Wedding Toast: How to Give One, With Short Examples

A wedding toast is the short form. It isn't the five-minute best man routine or the father of the bride's welcome. It's one or two minutes, one good thought, and a room full of raised glasses. Done well, a short wedding toast can be the moment people quote at brunch the next morning.

Below is how to give a wedding toast without overthinking it: a three-part shape that works every time, the etiquette of raising a glass, wedding toast examples for friends, siblings, coworkers and the couple themselves, and some traditional blessings that have been toasting newlyweds for centuries.

What makes a wedding toast different

A toast is built for attention spans already halfway to the dance floor. You get about ninety seconds of goodwill. That's not a limit, though. It's a gift. You don't have to cover the whole history of your friendship or list everyone who helped. You just need one honest thing worth saying and a clean way to end.

If you're the father or mother of the bride, or in the wedding party, you'll probably want the longer format. Our guides to the father of the bride speech, mother of the bride speech, best man speech and maid of honor speech cover those. Everyone else, read on.

The three-part wedding toast

Nearly every good toast follows the same shape:

1. Who you are. One sentence. "I'm Sam, and I've been Jordan's roommate, neighbor or coworker for the last eight years."
2. One true thing. A quick story, an observation, or a single detail about the couple. This is the whole toast. Make it specific.
3. The raise. Ask everyone to lift a glass, then say a short line with their names.

That's it. If you find yourself adding a fourth part, it's probably a second story, and you should cut it.

Finding your "one true thing"

Try finishing one of these sentences:

• "The first time I saw them together, I noticed..."
• "You can tell everything about [Name] from the way they..."
• "I knew it was serious when..."
• "The best thing they do for each other is..."

Whatever comes out first with a real detail in it, like a dented car, a burned pancake, or a long drive, is usually your toast.

How to give a wedding toast: the etiquette

A few small things make a toast feel polished:

• Wait to be called on. Toasts usually happen during or right after dinner. Ask the planner or DJ if you're on the list. Surprise toasts are risky.
• Stand up and use the microphone if there is one. Hold it close to your chin.
• Have a full glass. It doesn't have to be alcohol. Sparkling water raised with feeling counts just as much.
• Toast the couple, not the room. Say "Please join me in raising a glass to Mia and Josh," and look at them as you say their names.
• The couple doesn't drink to themselves. Traditionally, they stay seated and smile while everyone else drinks. They can sip once the toast is over.
• Drink, then sit. Taking a sip signals the end. Then hand off the mic.

Wedding toast examples

Here are six short wedding toast examples. The names and details are invented, so swap in your own.

Why this one works: a wedding toast for a friend that turns one shared memory into a compliment for both partners.

Why this one works: a sibling toast that teases for one line and then means it.

Why this one works: a coworker toast that stays warm without getting too personal.

Why this one works: the couple's thank-you toast turns attention outward to the guests.

Why this one works: a very short wedding toast that leans on one image and stops.

Why this one works: a toast for two grooms that's funny but lands on something sincere.

Wedding toast quotes and traditional blessings

Old blessings are a lovely way to end a toast, especially if you're not sure how to close. These are traditional and in the public domain, so they're yours to use. Read them slowly.

Traditional Irish blessings

May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and the rains fall soft upon your fields.

May you have love that never ends, lots of money, and lots of friends. Health be yours, whatever you do, and may God send many blessings to you.

May the most you wish for be the least you get.

Other old lines

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.

That last one is an old English wedding rhyme and makes a sweet setup: you can toast to the old friends in the room, the new family, the things you borrow from each other, and the blue days you'll get through together.

Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be.

That line is from Robert Browning, written in the 1860s and long in the public domain. It's quoted at weddings for good reason.

A tip: if you use a blessing, put it right before the raise. "In the words of an old Irish blessing..." then the line, then "To [Name] and [Name]."

Opening lines for a wedding toast

• "Hi, everyone. I'm [Name], and I've known [Partner] long enough to remember the mullet."
• "I'll keep this short, because I've been told there's a taco bar."
• "I'm [Name]. I was there the night they met, and I'd like the record to show I called it."
• "For those who don't know me, I'm [Partner]'s sister, which means I've been preparing this material for thirty years."
• "Good evening. I asked [Partner] what I should say tonight, and they said, 'Something nice.' So here goes."
• "I'm [Name], and I'm not in the wedding party, so I'm working without a net."
• "I've been to a lot of weddings. This is the first one where I already knew the couple was right before I got here."
• "I'm [Name], and I'll be brief, because the two people I'm toasting are much more interesting than I am."

Closing lines to raise a glass

• "To [Name] and [Name]. May every year be better than the last, starting with this one."
• "Please stand and raise a glass to the newlyweds."
• "To love, laughter, and a lifetime of stealing each other's fries."
• "Here's to the two of you, and to every road trip still ahead."
• "To [Name] and [Name]. Keep choosing each other."
• "May your arguments be short and your dinners be long. Cheers."
• "To the couple, and to all the stories they haven't told us yet."
• "To a marriage as good as this party. Which is to say, very good."
• "Glasses up. To [Name] and [Name]."

Delivery tips for a short wedding toast

• Memorize the first and last lines. You can read the middle from a card. Opening and closing with eye contact makes the whole toast feel confident.
• Practice with a timer. Two minutes feels long when you're standing. Read it out loud and cut anything that runs past.
• Slow down. Nerves make everyone talk fast. Breathe before your names-and-glasses line.
• Hold your glass in your free hand the whole time so you aren't fumbling for it at the end.
• Skip the inside jokes. If only your college roommates will laugh, save it for the after-party.
• Stay sober enough to stand straight. One drink before is plenty.

Writing a toast for someone you love and still coming up empty? Our wedding speech writer can turn a few memories into a short draft you can make your own.