Who does the groom thank in his speech?

Her parents (or whoever hosted), your parents, anyone who travelled a long way, the wedding party, the best man, and, if someone has died and you want to, one gentle line for them. One line each with a reason. Nobody is thanked who is not on your list, and nobody on your list is left out.

What order do the thank-yous go in?

Her parents first, then your parents, then the travellers, then the wedding party and best man. Her parents go first because, traditionally, they hosted; if someone else hosted, they go first. The bridesmaids come at the very end as the toast, not in the thank-you list.

How long should a groom's speech be?

Four to six minutes, 600 to 900 words. The thank-yous take about a minute of that. Past six minutes the room is waiting for the best man.

Does the groom toast the bridesmaids?

In the UK, yes: the groom's speech ends with “please stand and raise your glasses, to the bridesmaids”. In the US the couple usually thank the guests and toast each other instead. Follow what your venue or planner expects, and say which in your notes.

Who does the groom thank in his speech?

Her parents (or whoever hosted), your parents, anyone who travelled a long way, the wedding party, the best man, and, if someone has died and you want to, one gentle line for them. One line each with a reason. Nobody is thanked who is not on your list, and nobody on your list is left out.

What order do the thank-yous go in?

Her parents first, then your parents, then the travellers, then the wedding party and best man. Her parents go first because, traditionally, they hosted; if someone else hosted, they go first. The bridesmaids come at the very end as the toast, not in the thank-you list.

How long should a groom's speech be?

Four to six minutes, 600 to 900 words. The thank-yous take about a minute of that. Past six minutes the room is waiting for the best man.

Does the groom toast the bridesmaids?

In the UK, yes: the groom's speech ends with “please stand and raise your glasses, to the bridesmaids”. In the US the couple usually thank the guests and toast each other instead. Follow what your venue or planner expects, and say which in your notes.

Guide · 16 October 2026

Groom speech: who to thank, in what order (with a full example)

Every groom's speech starts the same way, with the thank-yous, and that is where most of them lose the room: a list of names with no reasons, read off a phone. Here is the order that works everywhere, one line each with a reason, then the four parts that follow, and a complete example speech you can read in five minutes.

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The short answer

Thank, in this order: her parents (or whoever hosted), your parents, anyone who travelled a long way, the wedding party, the best man. One sentence each, and every sentence carries a reason (“every flower in this room is yours”), never just a name. If someone has died and you want them in the room, one gentle line, after the parents. Then stop thanking and start talking: how you met, the moment you knew, one story about her, the part to her, and the toast to the bridesmaids. Four to six minutes in all.

The thank-yous, in order

1. Her parents, or whoever hosted (15 seconds)

They go first because the day is theirs as much as anyone's. Name them both, one reason each. If her parents are not hosting, whoever is goes first.

“Sue and Rob, thank you. You have hosted today, you have hosted me most weekends for four years, and Sue, every flower in this room is yours, and everybody has noticed.”

2. Your parents (10 seconds)

One line. The reason can be small and today's; small and true beats big and vague.

“Mum, thank you for everything, and I mean everything, including the lift to the station this morning when the taxi didn't come.”

3. Anyone who travelled (10 seconds)

Say where from and how far. The room likes a number.

“Uncle Pete and Jan flew from Perth to be here, which is twenty-two hours in the air for a four-minute speech, so I'll try to make it worth it.”

4. Someone who is not here (10 seconds, only if you want to)

One line, the name, what they would have done today. No more than that; the room will do the rest. Leave it out entirely if it will undo you.

5. The best man and the wedding party (15 seconds)

The best man gets a line that sets up his speech. The bridesmaids get one line now and the toast at the end, so say “I'll come back to you”.

“Chris, my best man, thank you for the suits, the rings, and for the speech you are about to give, which I have not been allowed to see. And to the bridesmaids, Amy, Jo and Priya, who got Hannah to the church on time, which nobody in this room thought was possible: thank you. I'll come back to you.”

That is about a minute. Two rules for all of it: nobody is thanked who is not on your list, and nobody on your list is left out. Write the list first, before a word of the speech.

What comes after the thank-yous

6. How you met (45 seconds)

A scene, with the one detail that makes it yours. Not “we met through friends”; the pub quiz, round three, the wrong answer.

7. The moment you knew (60 seconds)

Also a scene. What she did, what it cost her, what she said when you asked why. End it with the one-line verdict: “That is Hannah.”

8. One story about what she does (45 seconds)

The thing she always says or always does. If she has a line (“right, plan”), the room will be quoting it by the end of the night.

9. The part to her (60 seconds)

Turn to her and say so (“I'm going to look at you now, so everyone else can look at the flowers”). What she changed. Two or three promises in your own words, one of them small.

10. The toast to the bridesmaids (20 seconds)

UK: one warm line about them, then “please stand, raise your glasses, and join me: to the bridesmaids.” US: usually the couple thank the guests and toast each other instead; do what your planner expects.

A full example speech

The whole sample, 634 words, five minutes out loud, is on the groom's speech sample page, with the five lines of notes it was written from. Dan, Hannah and the goat are made up. Read it for the shape: a minute of thank-yous, each with a reason, then four stories, then the toast.

Four mistakes grooms make

A list of names with no reasons. “Thanks to Sue, Rob, Mum, Pete, Jan, Chris, Amy, Jo and Priya” is a register, not a thank-you.
Thanking the caterers, the DJ and the venue. Do that in person. The speech is for the people who came.
Going past six minutes. The best man is next and the room knows it.
A joke at her expense. The best man gets to tease you; nobody gets to tease her, least of all you, today.

If you have the list and the stories but not the words

That is our groom's speech service: you send the thank-you list with one reason each, how you met, the moment you knew, one story, and what you want to say to her; we write 600 to 900 words only from that, in your words, with a large-type reading copy, within 1 day, for $49 (£39 incl. VAT, A$75, C$65). One free round of changes. Nothing invented, nobody thanked who is not on your list.

Questions

Who does the groom thank in his speech?: Her parents (or whoever hosted), your parents, anyone who travelled a long way, the wedding party, the best man, and, if someone has died and you want to, one gentle line for them. One line each with a reason. Nobody is thanked who is not on your list, and nobody on your list is left out.
What order do the thank-yous go in?: Her parents first, then your parents, then the travellers, then the wedding party and best man. Her parents go first because, traditionally, they hosted; if someone else hosted, they go first. The bridesmaids come at the very end as the toast, not in the thank-you list.
How long should a groom's speech be?: Four to six minutes, 600 to 900 words. The thank-yous take about a minute of that. Past six minutes the room is waiting for the best man.
Does the groom toast the bridesmaids?: In the UK, yes: the groom's speech ends with “please stand and raise your glasses, to the bridesmaids”. In the US the couple usually thank the guests and toast each other instead. Follow what your venue or planner expects, and say which in your notes.
Can I have my groom's speech written from my own stories?: Yes. Send us your thank-you list, how you met, the moment you knew, one story that shows what she does, and what you want to say to her; we write 600 to 900 words only from that, in your words, with a large-type reading copy, within 1 day, for $49 (£39 incl. VAT, A$75, C$65). One free round of changes.

Giving the best man speech instead? Or the father of the bride speech?

Get my groom's speech written, $49 From your stories, ready in 1 day