proposed and we stressed it again for the Best Man’s toast, but it’s the single most effective way to improve your performance. Keep practicing in the mirror until you can deliver it with confidence. Don’t just give this a few minutes. Give it a few hours. If you spent 67 hours playing Madden just so you can have the league’s leading rusher, leading receiver, and leading passer all on the same team—we’ve all done this—then you can spend a few hours prepping for the most important speech of your life.

SEVEN:  LOOK YOUR BRIDE IN THE EYE.

Before you actually get to the lovey-dovey stuff (see Rule 1), turn from the crowd to your bride, pause, let the moment gather a hint of drama, and then look her dead in the eye. Address her by her name. This will make every woman in the reception reach for a tissue and dab their newly-forming tears.

EIGHT:  KEEP IT SHORT.

See? Isn’t this one easier to read?

SEE ALSO:  Groom Speech Videos

NINE:  KEEP THE STRUCTURE SIMPLE.

All you really need is an intro (welcoming the guests), a boatload of thank yous (see above), some humor-and-heart anecdotes about how you met your wife, and then a closing about how much you love her. Bang. That’s it. No need to reinvent the wheel.

TEN:  STEAL

Again, we don’t recommend using canned quotations like this one, courtesy of The Knot again: “St. Augustine once said, ‘Insomuch as love grows in you, so beauty grows. For love is the beauty of the soul.’”

Or another, from About.com: “Here’s to the prettiest, here’s to the wittiest, Here’s to the truest of all who are true, Here’s to the neatest one, here’s to the sweetest one, Here’s to them, all in one – here’s to you.”

The trick is customizing and personalizing. The site  Speeches.com , for instance, sells six different versions of “Conventional Groom Toasts.” For about $16 bucks, you fill in the blanks (like Mad Libs) and they’ll spit out some stock speeches with the names already in there. The results can be choppy and disjointed. One such excerpt (the underlined parts are our fill-in-the-blank choices):

“Rachel – in case any of you hadn’t noticed, is the perfect wife, and I’m lucky she said yes.

I’m lucky to have someone who can  live with my toe fungus .

I’m lucky to have someone who can  live with my nose hair .

And I’m lucky to have someone who is  just so good hearted  and  so good to be with .

Someone once wrote [sic] that a good marriage is at least 80 percent good luck in finding the right person at the right time. The rest is trust. On that basis, I would say we are 100% ready for this.”

Not the smoothest. But if you have utterly no idea where to start, these templates can give you a rough—very rough—first draft that you can then personalize and polish.

A few other useful links:

20 Speech Topics (but mostly just a detailed list of who to thank—yawn)

http://www.speech-topics-help.com/groom-speech.html

Some quotes. Most are awful. Some are potentially useful.

http://quotations.about.com/od/weddingtoasts/a/wedding5.htm

More toast templates:

http://www.essortment.com/lifestyle/weddingtoastte_sfvl.htm Really want to geek-out and over-prepare? There are some books like the “Complete Guide to Groom Speeches.”

http://groom-speech.blogspot.com/ (Frankly, you’re better off just going to a bookstore and flicking through a few of the sample templates to see if they’re worth a damn.)

Your next groom duty:  Buying Gifts for Your Groomsmen .

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Best Man Wedding Toast Ideas, Samples, and Guidance

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The Sounds of Silence: Using Pauses in Your Speech

The First Seven Seconds Of Your Wedding Speech-How To Crush It

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How to Write a Groom Speech

A complete guide to writing your groom speech.

"...and so on to how I met Lucy... chapter five..."

Please make it stop!!! There's nothing worse than a boring groom speech – yes, you have people to thank, yes there are important things to be said... blah, blah, blah... but that doesn't mean it has to be dull!

And remember, your best man is about to unleash a torrent of comedy man-grenades at you in front of all your nearest and dearest, so fight fire with fire and throw some jokes at your nemesis before he lets rip.

Groom Speech Jokes

Right, I'd just like to start with two simple rules. Firstly, no heckling please. And secondly, if you do have a mobile phone... please, leave it switched on, keep yourselves entertained. I think if you keep your spirits high and your expectations low, everyone will be happy.

I'm going to make a deal with you all. If you at least promise to pretend to laugh at my jokes, then I promise not to let [Best Man] burst into song during his speech.

[Bride's Father] I'd like to thank you for giving away [Bride] this morning so willingly, a bit too willingly if you ask me.

Now I know [Best Man] has been very nervous about his speech and it has given him quite a few sleepless afternoons at work.

My best man is proof that the gene pool doesn't have a lifeguard so please feel free to ignore everything he says about me in his speech.

I would just like to point out to all the ladies that my best man is single, we're hoping to find him a good home. Not any of you, we like you all far too much to inflict him on you but if you have any friends that you don't really like then please pass their details to the front so we can start the vetting process.

How To Write A Groom Speech

• The Basics - When and where you'll take centre stage.
• Duration - How long should your speech be?
• Groom Speech Structure - All the key phases of your speech.
• Opening Lines - How to get off to a flying start and hold their attention.
• Thank Yous - A list of the important people to thank during your speech.
• Parents - Should you mention your parents in your speech?
• The Journey - The nuts and bolts of your speech: the key stories, events, jokes.
• The Toast - Go out on a high as you wrap things up and pass over to the best man.
• The Delivery - How to overcome the nerves and recite your speech confidently.
• The Humour - The best ways to get the giggles and the pitfalls to avoid.

The groom's speech is traditionally second, after the father of the bride and before the best man speech . The wedding speeches take place when everyone is seated, either before or after the meal.

Top Tip: After the meal, your audience will be well fed and maybe a beer or two further down the line, so they're more likely to be relaxed and not starving hungry wishing you'd hurry up so they can get to the buffet.

Back to List

The perfect groom speech lasts roughly seven minutes (give or take a standing ovation and encore). Any more than that and people will begin to lose interest/doze off/start throwing bread rolls.

