A wedding toast is different from a full speech. It's shorter (1-2 minutes), more focused, and ends with everyone raising their glasses. Here are 10 examples that hit the perfect balance of warm, witty, and brief.
1. The Simple and Sincere
"I've known Rachel for twenty years. In all that time, I've never seen her as happy as she is with James. To finding your person — and never letting go. To Rachel and James."
2. The Callback
"When Mark asked me to be his best man, he said: 'Keep it short.' So here goes: To Mark and Lisa — may your love be as endless as Mark's fantasy football explanations, and may Lisa's patience last even longer. Cheers."
3. The Family Welcome
"David, from the moment you walked into our home, you weren't just Emma's boyfriend. You became family. Today, we make it official. Welcome to the chaos. We love you. To David and Emma."
4. The Advice Toast
"My grandmother gave me one piece of marriage advice: 'Never go to bed angry. And never start an argument when you're hungry.' She was married for 62 years. To wisdom, to patience, and to Sarah and Tom."
5. The Story Toast
"I knew Jess was the one when Chris called me at 2am to say he'd met someone special. Chris never calls. Chris hates the phone. But for Jess? He became a different man. To the woman who got Chris to make phone calls. To Chris and Jess."
6. The Definition Toast
"The dictionary defines love as 'an intense feeling of deep affection.' But watching these two, I'd define it differently: love is someone who brings you tea without asking. Love is laughing at the same jokes for the tenth time. Love is what we're celebrating today. To love. To Mike and Anna."
7. The Contrast Toast
"Kate used to say she'd never get married. She valued her independence, her space, her alone time. Then she met Rob. Now she can't imagine her space without him in it. To changing your mind when the right person comes along. To Kate and Rob."
8. The Parent Toast
"To my daughter: you have always been brave, always been kind, always been yourself. And to Dan: thank you for loving all of who she is. Please raise your glasses to two people who give us hope for the future. To Amy and Dan."
9. The Quick and Punchy
"Here's to the bride and groom: may your love be modern enough to survive social media, and old-fashioned enough to survive everything else. To Sophie and Ben."
10. The Heartfelt Close
"I've given a lot of toasts. But this one matters most. Because you matter most. To my brother and his incredible wife — may your marriage be filled with the kind of love that makes ordinary days extraordinary. To forever. To Jack and Maria."
Toast Tips
- •Keep it under 2 minutes
- •End with the couple's names
- •Make sure everyone has a drink first
- •Project your voice — no microphone sometimes
- •Make eye contact with the couple as you finish