Wedding toast examples and ideas to make their special day even more memorable

Making wedding toasts memorable for the right reasons

Just picture their wedding day—beautiful flowers, beautiful music, everyone looking their most beautiful while two people say the most beautiful words that one human being can say to another, “I will love you forever.” And all eyes are on the newly marrieds…until they’re on you. Because it’s toast time.

Weddings are occasions where a lot of beautiful words are said. It’s some joyful, life-altering, soul-stirring and spirit-lifting stuff. Because, you know, “forever” promises and love and everything. So you may be feeling a little pressure. But don’t worry. You’ve got a squad now. Me. I’m the squad.

With these tips, I’ll help you put together a toast that will let you say what you need to say, tell the couple what they mean to you, make their day even more memorable and maybe even get the wedding guests clapping. I promise you will survive to raise your glass to the newlyweds.

Inspired? Create and share by tagging @hallmarkstores.

Dare I say that I’m going to help you shine? I dare. But I don’t want you to outshine the marrieds. It’s their day above everything else. So here are some things to keep in mind:

Wedding Toast Tip 1: It’s best to plan your toast  

Also, it’s best to plan to keep your toast short. You’ve got the mic and the spotlight, but this isn’t the time to freestyle like you’re challenging Jay-Z. Find the main thing you want to talk about—the kind of love the couple has, how they’re lucky to have each other, how you know their love is going to grow even deeper, etc.—then build your toast around that idea.

Here are some more guidelines to help you plan:

  • Every word should be dedicated to the couple. And all those words should be said in three to five minutes. Three minutes is about 390 words when you write them down, and five minutes is about 625 words when you are speaking at a relaxed conversational pace. It’s better to go shorter because you want to keep the crowd riveted to your speech instead of their watches.
  • Feel free to use notes. Keeping that many words in your head, especially when you might feel nervous, can be daunting. So keep your main points on an index card, read from paper, or even read from your phone. But practice enough so that you sound natural and relaxed. 
  • The most important thing is to find the right words and deliver them in an authentic way. You’ve been asked to make a toast because you are important to the couple. What you say should reflect that.

Wedding Toast Tip 2: Start by saying how you know the couple  

It may be obvious to you. But it won’t be to all the guests even if you’re a parent, sibling or lifelong friend. Starting this way not only introduces you, but it establishes who you are to the couple. 

Here are some things to think about: Are you friends with one half of the couple or both? Did you meet in elementary school, high school, college or the military? Are you a parent or stepparent who raised one of the newlyweds? Are you a sibling who can call one of the newlyweds your Day One friend? If you don’t have a long history, are you relatively new friends who have formed very deep bonds?

This is your chance to share your history and say something about your emotional connection. Something like this might work:

  • “Hello, everyone. My name is Keylin. I’ve been friends with the bride since the first day of kindergarten. It’s been an amazing day for this amazing person.”
  • “Good evening, family and friends. As some of you know, I’m Mary, the very proud mom of the groom. I feel so blessed by this day and my son’s happiness.”
  • “Hi, everybody! I’m Leila, everyone calls us cousins, but one of the brides and I are more like sisters. I feel so proud to be here sharing in this joy.”
  • “What’s up, good people?! I’m Aron’s brother. And I’ve known this great human being all my life. I’ve never seen him so happy.”

Wedding Toast Tip 3: Tell a good story  

By which I mean share a story that is heartwarming and meaningful and makes the couple look good. So focus on telling a story that adds to the beauty of the day.

Some examples of things to share:

  • How the couple fell in love at first sight.
  • How they’ve worked hard to overcome some things (no need for details) and built an incredible kind of love.
  • How they both do good in the world and it’s so good that they’ve found each other.

 

Some things to definitely leave out:

  • This is NOT the time to reveal hot gossip, bring up horrible exes they were lucky to escape or pine about the good ones that “got away.”
  • And it’s certainly not the time to share anything about the newly marrieds that would teach a little kid a naughty word or make mom and grandmom feel like they failed.

