Many people know Woolverstone Hall for its rich history within Suffolk, or even for its success as a school. But every year we open our doors to couples looking to host an exclusive country house wedding in the stunning Suffolk countryside. For years we’ve helped couples say ‘I do’ and celebrate in true style on our beautiful countryside estate. But those years of weddings have taught us that time after time, wedding after wedding, when it comes to the speeches we are met with one nervous groom! So if you have been worried about giving your speech since you popped the question, you are certainly not alone! And all of those fears can disappear, because here’s our top tips on writing the perfect groom’s speech…
One
Grab a notepad and jot down those initial ideas you have - even the bad ones! Any time you think of who you want to thank, a funny anecdote or any stories that jump out to you, get them noted in that notepad. This will then be a place you can revisit and use as a rough guide when writing the final draft.
Two
Make sure it’s focused towards your partner, it may seem silly but sometimes you can have too many ideas and forget the purpose of the actual speech (declaring your love, of course!). This is your opportunity to let everyone know just how much they mean to you and how thankful you are for them, not just the funny stories you and your best man have gathered over the years!
Three
Practice saying your speech out loud or to someone else that you trust and feel comfortable with. Or, if in doubt, we here at Woolverstone are always on hand to help and lend an ear. This will help to alleviate some of the nerves you may be feeling and help to ensure it all goes smoothly on the day. Think of it as muscle memory!
Four
Make sure you thank everyone that matters. This can include: mother/father of your partner, the guests, your own parents, best man/groomsmen, bridesmaids, any other helpers and last but not least your partner.
Five
Look around for inspiration. There’s some great ideas online, why not check out grooms speeches on google or YouTube if you are stuck with what to say. You could get really creative including music and videos - see what others have done and take inspiration!
Six
Try not to make your speech too long, there’s lots to get through and no one appreciates a speech that never ends. Around 8 minutes is a great length.
Seven
Make it unique. Keep it special to you and your guests; it can be too tempting to just copy and paste things off the internet, but don’t forget to tailor it to your story, to make it that extra bit more personal.
Eight
Humour. This is such an important ingredient to add to your speech. If you make people laugh, they’ll love you for it. It can also act as a good in between for some of your more serious and profound moments in your speech. Work out what’s funny about your new sister in law or what your new bride doesn’t like that you do, adding a hilarious twist to your speech, will make it that much more memorable and bridges the gap between a Father of the Bride speech and the Best Man’s!
Nine
Be clear - make sure you are clear and concise with your wording, the Orangery is a large space and you want all your guests to be able to hear your wonderful speech as it’s going to be so good! We have a microphone you can use, or you can speak to your band or DJ about using theirs. If you have a videographer, make sure they mic you up separately as well - their mics are not there to amplify your voice, but to record it, so they have a clear recording of what you’re saying to include in your wedding video.
Ten
Finally, end with a toast to your new Bride or Groom, and you are all set!