Top Tip: Time your speech by practising it out loud.

The hardest part of your speech is knowing where to begin. There are seven basic phases of the groom speech structure to help you cover all the key areas. Stick to these and you can't go far wrong (unless you tell any stories the bride really doesn't want the room to know!).

Welcome – Thank the father of the bride for his speech and thank all your guests for coming. Formal Bit -Thank the bridesmaids, groomsmen and hand out any gifts. Also thank both mums and present them with flowers. Parents – Now your speech is underway, thank your parents for making you the man you are today. The Journey – Explain the journey of how you and your bride met that brought you here today. The Best Man – This is your chance to draw comedic first blood before he gets the mic. Your Bride – A chance to tell her publicly how much she means to you and how happy you are today. Toast – It's traditional to end the groom speech by giving a toast to the bridesmaids.

The Dos and Don'ts of Wedding Toast Etiquette

Opening Lines

Your speech should begin with a quick thank you to the father of the bride for his speech (which will just have ended) and thanking him for welcoming you to the family.

It's also good to get an early laugh in to relax you and your audience. Also, because you're a damn funny guy!

Top Tip: Start with an early laugh.

Formal Bit - Thank Yous

Thank the bridesmaids, groomsmen, give a particular mention to any younger members of the wedding party and present any gifts.

Thank anyone who contributed to the wedding - if a family member made the cake or 'Crazy Uncle Frank' is doing the disco, give them a heartfelt mention.

It's traditional to thank the mums and present them with flowers.

Top Tip: Dare to be a bit different with gifts and present something that will show you've really thought about it rather than typed "Bridesmaid gift" into Amazon.

The Parents

It's now time to dig into your speech proper. Having presented your mum with flowers, it's an easy way to segue into thanking your parents on behalf of both of you and add a few jokes about how tough/easy it must have been raising you.

The Journey

"Do you know how they met?" It's a line you hear from guests a lot at weddings. Although the story is so familiar to you and your new missus, it's something many of your guests won't know but will be curious about. So your wedding speech is the perfect time to tell the story and add a few jokes to make your bride laugh as well as your guests as you retell the best bits of your love story.

This is also a great time to mention other people in your speech, those that played a part in your story: siblings, best friends, police officers. It's a nice way to fill your speech and is something that can be interesting and entertaining if laced with a few good gags.

Don't just limit yourself to how you ended up on your first date, give a reflective outline of your life together that has led to this special day. And that it's too late for her to try and back out now!

The Best Man

"One, two besties coming for you..." Like your own Nightmare on Wedding Street, there is one man out to get you and, no matter what you do, there's nothing that can stop him. While his speech has given him more than a few sleepless afternoons at work and no matter how nervous he is about his speech, you can be 100% sure of one thing...

He's going to do everything he possibly can to take you down!

Now you can either surrender and just give in to the inevitable or you can go for the pre-emptive strike and reduce the collateral damage by landing a few comedy blows of your own so that he doesn't have it all his own way.

Yes, believe it or not, some grooms do forget to mention their bride in the wedding speech. It's a fast route to spending your first night of wedded bliss sleeping on the sofa. If you want to do it with a touch of class, add a few romantic quotes by the likes of Hilaire Belloc or St Augustine which will make you look like a bit more cleverest than what you actually is.

Another very important thing to remember during your speech is that (unless she is doing a speech as well) you are speaking for both you and your bride. That means remembering to say things like: "We'd like to thank you..." and using the joint pronouns.

The traditional ending for the groom's speech is to ask everyone to raise a glass to the bridesmaids and that is certainly something you should do. But that doesn't mean you can't do a couple of toasts such as asking everyone to raise a glass to the bride.

Top Tip: Speak to your best man and father of the bride to make sure you have all the important toasts covered between you and also make sure you aren't all intending on doing the same toasts by mistake.

How To Deliver Your Groom Speech

1 - Breathe!

Yes, it might seem obvious and you were probably planning on doing that on the day anyway, but controlling your breathing, even something as simple as taking a big deep breath really does work. The intake of oxygen can help control adrenaline and calm your nerves.

Easier said than done, of course, but there is something you should remember: everyone is here today because of you, they want you to have a great day and they want to enjoy your groom speech, so just remember everyone in the room is on your side and rooting for you to do well.

3 - Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse!

This is probably the most important speech you're ever going to give (until the UN finally give you that platform to talk about the importance of free beer in the workplace), so you should do it properly. Write your speech long in advance of the weekend to give you plenty of time to keep practising. Not just reading it a few times before the big day, practise saying it out loud. Over and over again! You should be able to say it in your sleep. The more confident you are about your speech (and that includes something as simple as knowing what's coming next), the more relaxed and confident your delivery will be.

4 - Ask a Friend

Get someone to act as your sounding board so you can practise it on them and get any useful feedback about your delivery or any bits that need a rewrite.

5 - Cue Cards

Rather than printing your sheet onto an A4 piece of paper (that could visibly shake in nervous hands), print your speech onto cue cards. They're easier to hold and it's easier to remember smaller sections of speech. You can also use one cue card for each section.

6 - Enjoy It!

You've already done the biggest bit during the actual ceremony. The important details are taken care of, this bit is now all about having fun so make sure you enjoy it.

Delivering your Wedding Speech

Whilst some people have a natural talent for humour, others, quite frankly, do not. Don't force a gag. If it doesn't work, if it's ambiguous, if it's tenuous, cut it, and don't go for any in-jokes that only a few guests will understand. Your groom speech jokes should make everyone in the room feel included.

Also, keep it family-friendly, you don't want to say anything that might offend anyone or isn't suitable for a room with small children.

Try and think of funny jokes in relation to those involved, personal jokes, rather than a list you've just printed off Google. And while we're at it, don't get a list off Google, those jokes are really easy to find which means everyone will have heard them before at other weddings. Be different.

