My groom isn't naturally romantic. How can I help him with his speech without actually writing it for him?
Well, no one will be expecting him to be reciting sonnets and he doesn't need to have a personality transplant, but it would be nice if he managed to deliver at least a few suitably sweet lines in his speech!
Send him a few good blog posts (including this one) and encourage him to get the advice & feedback from his friends (ideally, married ones who have been through the speechwriting process before).
Let's face it, a lot of grooms need help, and in my experience, they're generally thankful for any extra assistance they can get.
It's helpful to let him know how grooms can sometimes miss the mark when it comes to being sentimental. For example,
- summing up their love in a few cursory, cliched sentences
- spending five minutes droning on about their 'soulmate' without saying very much at all
- using lazy tropes e.g. 'I knew she was the one the moment I laid eyes on her', 'I'm the luckiest man alive' etc
- thinking romance needs to be profound and poetic. It doesn't. It just needs to bring a smile to everyone's face and add a bit more joy to their hearts.
A good speech should be like a good rom-com; leaving everyone in the room rooting for the couple. The key to this is making your tribute unique, truthful, and fun. If your romantic lines could be substituted into a stranger's wedding speech, well, you're doing something wrong. Romance demands that you get personal.
The best tributes are the ones where the groom identify the characteristics that make their partner truly 'them'. Remember, most people think their partner is 'kind', 'funny' and generally 'amazing', so prove your point. Give the anecdotes and evidence that will leave everyone convinced your partner is awesome.
In many ways, writing romantic content is like writing humorous material. It's all about observation. Don't bother sitting down expecting to write something brilliant. Instead, spend a weekend observing your partner and your relationship. What quirks can you spot? What unusual relationship habits have you established?
As a nation, we're all good at showing our love with affectionate teasing so don't pretend your bride is a perfect princess. Instead relish the true individual she is. Are they a tech-fiend, a gym bunny, a library lover, or the world's oldest Haribo addict? The art of being in love, and remaining in love, involves noticing the beautiful everyday things.
For more inspiration
https://www.speechy.com/groom-speech-examples/
