The real test of a great groomsman comes when it is time to give that legendary groomsman speech. There will come a time in your life when you will be called upon to be a groomsman, and with this great honor comes great responsibility.
One duty of a groomsman is to give a groomsman speech at the wedding ceremony or rehearsal dinner. If you are a frequent wedding attendee, you know for a fact that most times, groomsman speeches can quickly transcend from something sweet and beautiful to uncomfortable and awkward situations.
This is hardly surprising when a groomsman either fails to prepare adequately and/or loads up on alcohol to give him confidence, which might result in sharing embarrassing and inappropriate stories of the groom in front of family and friends.
So if you want to be the best groomsman there ever was, here are a few tips on how to write and give the ultimate groomsman speech below:
What You'll Learn...
- 1 1) Be Prepared
- 2 2) Don’t. Get. Drunk.
- 3 3) Start Your Groomsman Speech With Appreciation
- 4 4) Kick it Off with a Funny Introductory Story
- 5 5) Avoid Controversial Topics
- 6 6) Avoid Inside Jokes
- 7 7) Keep It Short and Simple
- 8 8) Give A Quote At The End
- 9 9) Propose a Toast
- 10 10) Be Yourself
- 11 Wrapping it Up
1) Be Prepared
You don’t want to be unprepared as you walk into the wedding venue, believing that the words will come to you as you speak. As long as you have time before the wedding, no matter how little, use that time to run a couple of ideas for your speech by some friends or family members.
Reflect on pleasant memories, stories, and jokes as you brainstorm ideas. Think of stories about the groom and his bride, like how they met or the way he asked her out for the first time.
Think and write down good memories of the groom that show how much of a kind and amazing guy he is. The goal of the groomsman’s speech is to make the couple look as good as possible.
2) Don’t. Get. Drunk.
I know it’s a party, you want to enjoy yourself, and possibly ease your nerves about the speech with a little liquid courage. But take a pause and realize that if you get drunk, you might say something terrible that you’ll regret later on. You don’t need alcohol to give a great groomsman speech. Just stay confident and relaxed.
3) Start Your Groomsman Speech With Appreciation
One of the best ways to start your groomsman speech is by thanking all the people involved in the preparation of the wedding, as well as those who helped make this special day possible.
Also, give a shout out to both the bride and groom’s family and give a toast in their honor, thanking them for raising two amazing people. Be sure to thank all the guests who took the time from their busy schedules to make it to the wedding.
4) Kick it Off with a Funny Introductory Story
When giving your groomsman speech, you establish a connection between your relationship with the groom and your support for the new couple.
You could talk about how your friend never thought he would find a girl like his new bride in all his life. You could also tell a story about how you realized your friend had found his soul mate when you hung out with the couple some time ago.
Talk about how they both balance out each other’s personalities and how they are a perfect match for one another.
When telling these stories, try and make it intimate, as though you have been with the couple watching their relationship grow and transcend to this level of commitment.
5) Avoid Controversial Topics
When giving your groomsman speech, you’re going to want to steer clear from all controversial, offensive, and embarrassing topics.
This sounds simple and seems like mere common sense, but you would be amazed at how insane people can get once they’ve had a couple of drinks and are holding a microphone and an inflated sense of confidence in front of a crowd.
Nothing makes a groomsman speech go south faster than when people try too hard to be funny by sharing some embarrassing story or joke that’s in poor taste.
Don’t get me wrong here. You can, and should, incorporate funny jokes and funny stories in your speech. Just ensure your joke is funny and breaks the ice.
Topics You Should Avoid in Your Groomsman Speech
- Any of the groom’s past relationships
- The first impression you had about the bride unless it was an excellent first impression that is directly related to your buddy’s happiness
- The food the reception hall is serving
- Honeymoon jokes
6) Avoid Inside Jokes
Avoid telling inside jokes when you’re giving your speech. You are in front of a large group of people who would definitely not understand these inside jokes. Doing this will only make the audience feel left out and eventually lose interest in your speech. Talk about relatable things that they may all be familiar with.
7) Keep It Short and Simple
Trust me, if your goal is to give the ultimate groomsman speech, then keep it as simple and as short as possible. People are already tired of speeches, cause at that point the bride’s father, bridesmaid, would have previously given their speeches.
So keep it short, and nail your points as you speak. Do not go on and on like some rambling drunk. This will most likely do nothing but irritate the crowd, who is already tired.
8) Give A Quote At The End
One of the best ways to end your speech is by giving a lovely quote at the end. It doesn’t need to be anything extra or special, just something that rounds up your speech nicely. Look for quotes about marriage or love to end your speech.
9) Propose a Toast
Raise your glass of wine and give a toast saying something like, “Here’s to a lifetime of love and happiness for the new couple!” Raising a glass at the end helps wrap up your speech and move on to the next event or speaker with style and grace.
10) Be Yourself
Don’t try and be someone else when giving your groomsman speech. Just be yourself, talk in your normal tone, use your own words.
Wrapping it Up
This article was meant to give you a better idea of the topics to discuss. But you should be sure to make your speech your own at the end of the day. Your style, your words, your personality. Only by doing this will you be able to write and give the ultimate groomsman speech.
Good luck!