Short Groom Speech (About 2 Minutes)

The speech

Hi, everyone. I'm Rowan, and I'm going to get through a few thank-yous before I lose my nerve.

Mom and Dad, thank you for everything, including this morning, when Dad checked that the rings were in my pocket at four separate red lights. To Hazel's parents, thank you for making me feel welcome from the very first dinner, even though I called your dog by the wrong name all night. He answered to it anyway. And thank you to everyone here. Some of you flew across the country, and one of you drove in from Bozeman with this cake on the passenger seat. Kip, I know that was you, and it's beautiful.

Hazel. One story, and then we eat.

Three years ago my flight to a job interview in Tulsa got canceled the night before. I called Hazel at ten o'clock to tell her I was going to miss it. She said, "No, you're not." Fifteen minutes later she was in my driveway with a thermos and a stack of index cards. She drove all night. At every rest stop she'd hold up a card and quiz me. "Tell me about a time you handled a conflict." I'd answer, and she'd say, "Shorter."

I got the job. I still have the cards. On the back of the last one she'd written, "You're ready. Shorter."

Hazel, nobody has ever been that sure of me before I was sure of myself.

So I'm taking her advice.

Everyone, glasses up. To Hazel, and to all of you who got us here.

Why it works: The thank-yous each get one specific detail instead of a list, and the story about Hazel ends with a word he can use to close the whole speech.