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A Groom's Guide to Crafting Memorable Wedding Speeches

Descripción editorial.

"A Groom's Guide to Crafting Memorable Wedding Speeches" is an essential handbook for every groom tasked with delivering a heartfelt, entertaining, and memorable speech on his wedding day. This comprehensive guide is packed with everything a groom needs to create speeches that will leave a lasting impression on guests and, most importantly, on his beloved bride. Inside this book, grooms will find a treasure trove of resources to help them navigate the art of speechwriting with confidence and flair. With 30 carefully crafted speeches covering a range of themes and tones, grooms will have plenty of inspiration to draw from as they prepare to share their heartfelt sentiments with family and friends. But that's not all – this guide goes beyond just speeches. It's filled with puns, jokes, anecdotes, and inspiring words to sprinkle throughout speeches, ensuring that every moment is infused with laughter, warmth, and love. Whether it's a witty joke to break the ice, a touching anecdote to tug at the heartstrings, or an inspiring quote to uplift spirits, this guide has it all. From heartfelt words of thanks to humorous anecdotes about the journey to the altar, each speech is carefully crafted to reflect the unique bond shared between the groom and his bride. With practical tips on delivery and presentation, as well as guidance on structuring speeches for maximum impact, grooms will feel empowered to deliver speeches that will be remembered long after the wedding day has passed. Whether you're a seasoned public speaker or someone who's never given a speech before, "A Groom's Guide to Crafting Memorable Wedding Speeches" is your go-to resource for creating speeches that will captivate, entertain, and touch the hearts of all who hear them. With this guide by your side, you'll be ready to step into the spotlight and deliver a speech that will be cherished for years to come.

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Colleges Have Gone Off the Deep End. There Is a Way Out.

By David French

Opinion Columnist

I had my head in a law book when I heard the drums. That was the sound of the first campus protest I’d ever experienced. I’d come to Harvard Law School in the fall of 1991 as a graduate of a small, very conservative Christian college in Nashville. Many of my college classmates had passionate religious and political commitments, but street protest was utterly alien to the Christian culture of the school. We were rule followers, and public protest looked a bit too much like anarchy for our tastes.

But Harvard was different. The law school was every bit as progressive as my college was conservative, and protest was part of the fabric of student life, especially then. This is the era when a writer for GQ magazine, John Sedgwick, called the law school “ Beirut on the Charles ” because it was torn apart by disputes over race and sex. There were days when campus protests were festive, almost celebratory. There were other days when the campus was seething with rage and fury.

That first protest was in support of faculty diversity, and it was relatively benign. I walked outside and followed the sound of the drums. A group of roughly 100 protesters were marching in front of the law school library, and soon they were joined by an allied group of similar size from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. I watched as they danced, sang and listened to speeches by student activists and sympathetic professors. That first protest had an angry edge, but it was also completely peaceful and endlessly fascinating to a kid from a small town in Kentucky who’d never seen a drum circle before.

But things soon got worse, much worse. Protests got more unruly, and student activists got more aggressive. The entire campus was in a state of conflict. In Sedgwick’s words, students were “waging holy war on one another.” Small groups of students occupied administrative offices, and angry activists shouted down their political opponents in class and often attempted to intimidate them outside of class. I was shouted down repeatedly, and twice I received disturbing handwritten notes in my campus mailbox in response to my anti-abortion advocacy. My student peers told me to “go die.”

Watching the protests and experiencing the shout-downs changed the course of my career. I was both enthralled by the power of protest and repulsed by the efforts to silence dissenters. Given the immense cultural influence of American higher education, I agreed with the Supreme Court’s famous words in the 1957 case Sweezy v. New Hampshire : “Teachers and students must always remain free to inquire, to study and to evaluate, to gain new maturity and understanding; otherwise, our civilization will stagnate and die.” Those words, combined with my own negative encounters at Harvard, helped define my legal career. From that point forward, I would defend free speech.

It’s been more than 30 years since that first campus protest, and over that time I’ve seen countless protests, I’ve defended countless protesters — and I’ve even been protested against at several schools. In the course of those cases and confrontations, I’ve learned that the issue of campus protest is remarkably complex and that campus culture is at least as important as law and policy in setting the boundaries of debate.

There is profound confusion on campus right now around the distinctions between free speech, civil disobedience and lawlessness. At the same time, some schools also seem confused about their fundamental academic mission. Does the university believe it should be neutral toward campus activism — protecting it as an exercise of the students’ constitutional rights and academic freedoms, but not cooperating with student activists to advance shared goals — or does it incorporate activism as part of the educational process itself, including by coordinating with the protesters and encouraging their activism?

The simplest way of outlining the ideal university policy toward protest is to say that it should protect free speech, respect civil disobedience and uphold the rule of law. That means universities should protect the rights of students and faculty on a viewpoint-neutral basis, and they should endeavor to make sure that every member of the campus community has the same access to campus facilities and resources.

That also means showing no favoritism between competing ideological groups in access to classrooms, in the imposition of campus penalties and in access to educational opportunities. All groups should have equal rights to engage in the full range of protected speech, including by engaging in rhetoric that’s hateful to express and painful to hear. Public chants like “globalize the intifada” may be repugnant to many ears, but they’re clearly protected by the First Amendment at public universities and by policies protecting free speech and academic freedom at most private universities.

Still, reasonable time, place and manner restrictions are indispensable in this context. Time, place and manner restrictions are content-neutral legal rules that enable a diverse community to share the same space and enjoy equal rights.

Noise limits can protect the ability of students to study and sleep. Restricting the amount of time any one group can demonstrate on the limited open spaces on campus permits other groups to use the same space. If one group is permitted to occupy a quad indefinitely, for example, then that action by necessity excludes other organizations from the same ground. In that sense, indefinitely occupying a university quad isn’t simply a form of expression; it also functions as a form of exclusion. Put most simply, student groups should be able to take turns using public spaces, for an equal amount of time and during a roughly similar portion of the day.

