Groom 101

The Groom’s Speech: Secrets to Toasting Success

Chris Easter

As the groom, you’ll most likely be expected at some point to give a toast that focuses on your feelings about your bride. As you can imagine, this toast requires some careful thought. You don’t want to just get up there and wing it and make a fool of yourself. Whether it’s delivered at the rehearsal dinner or the wedding reception, this will often be the last toast of the evening — one that people will remember. But don’t sweat it. Follow these simple guidelines to deliver a great toast that everyone will enjoy, and even score major points with your bride-to-be.

Guidelines for a SUCCESSFUL TOAST:

  1. Start the toast by thanking everyone for coming. Some guests will have come from across town, while others may have traveled long distances. Make sure to let them know how much it means to you and your bride that they could share in this important occasion with you.
  2. Keep humor to a minimum during your toast. Humorous toasts are best left to the best man or maid of honor. This is the time when you want to demonstrate your maturity and show everyone that you’re ready to start your new life as a married man.
  3. From there, it’s always a good idea to thank your wedding party, either individually by name or as an entire group (after your speech can also be a great opportunity to present gifts to your groomsmen). At the minimum, these people have paid for their attire, but most likely they’ve been there to support you along the way… Take this opportunity to show them your gratitude.
  4. Next, you should recognize both sets of parents or other appropriate family members.
  5. Your closing comments should be directed toward your bride. Make sure to plan out these comments in advance. Take this opportunity to let her and everyone else know how much she means to you and how lucky you are to have her as your wife.

TMR Recommendation: Sit down a week or so before the wedding and put together a list of things you’d like to say about each of the people you’ll be toasting in your speech. You can either create an outline to work from or type up the entire speech and print it out. It’s always a good idea to practice your toast at least a couple of times beforehand, especially if you plan on having a couple of drinks before the toast. Most importantly, relax and enjoy yourself – you’ll be great.

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