WEDDINGS

Mother of the groom speech examples

These five speeches are made up, so borrow their shape and bring your own memories. You know stories about your son that his partner's family may never have heard.

A chatbot can write a mother of the groom speech in seconds. It has never heard your son laugh, and it won't be the one holding the glass when the room goes quiet. Below is a template, then five example speeches: a welcome for the rehearsal dinner, one from the heart, a short one, a funny one and one for when his dad has died. After them: whether you have to speak, when and for how long, what to leave out and how to give it.

A mother of the groom speech template

All five examples follow the same five beats. Fill in the blanks, then read it out loud and change anything you wouldn't say to your son's face.

Welcome everyone and say who you are: "Good evening, everyone. I'm ___, ___'s mom. Thank you all for being here." If you're hosting the rehearsal dinner, thank the people who traveled. If his dad has already welcomed the room, keep this to your name.
Tell one story that shows who he is: "When ___ was ___, he ___."
Say what you saw when he met his partner: "The first time he brought ___ home, ___."
Welcome them to the family and say what you wish for the two of them: "___, welcome to our family. I hope you two ___."
Give the toast: "Please raise your glasses. To ___ and ___."

Spend most of your time on the story. The two years he spent walking a neighbor's dog tell the room more about him than any list of his good qualities. To learn the beats and rehearse them, see how to practice your wedding speech. If his dad is speaking too, see father of the groom speech examples. For the bride's side, see mother of the bride and father of the bride speech examples.

5 mother of the groom speech examples

The names and stories are made up. The longest is under 200 words, about two minutes out loud. If your son is marrying a man, change the names, the pronouns and words like "daughter." The beats stay the same. Example 3 is written for two grooms.

1. At the rehearsal dinner

If you're hosting, open with the welcome and the thank-yous. Ask the couple whether this is your main speech or a short welcome before a toast at the reception.

Good evening, everyone. I'm Carol, Ryan's mom. On behalf of Jim and me, welcome, and thank you for coming. A special thank-you to everyone who flew in. Emma's aunt came all the way from Dublin.

When Ryan was nine, he wanted a dog more than anything. We said no. So he walked our neighbor's dog instead. Every afternoon for two years, rain or snow, for free. When Mrs. Patel moved away, she gave him the leash. She kept the dog.

That's Ryan. When he loves something, he shows up for it every day.

The first time he brought Emma home, the two of them went for a walk after dinner and were gone for two hours. When they came back, Ryan said, "She takes the long way too."

Emma, welcome to our family. Linda and Paul, thank you for raising such a wonderful daughter. Ryan and Emma, I hope you always take the long way together. Tomorrow's a big day, so I'll let you get back to dinner.

Please raise your glasses. To Ryan and Emma.

2. From the heart, at the reception

This one talks to your son and his partner directly. If the bride's parents are hosting, thank them before you start.

Good evening. I'm Maria, David's mom. Thank you all for being here. Susan and Mark, thank you for a beautiful day.

David, when you were twelve, I broke my wrist. For six weeks you made my coffee every morning before school. It was terrible coffee. I drank every cup.

You've always looked after the people you love. I used to wonder who would look after you.

Then came the Christmas your flight was canceled. Anna drove four hours to get you home to us. She walked in with two coffees, and one of them was for me.

Anna, I think I loved you from that moment. Welcome to our family. David and Anna, I hope you keep looking after each other, terrible coffee and all.

Please raise your glasses. To David and Anna.

3. Short and sweet

Under 80 words, less than a minute with pauses. It fits a night with a lot of speeches, or a couple who asked for short ones.

Good evening. I'm Janet, Michael's mom. Thank you all for coming.

When Michael was ten, he planted tomatoes and checked them every morning before school. The first summer James visited, I found the two of them in the garden at seven a.m., arguing about which tomato was ripest.

James, welcome to the family. I hope you two never stop getting up early for each other.

Please raise your glasses. To Michael and James.

4. Funny

Good evening, everyone. I'm Debbie, Kevin's mom. I taught Kevin everything he knows about cooking, which is why Lauren does the cooking.

Kevin has never been lost. Just ask him. On a family trip when he was fourteen, he was in charge of the map and got us to the wrong Springfield. We were two hundred miles off course before anyone checked. He still says it was the right Springfield.

So when he told me he'd met someone on a hiking trail, I asked who had the map. He said, "She did. That's how we met. I was lost."

Lauren, welcome to the family. You got him to ask for directions, which the rest of us never managed. Bill and Nancy, thank you for a wonderful day. Kevin and Lauren, I hope you always find your way back to each other.

Please raise your glasses. To Kevin and Lauren.

The jokes stay on Kevin's sense of direction and on Debbie's cooking. Lauren only gets kind lines, and the speech turns sincere before the toast. Before you tease your son about anything, ask him if he minds.

5. When his dad has died

Talk about him only if your son has said he'd like that. A line near the start and one near the end let the room remember him. The rest belongs to the couple.

Good evening, everyone. I'm Helen, Matt's mom. Thank you all for being here.

Matt's dad, Richard, would have loved tonight. He'd have told you the story of Matt's first car, and it would have taken him twenty minutes. I'll do it in two.

When Matt was seventeen, he bought an old Honda with the money from his summer job. The radio didn't work, so he sang. Every drive, all the way, badly. Richard said he'd never seen him happier.

The first time Matt brought Sarah home, I heard them pull into the driveway singing. Both of them. Badly.

Sarah, welcome to our family. Matt, your dad would be so proud of you, and so am I. I hope you two never stop singing in the car.

Please raise your glasses. To Matt and Sarah.

The story is one his dad used to tell, so he's part of it. The ending and the toast belong to Matt and Sarah.

Does the mother of the groom give a speech?

She doesn't have to. The groom's parents traditionally host the rehearsal dinner, and as one of the hosts, his mother can give a speech or just a toast there (Zola on the mother of the groom at the rehearsal dinner). Traditionally the groom's father gives it, and it's fine for his mother to say a few words too. If his father has died or is estranged, she may give the first speech of the evening in his place.

If you'd rather not speak, tell your son early so the couple can plan the order.

When does the mother of the groom speak?

Zola says the hosts usually speak first at the rehearsal dinner, so if you're hosting, expect to go early. At the reception, the groom's family traditionally follows the bride's hosting parents (The Knot's guide to speech order). Couples change the order and who hosts what, so ask them when they want you to speak.

A week or so before the wedding, compare notes with his dad, the best man and anyone else giving a speech. That way two of you don't tell the same story.

How long should a mother of the groom speech be?

Ask the couple how long you have. For the rehearsal dinner, Zola's rule of thumb gives the hosts 10 minutes and everyone else five minutes or less. You'll rarely need all of it, since each example above takes under two minutes. Time yours by standing up and saying it out loud, so the count includes your pauses.

If it runs long, cut a whole story rather than a few lines from each.

What to leave out

His exes, and anyone either of them dated before.
Stories he'd rather his new in-laws never heard. His baby photos, his teenage poetry and the time he got lost at the mall can stay at home.
What the wedding or the rehearsal dinner cost, even as a joke.
Instructions for his spouse on how to look after him. "Make sure he eats his vegetables" can sound like a dig at the person he's marrying.
Marriage advice longer than a sentence or two.
A long list of thank-yous. If his dad has already thanked everyone, skip the list.
Inside jokes. If half the room would need the backstory, cut it.
Someone who has died, unless you've asked the couple first. Some couples want a moment for them, and some would rather keep the day light.

How to give it

Learn your first two sentences and the toast word for word. Keep the five beats on a card for everything in between. How to memorize a speech has a method.
Bring a card instead of your phone. A phone can lock, or light up with a text in the middle of your story.
Set your glass on the table while you talk, and pick it up again for the toast. With a microphone and a card, you're out of hands. Zola gives the same advice.
A rehearsal dinner may have no microphone. Stand where the back tables can see you and wait for the room to go quiet. Keep your voice up to the end of each sentence, since that's where the names and the punchlines land.
Rehearse the line most likely to make you cry more than any other. If your voice catches on the day, stop and take a breath. Then pick up at the next beat.
After a joke, wait for the laugh to finish before your next line.
For the toast, look up and say the couple's names last. Then stop talking.

For a day-by-day rehearsal plan, see how to practice your wedding speech. If your voice tends to shake, see how to stop your voice from shaking.

Rehearse your speech with an AI coach in Charisma Lab

Charisma Lab is a speaking coach on your iPhone. In Speak, tap the center and tell the coach you're practicing a mother of the groom speech. Say it out loud one chunk at a time, like the welcome, the story or the toast. A pause of about two seconds ends a take, so end each chunk where you'd wait for a laugh. You hear the take played back, then the coach tells you what to fix and sends you back in.

To see whether you rush the part that makes you emotional, open Voice Cam on the home screen and record that beat. Each recording runs up to a minute, with the camera or audio only. As you talk, it shows an estimate of your pace in words per minute, along with your pitch, volume and pauses. Setup is free and includes a short live session with the coach. After that, the app needs Pro, which is $14.99 a month in the US. See pricing.

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FAQ

Does the mother of the groom give a speech?

She doesn't have to. As one of the rehearsal dinner's traditional hosts, she can give a speech or just a toast there, and she may speak at the reception too. Ask your son what the couple has planned.

When does the mother of the groom give her speech?

Traditionally at the rehearsal dinner, where the hosts usually speak first. At the reception, the groom's family traditionally follows the bride's hosting parents. Ask the couple where you fit.

How long should a mother of the groom speech be?

As long as the couple asks for. Zola's rule of thumb for the rehearsal dinner gives the hosts 10 minutes and everyone else five or less, and yours can be much shorter. Time yours by saying it out loud.

What should the mother of the groom say in her speech?

Welcome the guests, tell one story about your son and say what you saw when he met his partner. Then welcome them to the family and give the toast. The template above has a line for each.

What should the mother of the groom say to the bride?

Welcome her to the family by name, and tell her one thing she did that made you love her. Example 2 above shows one way.

What should a mother of the groom not say?

Skip his exes, stories that would embarrass him, the cost of the wedding and instructions for his spouse on looking after him. Keep any marriage advice to a sentence or two.

Can the groom's parents give a speech together?

Yes. Split the beats between you and rehearse the handoffs out loud. The father of the groom guide has an example the two of you can give together.

How do you start a mother of the groom speech?

Say who you are and thank everyone for coming. If you're hosting, thank the people who traveled. Then go straight into your story about your son. For more ways in, see how to start a speech.

How do you end a mother of the groom speech?

Welcome your son's new spouse to the family and say what you wish for them both. Then ask everyone to raise a glass and say the couple's names last. How to end a speech has more on toasts.

Can a mother of the groom speech be funny?

Yes. Aim the jokes at your son's harmless habits or at yourself, and run them past him first. Wait after each joke so the room can laugh. Then give one sincere line about the couple before the toast.

More practice guides

Updated November 2, 2026.