A Guide To Writing

You are officially now a bridegroom-to-be and the wedding day is fast upon you, and you know that you are expected to give a bridegroom speech at the reception, but what to say, and how to say it; that is your big dilemma right now. As most cultures dictate, after the official ceremony and at the beginning of the reception, you are expected to speak immediately after the father of the bride says his bit.

Most importantly the biggest factor in any speech is the opening line, and the bridegroom speech is no exception to that rule. If you are at a loss as to what a good opening line would be, just browse the Internet for the subject; there are hundreds of sites to choose from that can give you good ideas for opening lines and you can take the ball and run from there. The purpose of the opening line in any speech is to catch the attention of the crowd and hold it, and some fellows like to start with a little joke to break the tension, or a little saying or quip while others stick to the more conservative way of starting and just welcome everyone there and then move on into what they really want to say.

The very first thing you should do after the opening volley, is to give thanks and show your appreciation for what folks have done for you. Usually in a traditional bridegroom speech, you would start out by thanking the bride’s parents for all they have done; then thank your parents for your upbringing and whatever contributions they have made to the wedding; thank the guests for coming and for all the beautiful gifts they have brought; and if you wanted to extend the thanks to the minister and the bridesmaids, the best man—that is all well and good as long as you mean what you are saying. This is the most expedient time to make a positive and mature impression on all in attendance simply by what you say and how you say it.

Now you can draw on the feeling you have about joining another family, how much your new family and your own family mean to you; and add in some little bits of funny happenings that occurred while you and the bride were putting the day together. Just be candid and poke fun at yourself, and you will see just how easy it is to keep the attention of the group as a whole, because they want to hear funny, cute little things about you and the bride in your own way of speaking.

Nothing unites a listening group more than a good old fashioned belly laugh or good chuckle over something the speaker said about the subject at hand, and this still applies to a bridegroom speech as well. The group wants to celebrate with you and share your feelings, so if you let them in on some funny thing that happened with you and your wife while working your way toward the wedding day, and tell it from the heart; they will laugh and giggle along with you and you will all have a great time. Tell them all how beautiful your wife looks, how much you love her and what a lucky guy you are; and they will nod their heads in approval and applaud. Just be careful what you say and do not embarrass anyone, most of all your wife and your new in-laws.

To close your bridegroom speech, you could elaborate on the things in your life that mean so much to you and include your new family and members of the audience; or even quote a poem or read something you had written yourself just for the occasion. The more of yourself you can inject into the talk, the more the group will love what you are saying and will hang on your every word. This is the time also to offer a toast to your new wife, or her parents, or your parents, your best man—whatever feels right at the moment. None of this is set in stone; just be yourself and be candid. You will find your nervousness will disappear as the group warms up to you, and all of you will remember the day for a long long time.

If you have your notes in order, and you are prepared to give your bridegroom speech when the time comes; you will find that you will have the time of your life talking up in front of the crowd and they in turn will enjoy every minute of listening to you. Just don’t let the talk drag on and on because people will get antsy and bored, so keep it light and funny and emotional, but not ponderous. Remember the group gathered in front of you is there to wish you well and they want only the best for you and your new bride, so most anything you say, if it is said from the heart and in a meaningful way, will be well received and remembered by the group as wonderful.