Groom and Bride Wedding Speech: Thank-You Order and 50 Lines

A groom or bride speech is mostly a thank-you list. The hard parts are the order and the length, not the poetry. Below: where the couple speaks in a Filipino reception, who speaks, how long, the order to thank parents, sponsors, the entourage, guests and suppliers, a timed outline, 50 copy-ready lines and six full speeches. Every line and speech is original to this guide. The maid of honor, best man and father of the bride speeches have their own guides.

Where the couple speaks in a Filipino reception

Nuptials.ph's guide to reception speeches says: "The last people to make a concluding speech and end the reception with a toast are usually the newlyweds (or the groom, on behalf of the couple)." It places this after the maid of honor's and best man's speeches and before the cake.

That is not the welcome. The same page says that when the couple finances the wedding, "it can either be the groom and/or the bride making the welcoming speech." So you may speak twice: a short welcome early and the thank-you late.

Our reception program timeline puts the cake before dinner instead, and the couple's thank-you at 9:10 PM for five minutes, after the parents' message and before the closing. The emcee script has the line that hands you the microphone. Confirm your slot with the host.

Groom, bride, or both

Setup	Who speaks	Best when	Watch out for
Groom on behalf of the couple	One voice, "we" throughout	The program is tight	The bride should still approve every name
Groom, then bride	Groom first, bride wraps up	Both want a personal moment	Two speeches double the length
Joint speech	Each takes clear sections	You are both nervous	Needs one rehearsal together

Nuptials.ph suggests the second: "It is a good idea to let the groom talk first, so that the bride can wrap it up." For the third, Paperlust, a stationery company selling in Australia, the US, the UK and other markets, says each person should take clear sections, such as the groom thanking his family and the bride thanking hers.

How long

Source	Who it covers	Length
Nuptials.ph	"the host/s, parents of the newlyweds, and the groom or the newlyweds"	Five to ten minutes
Nuptials.ph	"the maid of honor and best man, or any other guest speaker"	Three to five minutes
Paperlust	Groom speech	3 to 5 minutes, "roughly 390 to 650 words" at about 130 words a minute
Our sample timeline	Couple's thank-you	Five minutes

Our recommendation: if you both speak, keep each speech to about two minutes, roughly 250 words, so the pair fits five minutes. If one of you speaks, aim for three. If you want the longer Nuptials.ph range, ask the host to stretch the slot and trim something else.

The thank-you order

No source we found prescribes an order for thanking sponsors in a Filipino speech. Paperlust says "The groom should thank, in order: the bride's parents, his own parents, the bridesmaids, the best man and groomsmen, the guests, and finally the bride." Nuptials.ph calls the couple's turn "the perfect time to thank all the guests, sponsors, and partners or vendors." The order below is our suggestion, built from those two and the role names in our entourage list tool.

Order	Thank	Roles, as the tool labels them	Keep it to
1	Both sets of parents	Parents of the Bride, Parents of the Groom	Two sentences each
2	Principal sponsors	Principal Sponsors	One sentence, as a group
3	Candle, veil and cord pairs	Candle Sponsors, Veil Sponsors, Cord Sponsors	One sentence for all
4	Best man and maid of honor	Best Man, Maid of Honor	One sentence each
5	The rest of the entourage	Groomsmen, Bridesmaids, Ring Bearer, Coin Bearer, Bible Bearer, Flower Girls	One sentence for all
6	Guests, including those who traveled	Not an entourage role	One or two sentences
7	Suppliers and helpers	Not an entourage role	One sentence
8	Each other	Not an entourage role	The last and longest part

What sponsors actually do is in our guides to principal sponsors and secondary sponsors. Do not read out twelve sponsor names: a group line with one specific detail does more, and the names belong in the printed program booklet.

A two-minute outline

The seconds are our estimates at about 130 words a minute, the pace Paperlust uses.

Step	What to say	About
1. Welcome	Thank the room and say who you speak for	10 seconds
2. Parents	Two sentences for each set	25 seconds
3. Sponsors and entourage	Group lines, one detail each	25 seconds
4. Guests and helpers	Anyone who traveled far, the coordinator	15 seconds
5. Your partner	The most personal part	35 seconds
6. The toast	Raise the glass, stop	10 seconds

50 copy-ready lines

None of these repeat the six full speeches below. Each is tagged Groom, Bride or Either. Replace anything in brackets.

