THE GROOM

You will say the most important words of the day.

What to say on your wedding day.

  • Thank the father of the bride

  • Thank the mums – often with bouquets

  • Thank the wedding organizers

  • Thank everyone for being there

  • Compliment your new wife

  • Toast the bridesmaids, often giving them a gift

Alternatives
But you don’t have to stick with tradition. You could:
1) Let the bride speak instead, or do the speech together

2) Read out a poem that sums up how you feel about the day

3) Simply toast those who helped with the wedding, but don’t make a speech

Useful Phrases

1: Thank your new father-in-law

  • I just want to thank my father-in-law for his kind/generous/special words. I feel honored that he has taken/welcomed me into his family.

  • My wife and I would like to thank Ken for being the best father of the bride ever. Hi kind/sweet/generous/witty words have also made me feel welcome as the newest member of his family

2: Thank your guests

  • This is the most important day of our lives. and my wife and I are delighted to share it with so many friends and family today. We are also very grateful that so many of your have not only gone to the expense of sharing this day with us but have also bought us presents. Thank You.

  • I can’t believe that you all made it here. You really are the best bunch of friends and family that we could ever hope to have. So thank you. We’re also extremely grateful for the presents.

3: Compliment your wife

  • You are always beautiful but you have never looked as stunning/good/wonderful/gorgeous as you do today. You make the most wonderful/stunning/gorgeous/perfect bride. I love you.

  • I was expecting to feel nervous when I woke up today but I didn’t. Why? Because I knew that you would be walking down that aisle towards me and that the only thing I wanted was for you to be my wife. I knew that you would look lovely – you always do – but today you are radiant/gorgeous/beautiful/perfect bride. You mean so much to me, and I want to thank you for agreeing to become my wife. I am so happy to be your husband and I love you very much.

4: Thank and toast the bridesmaids

  • The giggling little posse/stunning group of beautiful bridesmaids over there in front of you have been amazing. Not only did they manage to walk down the aisle without falling over, but they have also been great with all the preparations. Ladies and gentleman, I’d like you all to charge/raise your glasses. I give you..the bridesmaids a toast.

  • My wife and I would like to say a special thank you to the bridemaids, who have been a tower of strength throughout the preparations. They’ve been great/wonderful/beautiful. Ladies and gentleman, please charge/raise your glaesses. I give you… the bridesmaids a toast.

What to say

  • Reiterate thanks already given – especially for gifts

  • Thank anyone who has not already been thanked by other speakers or may not be mentioned by them

  • Mirror the groom’s speech – how you met , how the relationship developed

  • Include a personal message to the groom

Alternatives

  • You may decide to make a joint speech with the groom (in many ways a very logical choice).

  • If you and the groom are speaking separately, you could decide in advance to each address different or mirroring themes (the other’s family, for instance)

Sample Speech Snippets

Me and my groom

‘I want to tell you that Ray (the groom) is the most easy-going, lovable cheerful man you could ever hope to meet. He’s like a favourite easy chair – comfortable if a bit battered!’

‘I knew that he was a person that I could spend the rest of my life with when I met his mum and dad, Hillary and Joe. They made me feel at home from the moment I walked through the door.’

Thanks for everything, mum

‘There’s an old chinese saying that to find a good wife you must look for the daughter of a great mother. After what Mum and Dad have organized for me today, I think we’ll all agree, this is one truly great moment. Ed and I would like to ask you to make a special toast to thank my Mum and Dad.”