Civil disobedience is distinct from First Amendment protected speech. It involves both breaking an unjust law and accepting the consequences. There is a long and honorable history of civil disobedience in the United States, but true civil disobedience ultimately honors and respects the rule of law. In a 1965 appearance on “Meet the Press ,” the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. described the principle perfectly: “When one breaks the law that conscience tells him is unjust, he must do it openly, he must do it cheerfully, he must do it lovingly, he must do it civilly — not uncivilly — and he must do it with a willingness to accept the penalty.”

But what we’re seeing on a number of campuses isn’t free expression, nor is it civil disobedience. It’s outright lawlessness. No matter the frustration of campus activists or their desire to be heard, true civil disobedience shouldn’t violate the rights of others. Indefinitely occupying a quad violates the rights of other speakers to use the same space. Relentless, loud protest violates the rights of students to sleep or study in peace. And when protests become truly threatening or intimidating, they can violate the civil rights of other students, especially if those students are targeted on the basis of their race, sex, color or national origin.

The end result of lawlessness is chaos and injustice. Other students can’t speak. Other students can’t learn. Teachers and administrators can’t do their jobs.

In my experience as a litigator , campus chaos is frequently the result of a specific campus culture. Administrators and faculty members will often abandon any pretense of institutional neutrality and either cooperate with their most intense activist students or impose double standards that grant favored constituencies extraordinary privileges. For many administrators, the very idea of neutrality is repugnant. It represents a form of complicity in injustice that they simply can’t and won’t stomach. So they nurture and support one side. They scorn the opposition, adopting a de facto posture that says , “To my friends, everything; for my enemies, the law.”

I’ve experienced this firsthand. I vividly remember representing a campus Christian group in a dispute at Tufts University in 2000 . The group had been “derecognized” for requiring that student leaders of their group share that group’s traditional sexual ethic, which reserves sex for heterosexual marriage. You might disagree strongly with that view, but granting religious groups the flexibility to impose faith-based requirements on religious leaders fits squarely within the American tradition of free exercise of religion.

Tufts is a private university, so it has some flexibility in suppressing religious expression on campus, but it had no excuse for attempting to toss a Christian group from campus at the same time that it permitted acts of intimidation against those Christian students. For example, at the most contentious moment of the dispute, Tufts officials prevented my student clients and me from entering the hearing room where their appeal was being heard, while a crowd of protesters gathered in a darkened hallway, pressed up around us, and herded us into a corner of the hall. There was no campus outrage at this act of intimidation. We saw no administrative response.

University complicity in chaos isn’t unusual. In a case I worked on when I was president of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, we discovered that administrators at Washington State University’s Pullman campus had actually helped plan a disruptive protest against a play put on by a student director, an intentionally provocative show that mocked virtually every group on campus.

University or faculty participation in unlawful protest isn’t confined to the cases I worked on. At Oberlin College, administrative facilitation of ugly and defamatory student protests outside a local business ultimately cost the school $36 million in damages. At Columbia, hundreds of sympathetic faculty members staged their own protest in support of the student encampment on the quad, and there are reports that other faculty members have attempted to block members of the media from accessing the student encampment.

None of this is new. All of it creates a culture of impunity for the most radical students. Disruptive protesters are rarely disciplined, or they get mere slaps on the wrist. They’re hailed as heroes by many of their professors. Administrators look the other way as protesters pitch their tents on the quad — despite clear violations of university policy. Then, days later, those same administrators look at the tent city on campus, wring their hands, and ask, “How did this spiral out of control?”

There is a better way . When universities can actually recognize and enforce the distinctions between free speech, civil disobedience and lawlessness, they can protect both the right of students to protest and the rights of students to study and learn in peace.

In March, a small band of pro-Palestinian students at Vanderbilt University in Nashville pushed past a security guard so aggressively that they injured him , walked into a university facility that was closed to protest, and briefly occupied the building. The university had provided ample space for protest, and both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian students had been speaking and protesting peacefully on campus since Oct. 7.

But these students weren’t engaged in free speech. Nor were they engaged in true civil disobedience. Civil disobedience does not include assault, and within hours the university shut them down. Three students were arrested in the assault on the security guard, and one was arrested on charges of vandalism. More than 20 students were subjected to university discipline; three were expelled ; and one was suspended.

The message was clear — every student can protest, but protest has to be peaceful and lawful. In taking this action, Vanderbilt was empowered by its posture of institutional neutrality . It does not take sides in matters of public dispute. Its fundamental role is to maintain a forum for speech, not to set the terms of the debate and certainly not to permit one side to break reasonable rules that protect education and safety on campus.

Vanderbilt is not alone in its commitment to neutrality. The University of Chicago has long adhered to the Kalven principles , a statement of university neutrality articulated in 1967 by a committee led by one of the most respected legal scholars of the last century, Harry Kalven Jr. At their heart, the Kalven principles articulate the view that “the instrument of dissent and criticism is the individual faculty member or the individual student. The university is the home and sponsor of critics; it is not itself the critic. It is, to go back once again to the classic phrase, a community of scholars.”

Contrast Vanderbilt’s precise response with the opposing extremes. In response to the chaos at Columbia, the school is finishing the semester with hybrid classes, pushing thousands of students online. The University of Southern California canceled its main stage commencement ceremony , claiming that the need for additional safety measures made the ceremony impractical. At both schools the inability to guarantee safety and order has diminished the educational experience of their students.

While USC and Columbia capitulate, other schools have taken an excessively draconian approach. Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas posted on X, “Students joining in hate-filled, antisemitic protests at any public college or university in Texas should be expelled.” On April 25, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression sent a forceful letter to the president of the University of Texas at Austin condemning the display of force on campus. “UT Austin,” it wrote, “at the direction of Governor Greg Abbott, appears to have preemptively banned peaceful pro-Palestinian protesters due solely to their views rather than for any actionable misconduct.”

At Emory University, footage emerged of police tackling a female professor who posed no obvious danger to the police or anyone else. Protests are almost always tense, and there is often no easy way to physically remove protesters from campus, but the video footage of the confrontation with the professor was shocking. It’s hard to conceive of a justification for the violent police response.

At this moment, one has the impression that university presidents at several universities are simply hanging on, hoping against hope that they can manage the crisis well enough to survive the school year and close the dorms, and praying that passions cool over the summer.

That is a vain hope. There is no indication that the war in Gaza — or certainly the region — will be over by the fall. It’s quite possible that Israel will be engaged in full-scale war on its northern border against Hezbollah. And the United States will be in the midst of a presidential election that could be every bit as contentious as the 2020 contest.

But the summer does give space for a reboot. It allows universities to declare unequivocally that they will protect free speech, respect peaceful civil disobedience and uphold the rule of law by protecting the campus community from violence and chaos. Universities should not protect students from hurtful ideas, but they must protect their ability to peacefully live and learn in a community of scholars. There is no other viable alternative.

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David French is an Opinion columnist, writing about law, culture, religion and armed conflict. He is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and a former constitutional litigator. His most recent book is “Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation .” You can follow him on Threads ( @davidfrenchjag ).

Senate Passes TikTok Ban Bill, Setting Up Legal Battle Between App and U.S. on First Amendment Issues

Legislation to force China's ByteDance to divest TikTok was tied to foreign-aid package; President Biden has said he will sign TikTok bill into law

By Todd Spangler

Todd Spangler

NY Digital Editor

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The U.S. Senate voted Tuesday to approve a bill that would ban TikTok nationwide unless Chinese parent company ByteDance sells its stake in the popular app. The development will likely result in a court battle between the U.S. and TikTok, which argues that the legislation violates the First Amendment — and if TikTok loses that fight, there’s a real chance it could be shut off for Americans.

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TikTok will file a legal challenge once the bill is signed into law , Michael Beckerman, TikTok’s head of public policy for the Americas, wrote in a memo to company staff over the weekend. The legislation is a “clear violation” of the First Amendment, the exec wrote: “This is the beginning, not the end of this long process.” Beckerman also criticized the TikTok divest-or-ban measure as “an unprecedented deal worked out between the Republican Speaker [Mike Johnson] and President Biden.”

Ahead of the vote, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, delivered comments on the Senate floor Tuesday afternoon about the national security threats posed by ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok. Passage of the bill “goes a long way towards safeguarding our democratic systems from covert foreign influence,” he said, saying that Chinese companies like ByteDance “don’t owe their obligation to their customers, or their shareholders, but they owe it to the PRC [People’s Republic of China] government.”

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), chair of the Senate’s Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, suggested TikTok and ByteDance are “weaponizing” data and AI to spy on American citizens, the military and government personnel, including journalists covering the company. (In 2022, ByteDance said it fired four employees for “misconduct” after the company found they accessed TikTok data on several users , including two reporters.)

Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) spoke out against the TikTok ban bill before the final vote, saying the more pressing “clear and present danger” is the harm kids face from social media apps more broadly, including from U.S.-based companies.

“I don’t deny that TikTok poses some national security risks,” Markey said. “TikTok has its problems. No. 1, TikTok poses a serious risk to the privacy and mental health of our young people.” But he said the bill likely would result in “widespread censorship,” and he suggested that the bill’s supporters object to liberal political viewpoints popular on TikTok. “Instead of suppressing speech on a single application, we could be addressing the root of the mental health crisis by targeting Big Tech’s pernicious, privacy-invasion business model of teenagers and children in our country,” Markey said.

TikTok has said the bill, if it becomes law, would infringe the free-speech rights of its 170 million U.S. users and “devastate” the estimated 7 million American businesses on the platform. It claims TikTok contributed $24 billion to the U.S. economy in 2023 .

The TikTok divest-or-ban legislation has been opposed by the ACLU and other advocacy groups.

“This is still nothing more than an unconstitutional ban in disguise,” Jenna Leventoff, senior policy counsel at the ACLU, said in a statement Tuesday prior to the Senate vote. “Banning a social media platform that hundreds of millions of Americans use to express themselves would have devastating consequences for all of our First Amendment rights, and will almost certainly be struck down in court.”

Because of its Chinese ties, TikTok has been a political football in the United States for years, as well as in other countries (including India, where it’s been banned since June 2020 ). TikTok has prevailed in challenging other laws in the U.S. seeking to ban the app. Last December, a  federal judge blocked Montana’s first-of-its-kind statewide ban of TikTok , ruling that the law likely violated the First Amendment. An attempt by the Trump administration to  force ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban also was found unconstitutional  by federal courts on First Amendment grounds.

Backers of the TikTok bill argue that it doesn’t restrict free speech, saying it only requires apps to be owned by a company that isn’t subject to the control of an adversarial foreign government. As a precedent, the legislation’s proponents point to the 2020 sale of dating app Grindr by Chinese gaming company Beijing Kunlun Tech Co. to a group of U.S.-based investors, a transaction forced by the U.S. government over concerns about the privacy of the app’s users.

Per the text of the bill, legal challenges to the “Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act” may be filed only in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

If TikTok is unsuccessful in getting the divest-or-ban law overturned, it is unlikely that ByteDance would sell its ownership stake — and that the app would effectively become outlawed in the U.S. Chinese officials have  said the government would “firmly oppose”  any forced sale of TikTok, which would represent a technology export and be subject to the government’s approval. “You’re not going to be able to force ByteDance to divest,” James Lewis, SVP at the Center for Strategic and International Studies,  told  the New York Times last month.

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Ohio State president 'will not compromise' on safety as campuses face Gaza war protests

In an end-of-the-semester email sent Monday afternoon to the campus community, Ohio State University President Ted Carter followed up on communication from over the weekend with a reminder of the university's stances on protesting and free speech.

On Saturday, Ohio State said in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) that hate speech is "deplorable and does not align with our values, even if allowed under the First Amendment."

The post came following a couple of campus protests in the past few days over the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza . Video clips from one of those protests were shared on an Instagram account belonging to StopAntisemitism — "a grassroots watchdog organization dedicated to exposing groups and individuals that espouse incitement towards the Jewish people and State and engage in antisemitic behaviors," according to its website.

In his email, Carter said that college campuses "must be places where we can process these events through respectful discussion and debate."

"We are here together to learn from one another and hear new and different perspectives — including those with which we disagree," he said.

Carter said he wants students, staff and faculty to stand up for what they believe in, and that Buckeyes should "dedicate ourselves to using our voices with civility and compassion."

"I remain steadfastly committed to maintaining an environment where all members of our community feel welcome while continuing to uphold the First Amendment and the laws of our state and nation," Carter said.

Cater added that Ohio State will "continue to prioritize safety," including having university police officers and trained staff on-site for demonstrations, and enforcing space rules that prohibit "intentional disruptions of university events, classes, exams or programming, including commencement."

Carter also warned that when protected speech becomes threatening, "Ohio State has and will always move quickly to enforce the law and university policy."

"I will not compromise on this," he said.

Carter asked that people consider their words wisely.

"Even if speech is protected, is it how you would talk to a member of your family or a friend?" he said. "Displays of hate speech on our campuses, even if allowed under the First Amendment, are reprehensible and do not align with our values. Ohio State must be a place where all are welcome and safe."

Remarks come as campuses face protests nationwide

The Hamas-Israel war has sparked protests on college campuses across the country since shortly after Hamas attacked Israelis on Oct. 7.

More than 100 people were  arrested last week at a pro-Palestinian protest at Columbia University  in New York City over Israel's military actions in Gaza. Columbia administrators announced Monday that it would move to hybrid classes for the rest of the semester because of the protests.

The student groups were also protesting the university's financial investment in "corporations that profit from Israeli apartheid, genocide, and occupation in Palestine," the group told USA Today.

Students were forcibly removed by police from tents pitched on lawns at the center of campus.

Police in New Haven, Connecticut arrested several dozen protesters at Yale University on Monday and charged them with trespassing during a protest demanding Yale divest itself from weapons manufacturers that supply Israel with arms.

Harvard University has restricted access to Harvard Yard until Friday in anticipation of pro-Palestine student protests during the Jewish Passover holiday.

Sheridan Hendrix is a higher education reporter for The Columbus Dispatch. Sign up for Extra Credit, her education newsletter,  here .

[email protected]

@sheridan120

Hundreds of students, advocates converge at GW University to support Gaza

With signs on protesters’ tents and kaffiyehs around their necks, the pro-Palestinian encampment movement sweeping college campuses nationwide arrived Thursday in the nation’s capital.

The demonstration, organized by the DMV coalition of Students for Justice in Palestine, brought together students, faculty and advocates from across the region to a lawn at George Washington University. It started with tents in the wee hours, and by the afternoon it had swelled to include drums, bullhorns and hundreds of people. Some called for schools to cut ties with Israel and protect the free speech of pro-Palestinian student organizers. Some chanted for the end of the state of Israel.

The demonstration on GWU’s law campus remained mostly peaceful through the afternoon; students near the 30 or so tents read and typed on their laptops. But anticipation was building. University officials asked demonstrators to relocate to a different park and said the protest could last only until 7 p.m., according to an email and a note posted online from the school. As of 5:30 p.m., the demonstrators showed no sign of leaving.

College protests over Gaza war

“We’re here to stay,” said Mahmoud Beydoun, 20, a junior at GWU who is Palestinian. “We have certain demands, and we want them to be heard and met.”

GWU President Ellen M. Granberg, in emails to the school Thursday, said she had requested the assistance of D.C. police officers after “multiple instructions made by GWPD to relocate to an alternative demonstration site on campus went unheeded by encampment participants.”

“We will not allow students from other local colleges or unaffiliated individuals to trespass on our campus,” she said in the statement. “We can and will enforce the time, place, and manner restrictions that continue to govern activities on our campus.”

By 4:45 p.m., dozens of police officers were stationed near campus. They were located blocks away from the protest, where demonstrators were relaxing on the grass, chatting and eating pizza.

Meanwhile on Thursday, police confronted protesters at college campuses across the country — deploying a stun gun at Emory University in Atlanta and arresting more than 100 people at Emerson College in Boston. The student movement has taken off in the week since Columbia University deployed New York police officers to arrest protesters occupying its lawn. Students and faculty protesting in D.C. on Thursday cited the activists at Columbia as inspiration.

At GWU, a campus located in the heart of downtown Washington, student outrage over the war in Gaza had been building since the Oct. 7 attack. In October, Students for Justice in Palestine projected images on a library saying “End the siege on Gaza” and “GW the blood of Palestine is on your hands.” The university suspended the student group in November, the school newspaper, the GW Hatchet, reported , a move many students saw as unfair treatment of those who criticize Israel.

Beydoun, who is studying international relations, said student organizers at GWU had been following videos of death and destruction in Gaza for months, wrestling with feelings of despair and a desire to make change. Many of them were Palestinian, he said, and had family or friends in Gaza.

Since the war began, at least 34,305 people have been killed and 77,293 injured in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry , which says the majority of the dead are women and children. Israel estimates that about 1,200 people were killed in the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.

The GWU students ultimately formed a coalition with regional Students for Justice in Palestine chapters, and together they organized marches and sit-ins. Then, they watched as Columbia University students launched an encampment and brought even more attention to Gaza. Beydoun said they knew they needed to do the same. And they knew that if they could pull it off in the nation’s capital, they’d show just how united they were in their demands.

“We’ve been very mentally strained and we found a way to do it,” he said. “It was the networking power. It was the student power.”