Opening (4)

Either:

Good evening, everyone. We are [GROOM] and [BRIDE], officially one household as of today, and we have a few thank-yous to say.

Groom:

I am [GROOM], and this is my wife, [BRIDE]. We will keep this short, because the dance floor is waiting.

Either:

Some of you traveled hours, some of you flew across oceans. That is not lost on us.

Either:

If you see us looking at our phones up here, we are not texting. These are our notes.

Moving between parts (4)

Groom:

Now for the part I have been rehearsing all week.

Either:

One more thank-you, and it is the biggest one.

Groom:

[BRIDE] has a few words too, and she will say them better than I did.

Bride:

I will keep mine short, because [GROOM] already used up our time.

Parents (4)

Either:

Mom and Dad, you gave us the kind of home we want to build. Thank you for showing us how.

Groom:

To [BRIDE]'s parents: I gained a second family today, and I already know which of you will call first on Sundays.

Bride:

To [GROOM]'s parents: you welcomed me long before you had to. I will never forget that.

Either:

To both our families: this day is possible because of what you gave up and what you carried.

Grandparents, siblings and those we miss (6)

Either:

To our grandparents in the front row: you are the reason both our families know how to stay together.

Either:

To our grandparents who could not travel tonight: we will bring you cake and every photo.

Groom:

To my brother and sister: thank you for letting me be the annoying one for [X] years. I am handing that job over now.

Bride:

To my sister [NAME]: you zipped my dress this morning and kept me calm, and you are the reason I did not cry until the aisle.

Either:

Some people we love are not in this room tonight. We felt them with us all day.

Either:

We kept a seat for [NAME] today. [He / She] would have been the first one on the dance floor.

Principal sponsors (4)

Either:

To our principal sponsors: thank you for the advice you gave us before today, and the advice we will need after it.

Either:

[NAME] and [NAME], you have known us longer than we have known ourselves. Thank you for standing beside us.

Either:

Our sponsors stood up when we asked, without hesitating. That is all we hoped for, and more.

Either:

To our sponsors: we hope to make you proud, and we will call you when we need advice.

Candle, veil and cord sponsors (3)

Either:

To our candle, veil and cord sponsors: thank you for taking part in our ceremony.

Either:

[NAMES], we asked you to stand with us today because we want you close to this marriage, not just this ceremony.

Either:

Every pair who stood up with us today is someone we will call on long after tonight. Thank you.

The officiant, witnesses and venue (3)

Either:

Thank you to [Father / Judge / Pastor] [NAME] for officiating today.

Either:

Thank you to the witnesses who signed our marriage contract with us.

Either:

To everyone at [CHURCH or VENUE], thank you for making room for us today.

The entourage (4)

Either:

To our best man and maid of honor, thank you for the speeches, and for everything you did not put in them.

Either:

To our groomsmen and bridesmaids: you carried bags, calmed nerves, and never once complained.

Either:

To our bearers and flower girls: you were the bravest people at the ceremony, and the cutest.

Groom:

[BEST MAN], you have been my brother for [X] years. Thank you for standing next to me today.

Guests (3)

Either:

Thank you for coming, for dressing up, and for staying through the speeches.

Either:

To our guests abroad who joined us by video: you were in the room with us.

Either:

To our officemates who covered for us this week: we owe you, and we know it.

Suppliers and helpers (3)

Either:

Thank you to our coordinator, caterer, photographers, and every hand that made tonight run smoothly.

Either:

To the team who worked since sunrise so we could enjoy this evening: thank you.

Either:

A special thanks to [NAME], who solved three problems today before we knew they existed.

Each other (6)

Groom:

[BRIDE], I did not know what home meant until I met you. Today I say it out loud: you are home.

Groom:

[BRIDE], you said yes to me and to my whole family, including the loud ones. Thank you.

Bride:

[GROOM], you make ordinary days feel like this one. I cannot wait for all of them.

Bride:

[GROOM], you make me brave. Thank you for holding my hand when it shook today.

Either:

I promise to keep laughing with you, especially when nothing goes to plan.

Either:

You are the best decision either of us has made.

Joint-speech hand-offs (2)

Either:

[GROOM]: I will thank my side of the family. [BRIDE]: And I will thank mine, because mine is bigger.

Either:

[BRIDE]: He did the parents. I will do the sponsors. [GROOM]: And we will do the toast together.

Toast and hand-back (4)

Either:

Glasses up, everyone: to long marriages, starting with the ones in this room.

Either:

To the people who got us here. Cheers!

Either:

To love, to family, and to dessert. Cheers, everyone.

Either:

That is all from us. [HOST], the floor is yours.

Six full speeches

Word counts include the placeholders, and times assume about 130 words a minute.

Groom, on behalf of the couple (about 94 words, 45 seconds)

Good evening, everyone. On behalf of [BRIDE] and myself, thank you for being here.

To our parents: you gave us the example of what a family is, and today you gave us a beautiful day. To our sponsors, thank you for standing with us. To our entourage: you made this feel easy.

To everyone who traveled, we saw you, and it meant a lot.

[BRIDE], I still cannot believe you said yes. Thank you for making me a better man.

Please raise your glasses: to our families, and to the life we start tonight.

Bride, following the groom (about 70 words, 30 seconds)

Thank you, [GROOM]. I will only add what he left out: thank you to our parents, who cried before we did.

To our sponsors and entourage: you made today calm for us, and we noticed. To our suppliers, thank you for the work nobody sees.

[GROOM], thank you for choosing me every day. I love you.

To everyone here: eat well, dance more, and thank you for celebrating with us.

Joint speech, alternating lines (about 67 words, 30 seconds)

[GROOM]: Good evening, everyone. Thank you for being here.
[BRIDE]: We have a short list of people to thank, and we intend to get through it.
[GROOM]: To our parents, for everything.
[BRIDE]: To our sponsors and our entourage, for standing up with us.
[GROOM]: To our guests, for coming, especially those who traveled.
[BRIDE]: And to each other.
Both: To everyone here: thank you, and cheers.

Groom, to his wife's parents (about 111 words, 50 seconds)

Before I say anything else, I want to turn to [BRIDE]'s parents.

Mr. and Mrs. [SURNAME], the first time I came to your home, I was nervous about one thing: whether you would see in me what your daughter did. You made me a cup of coffee and asked me about my day, and I knew I was welcome.

Thank you for raising [BRIDE]. Everything I love in her, her patience, her humor, the way she remembers everyone's name, I can trace back to your table.

I promise to take care of her the way you taught her to take care of others. Thank you for trusting me with her.

Groom, to his own parents (about 97 words, 45 seconds)

Mom, Dad: I have not said this enough, so I will say it into a microphone where you cannot escape.

You worked hard so that I could [SPECIFIC SACRIFICE: study, move away, start out on my own], and you never once made me feel it was a burden. When I told you about [BRIDE], you did not ask a hundred questions. You just said, "Bring her home."

Whatever kind of husband I turn out to be, I learned how to be one by watching the two of you. Thank you for everything before today. I love you.

Bride, to her parents (about 107 words, 50 seconds)

Mom, Dad: I told myself I would not cry, and I have already failed.

Thank you for every early morning, every ride to school, and every time you told me the truth when I did not want to hear it. You taught me to keep my word and to laugh at myself, and both have been useful today.

[GROOM] asked me once what I wanted our home to feel like. I said, "Like ours," and I meant yours. Thank you for showing me what that looks like.

Tonight I am starting a new home, but the door to yours is never closed to me. I love you.

The first three fit the setups above. The last three are for when one of you wants to speak to parents directly; if you add one, drop to one short partner line to stay inside five minutes.

What to leave out

Leave out	Why
A full list of every supplier and guest	It becomes a roll call; print it in the program
Jokes about exes	Both families and older relatives are in the room
Inside jokes only your friends understand	Half the room feels shut out
Who paid for what	Not a toast subject
Prayers or verses you have not checked	Leave prayer to your officiant or the program
Apologies for being a bad speaker	Paperlust calls this the most common opening line; start with thanks

Delivery for nervous speakers

• Print it in large type and hold it at chest height so your voice still reaches the room.
• Rehearse once out loud and time it; you will find the names you stumble on.
• Confirm your cue with the host so you know when the microphone reaches you.
• Keep a printed list of names with correct spellings and titles. The entourage list tool produces one from the roles you entered.

Keep it short, specific and in order. Thank the people who carried the day, say one honest thing to each other, raise the glass, and hand the microphone back.