Tell me more ×
Writers Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for authors, editors, reviewers, professional writers, and aspiring writers. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote -1 down vote favorite

I'm having to write a grooms speech and I'm looking for some objective advice from writers or people who have delivered their own on:

  • what works
  • what doesn't work
  • tips / tricks to make it memorable
share|improve this question
I've started a meta discussion about this question. – justkt Oct 18 '11 at 20:52
3  
TK, this isn't really a focused question; it's more of a general request for any advice we happen to have. That doesn't work too well in our format. Could you possibly explain in the question what problem you're dealing with, or what difficulties you're having with a speech that advice might help with? – Standback♦ Oct 18 '11 at 23:03
1  
I really think this question is too broad to be answered in a meaningful fashion. This is a bit like those questions that ask "How do I write a short story?" or "How do I write a novel?" Really needs some focus e.g. "How much humour should I try include in a groom's speech?" or "Who should I thank in a Groom's speech, and in what order?" or "Is this joke too risky for a Groom's speech?" etc. – Craig Sefton Oct 20 '11 at 13:24
In any case, I think that public speaking is generally off-topic for this site. – JSBձոգչ Oct 21 '11 at 14:37

closed as not a real question by Craig Sefton, StrixVaria, JSBձոգչ, justkt Oct 23 '11 at 17:38

It's difficult to tell what is being asked here. This question is ambiguous, vague, incomplete, overly broad, or rhetorical and cannot be reasonably answered in its current form. For help clarifying this question so that it can be reopened, see the FAQ.

1 Answer

up vote 1 down vote

If you truly mean the groom's speech, then I would hope that you are the groom, because otherwise you probably won't know enough information to make it a truly meaningful speech! The groom's speech is primarily about thanking everyone for their participation in the wedding. In fact, the groom's speech traditionally includes more "thank you's" than any of the other speeches.

There are different schools of thought on this, but the one thing I believe everyone would agree to is that it should be heartfelt and sincere. Whether you choose to keep it serious or add humor is a matter of determining what makes the groom feel more comfortable. You should also take into consideration your audience, because if the people attending the wedding are very traditional and formal, then humor might not be a good idea.

When it comes to giving thanks, the general pattern is to thank the bride's parents, thank the groom's parents, thanks your guests for attending, and lastly, thank the new wife. If there are other people you think deserve individual recognition, then fit them in as well. This speech after all is really more about recognizing all the key participants for their parts in the wedding.

Before answering this, I did a Google search for "grooms speech examples", and I was surprised to see several links with some really good examples. If all else fails, you can resort to that as a means of developing a template or guideline for writing your speech.

share|improve this answer

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.