Grace Chinowsky, 20, the incoming editor in chief of the Hatchet, woke up at 6:30 Thursday morning to a call from one of her reporters.

“It’s happening,” the reporter told her.

“Let’s go,” she replied.

She ripped off a piece of blue tape, wrote “PRESS,” fastened it to her jacket, and arrived to find tents erected on University Lawn, a field in the middle of her school’s law school campus.

By 9:30 a.m., she was parked with her laptop on a nearby bench, chronicling the demonstration with a team of student journalists. They watched as a group of about a dozen people banged drums and led chants from the H Street sidewalk. Through bullhorns, the demonstrators called for a cease-fire, an end to all aid to Israel, and the restoration of Palestinian borders to what they were in 1948, before the state of Israel was established.

“We don’t want two states,” a demonstrator said. “We’re taking back ’48.”

About a dozen people echoed the chant, holding signs that said “End the occupation now.”

A few feet away, two George Washington University police officers watched the demonstration. One had an AirPod in and sipped his coffee.

“Among many, many students on campus, especially those here today, there is a strong feeling of injustice,” Chinowsky said. “Both about the violence happening abroad in Gaza, and also how university officials have chosen to respond to it.”

She stressed that there is a long tradition on campus of students advocating in support of Palestine, even before the Oct. 7 attack. She said that she recognized classmates and professors in attendance Thursday but speculated that at least some people demonstrating on the sidewalk — which is located just outside of GWU’s property — may not be enrolled at the school.

About 10 a.m., a man who said he was a university student walked into the crowd holding an Israeli flag above his head. A school police officer stepped into the crowd, apparently trying to separate the pro-Israel demonstrator from the swarm of people around him, who chanted “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

Police then seemed to want the man to leave the area — to which he responded by holding up his flag, shaking his head and saying to police, “This is my campus.” Police momentarily stepped back, before the man appeared to push or make contact with a pro-Palestinian demonstrator in front of him.

At that point, the officers forced the man away from the demonstration and into a university building, with his hands behind his back.

Around the same time about two miles away, a group of protesters gathered on the steps of Healy Hall at Georgetown University. They chanted “Free, free Palestine” and cautioned those gathered not to speak with police or the media.

Around 11:30, the protesters wound their way through the neighborhood’s cobblestone streets, headed to meet up with fellow protesters at GW. Briefly blocking traffic on M Street, they chanted “Israel is a terror state” and “Down, down, Genocide Joe” as passing cars honked in support.

Just before 12:15 p.m., the group arrived on the GWU campus to cheers from people around the tents. The two groups chanted in unison, “There is only one solution, intifada revolution.”

At the encampment a few hours later, Fida Adely, an associate professor of anthropology at Georgetown, linked hands with other faculty and staff from area universities. They formed a human chain around the tents.

“We may not be the ones holding encampments, but we need to be here to support our students who are really willing to kind of suspend their studies, suspend their academic lives, and be out here to fight against the genocide,” Adely said, dressed in a light blue regalia gown from her alma mater, Columbia. “This is a turning point in our history.”

As the university’s deadline for clearing the yard approached, three counterprotesters holding Israeli flags stood about 20 yards from the encampment.

Dylan Lyman, a GWU senior from Long Island who was holding one of the flags, said he showed up to demonstrate against some of the chants he heard.

“We’re Zionists,” he said. “We think Israel should exist.”

Lyman said he recognized classmates on the other side of the yard and hoped the division over the war would not end friendships.

Clarence Williams contributed to this report.

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How to Write A Heartfelt Sister Of The Groom Speech

• Lauren is a contributor for The Knot covering topics such as music, cakes, venues and speeches.
• She has been published in a wide array of lifetsyle-oriented publications including SELF and Allure.
• Lauren is a proud graduate of Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School of Public Communication.

Speaking at your brother's wedding is quite an honor. As the sister of the groom, your speech should be sweet and sentimental. "The sister of the groom will often speak at the rehearsal dinner, but it's also not unusual for her to speak at the wedding reception," explains Katelyn Peterson of Wedding Words , a wedding vow and speech writing service.

However, presenting the wedding toast to your brother and your new sister-in-law in front of all of your friends and family members can seem daunting, especially if you're not fond of public speaking. Fortunately, we're here to help, which is why we've reached out to wedding planners and experts to help you craft the perfect sister of the groom wedding speech. Read on for tips, tricks, templates, and examples.

How Long Should a Sister of the Groom Speech Be?

The number-one tip to crafting an A+ sister of the groom speech? Keep it short and sweet. Many wedding planners we spoke to recommend making your sister of the groom speech as brief as possible. Just take it from wedding planner Monique Banks of Monique Banks Party in Chappaqua, New York, who says the speech should be "kept to a maximum of 5 minutes."

How to Write a Sister of the Groom Speech

"I recommend sisters write from the heart," celebrity wedding and event planner David Tutera says. This advice may sound simple, but it truly is the key to crafting a memorable, sentimental, and emotional wedding speech that your brother and his new spouse are sure to appreciate on their special day.

Additionally, "Since you've known the groom most or all of your life, you likely have a ton of stories to tell," says Peterson. To help you narrow down the best, most memorable stories, "start by making bullet points of thoughts and memories," says Banks.

Remember, Peterson says: "You not only want to engage guests with your storytelling, but you also want to use each story to show something about the groom."

Sister of the Groom Speech Template

This fool-proof, 5-step speech wedding speech outline comes courtesy of Hester Parks of Park Avenue Events .

Introduce yourself. While most of the wedding guests will already know who you are, you can open your speech by greeting everyone and introducing yourself as the groom's sister.

Talk about the groom. When talking about the groom, make sure to share stories that "truly have meaning to both brother and sister," advises wedding planner Lynne Goldberg of Ms. Wedding Planner in South Florida, New York and Las Vegas. She continues, "Pick a few that illustrate the kind of brother and man the groom has become."