 

Bottom line: Keep it classy, friends. It’s a wedding. Not a reality TV show.

Wedding Toast Tip 4: Express your joy and your faith in the couple’s love and future  

I get it. Nobody can really predict the future. But love between two people is a powerfully hopeful thing.

If you’re feeling it, this is the perfect opportunity to tell the couple that you believe in their forever as much as they do. If you are close enough or come from a heritage or community where a new couple is supported or prayed over by the many people who love them, you could take the opportunity to tell the couple that you stand with them in love with the rest of the family and community.

However you approach it, it will touch the couple to hear how you see and support their love.

Wedding toast examples  

Remember, I’m your squad. If you call me at 3 a.m., I’m definitely picking up. That’s how much I care. So I wouldn’t just leave you with wedding toast tips and guidelines. I’m going to drop some actual wedding toast examples to inspire you!

Your toast could be casual, a little funny, sweet and sincere:

Everyone let’s raise a glass to the couple, Ericka and Tony.
Today you get to be husband and wife-y.
Loving each other for all of your life-y.
This is a for-real beautiful thing
that’s happening
between you two
really beautiful people.
I feel so lucky to be a part of your celebration.

Your toast could be a bit more poetic and draw on cultural heritage like this one:

Camille,
I’ve known you for a long time
and am looking forward
to knowing Della better.
I believe you have both
chosen a good person to love.
And I’m so happy to see it.
You two have joined hands
and jumped the broom
into a beautiful life together.
And now all the blessings
of strong Black love are yours.
You deserve every happiness
the ancestors ever dreamed.

Your toast could acknowledge the couple as an important part of family and community—how their love is a gift to everyone:

Antonio and Carolina,
when two good people stand together
in front of family, friends and community
and show love that goes so deep,
acts so strong and feels like forever,
it’s a blessing for everybody.
I’m so glad you found each other.
I’m so glad you’ve got this kind of love.

Your toast could lift up a couple who has come through some things to be together:

Sarah and Mark,
Your togetherness is so beautiful.
Because when two people choose each other,
grow with each other, respect each other,
build each other up and hold each other close in love
no matter what,
there is a completeness,
a wholeness,
that you know means forever.
You two have that together.
And it’s a beautiful thing to witness.

Your toast can praise a couple who’ve been together a long time before tying the knot, who have a steady kind of love:

Michael and Frank,
All your love brought you to this day.
And all your love will take you into your forever.
I’m wishing you more love day by day
and more happiness year by year.
I’m wishing you even more
of all the good things you’ve got.

Your toast could support the couple’s faith:

Blake and Chandler,
God saw that you had searched your hearts
and your worlds for real love.
And in His infinite grace and mercy,
He put you on the path to one another
and opened your hearts
so that when you met face-to-face,
you knew that your souls had been matched.
God’s love is real
and living through you.
We are all wishing infinite happiness
and joy to you on this beautiful day.

 

Yuval and Halima,
There are perfect moments in life…
Like sharing sweet and sacred vows
before Allah and all the rest of us
who love you.
Like bringing family and friends together
to witness the promise you make
with your whole hearts.
Like taking the hand of your one true love
while you promise to hold on—no matter what.
This is that perfect moment.
Today is the essence of life and love.
A perfect day The Most Kind has given you.

Your toast can put shine on LGBTQ+ couples:

Benny,
You found the man of your dreams.
And so did Wesley.
How amazing and perfect is that?
That your dreams would come true in each other.
That your paths would cross and become one path.
That you are heading into an amazing future together
carried by your love, faith, friendship, compassion
and caring for one another.
I feel blessed to witness your love.
And I know everyone else here does, too.

 

Isabella and Josie,
Now you are
two wives,
for life…
for love…
forever.
It’s like you were made
just for one another,
heart and soul.
It’s like you were made
to complete one another completely.

Okay. You’ve got your tips and guidelines and some Hallmark Writer inspiration. You’re ready. I believe in you. You got this wedding toast thing. Go on out there and warm some hearts.

 

Need some more help with wedding prep? You know we’ve got you: