Your Groom Speech: 5 Ideas That Will Make The Opening Comments Completely Successful
I have listened to lots of groom speeches, and there is often a moment of hesitation and uncertainty by the groom. This is something you should do your best to avoid.
Let us begin with some universal tips for delivering any speech at a wedding.
Do’s
– Keep it simple, straight forward, and clear
– Keep it short. Three to four minutes should be more than enough
– Write down down the major points on a piece of paper or a card
– Smile at the audience. This is a happy event.
– Avoid looking grim, like it’s a funeral.
– Speak loudly and clearly. Keep your voice so everyone can hear. If there’s a microphone, use it.
What Not To Do
– Do Not mumble
– Do Not look down or stare at the ceiling when speaking
– Do not write out the entire speech. You just need some thoughts to keep you moving from one point to the next.
There are two things that men fear most, commitment, and public speaking. While this article won’t help you with the first one, it can be assumed that since you’re getting married, you’ve already overcome the commitment issue. So, that leaves public speaking, and it’s a lot easier than you think.
There are 5 elements you should include in the groom speech in order to be considered a success:
Five Ideas
– Play fair. Say complimentary, nice things about your new wife.
– Do not tell jokes, unless they are positive. Remember, you have a honeymoon coming up, your wife’s family, and the rest of your life together to consider. Humor can play an significant part in any speech, therefore, we will review this topic in much greater detail in other articles.
– Do express thanks to family. You will probably be involved with them the rest of your life, so you will want to begin the relationship with them on a positive note.
If you do not like your wife’s in-laws, just thank them for their support and move along with the rest of your speech.
If indeed you do like them, then express your fondness and appreciation for them. Then thank them for welcoming you into being a part of their family.
If there was any monetary contribution offered by your new bride’s family, this is the time to thank them for their support.
– Thank friends and family for coming to celebrate your wedding, and sharing the day with you.
– Thank the Father of the Bride.
The groom’s speech comes immediately after the Father of the Bride speech, which customarily comes first.
This allows you to play off that speech and continue by thanking him for his kind words; then begin your speech right after him.
Here is an Example
“Thank you, Mr. Simmons, for your supportive words. I am honored and proud to be your new son-in-law. I’m looking forward to living up to your expectations. I would like to also thank my mother-in-law, Sandy, who has made me feel like a part of the family starting from when we first met, and for helping make our wedding and reception successful. I would like to give my thanks to both of you for allowing me to marry your beautiful daughter, Alison.”
With this brief excerpt, you have done the following: Thanked the bride’s family, acknowledged their contribution to the wedding, spoken favorably about your bride, and presented yourself like an all ’round nice guy to the listeners. And, that was only the opening to your groom speech.