Talk about the bride. It's important to make your new sister-in-law or brother-in-law feel welcome. According to Peterson, you should ask yourself: What do you admire about them? Why are you grateful that they're joining your family?

Find your kind of venue

Talk about the couple. According to Goldberg, this is the perfect time to talk about the first time you met your new in-law. Share what it was like to watch their love story unfold in real-time. Alternatively, "Illustrate the wonderful qualities the newlyweds share," says Goldberg.

End with a toast to the happy couple. According to Trista Croce of BTS Event Management : "You should always end the sister of the groom speech with happy thoughts and well wishes for the couples' future together."

Who does the sister of the groom thank in her speech?

"The sister of the groom should thank her brother's new spouse for making her brother so happy," Tutera says. Additionally, he says, "She can conclude with thanking everyone for being part of this special celebration of love."

How to Give a Sister of the Groom Speech

According to Goldberg, the secret to giving a great sister of the groom speech is to speak from the heart — just as if you're "telling a story to a group of friends while out to dinner."

Remember, she says: "A great sister of the groom speech will have family members and guests not only enjoying the speech but also feeling closer to the family."

Sister of the Groom Speech Jokes

According to Ireland-based wedding planner Tara Fay , sisters of the groom "can get away with a little more humor" compared to other family wedding speeches, like mother of the bride speeches and father of the bride speeches, "as long as it is still tasteful." (But, more on that later.)

And, while Tutera typically warns against jokes in wedding speeches, he adds, "If the joke leans toward being a sweet story and not an embarrassing one, they can be fun additions."

Sister of the Groom Speech Example

Suffering from writer's block? No worries. Check out this pre-written sister of the groom speech for some much-needed insight and inspiration.

Good evening, everyone! For those of you who don't know me, I'm Alice, Gray's younger sister. I've had the absolute pleasure of growing alongside him, and I'm thrilled to be here with all of you today. Thank you all so much for coming.

And, of course, before diving into my speech, I'd be remiss not to thank our parents for the exceptional, unconditional love they have shown both of us throughout our childhood years. We would not be who we are today without you two.

When Gray asked me to prepare a speech for his wedding day, I was especially excited to see what embarrassing stories I could come up with — kidding! But, in all seriousness, I feel so grateful to have had the opportunity to watch you evolve into such an amazing man and husband.

With Gray by my side all through childhood, I was blessed with a built-in best friend. Fortunately, that hasn't changed over the years. Sure, we had our differences — sorry for the constant bickering, Mom and Dad — but in the end, we'd always come together and reunite over Saturday morning cartoons (the Flintstones were our favorite!) and Sunday night ice cream. Gray, mint chocolate chip is still the best flavor: Sorry to break it to you. As we grew older, I began to idolize Gray even more, despite the fact that he was more into his Rock Band and Guitar Hero sets than he was into me.

When I was in high school, Gray went off to college. It felt like a piece of my heart was missing. I wasn't used to being a so-called only child, and I did not enjoy it one bit. Whenever he came home on school breaks, I'd follow him around the house like a lost puppy. He wasn't interested in hearing about the latest high school drama — he was, and I quote, "too cool for that" — but he did appreciate the free car rides to his friends' homes, the beach, and the pizza shop. And I appreciated the extra time spent with him.

Gray was a typical immature college kid up until his junior year of college: All of that changed when he met Avery at a fraternity party. Things started heating up pretty seriously, and she was gearing up to meet my parents and me for the first time over winter break. It was clear my brother was smitten. He began calling me, his younger sister he previously avoided at all cost, for relationship advice!

So, remember when I said I felt my heart felt incomplete when Gray first went to college? Meeting Avery seemed to instantly cure that. Their warm demeanor and fun-loving ways made me feel whole again for the first time in two years. I knew then that they were a perfect match for each other. Since then, my relationship with Gray — and Avery — has only grown and improved. I've always wanted an older sibling, and I'm so fortunate to have found that in Avery. They already knows how loved they are by our family, but I'd still love to toast to Avery and Gray on their big day. Please join me in raising a glass to the happy couple!

How to End the Sister of the Groom Speech

"I advise sisters of the groom wrap up their speeches by welcoming their new sister-in-law to the family and express how much they look forward to all the new experiences they will have together as a family," Tutera says.

Trista Croce of BTS Event Management in Arizona agrees. "You should always end the sister of the groom speech with happy thoughts and well wishes for the couples' future together," she says.

What NOT to Say in a Sister of the Groom Speech

Skip the dirty jokes. While humor is essential to a great sister of the groom speech, Peterson advises keeping the jokes "G-rated. "You definitely don't want to make Grandma and Grandpa uncomfortable," she says.

Avoid any mention of exes. "Do not bring up past girlfriends, even if you hated them," advises Croce.

Be respectful. It goes without saying, but, on that same note, do not put down your new in-law, Croce says.

Don't embarrass the groom. "Steer clear of any stories involving sloppy stories about the groom being inebriated," Tutera says. "It's a time of celebration, and speeches should avoid making anyone feel uncomfortable!"

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Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt, Jeff Mason and Steve Holland; Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Stephen Coates and Jonathan Oatis

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Jeff Mason is a White House Correspondent for Reuters. He has covered the presidencies of Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden and the presidential campaigns of Biden, Trump, Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain. He served as president of the White House Correspondents’ Association in 2016-2017, leading the press corps in advocating for press freedom in the early days of the Trump administration. His and the WHCA's work was recognized with Deutsche Welle's "Freedom of Speech Award." Jeff has asked pointed questions of domestic and foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un. He is a winner of the WHCA's “Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure" award and co-winner of the Association for Business Journalists' "Breaking News" award. Jeff began his career in Frankfurt, Germany as a business reporter before being posted to Brussels, Belgium, where he covered the European Union. Jeff appears regularly on television and radio and teaches political journalism at Georgetown University. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and a former Fulbright scholar.

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