Your best friend or a family member is getting married and you’re super excited about everything BUT the part where you’ll have to give a wedding toast and congratulate them in front of a bunch of people?
I know the feeling. I’m not a fan of public speaking either. But when you’re well prepared, when you have a good wedding toast, everything is much easier.
The best thing would be to rehearse your speech before the real wedding party, maybe at the bridal shower or at a rehearsal dinner.
If you want to give a great wedding toast, the two things you have to remember are to keep it short and keep it funny.
Sometimes less is indeed more and that’s the case with wedding toasts. The goal is to loosen up the atmosphere a little bit and to wish all the best to the newlyweds.
Raise your glass, say how much you love and appreciate the newlyweds, say thank you to all the wedding guests for being there on such a special day and in the end, raise your glass to wish the happy couple a happy life.
Here are some great wedding toast examples.
Most of them from unknown authors who were kind enough to share their ideas online and they will come in handy when you start writing yours. That will be one heck of a toast, for sure!
Wedding toast examples
1. “The bride and groom have both honored me by including me in their wedding today and I know that you all feel honored as well to be a part of this special occasion. From a beautiful ceremony to a very fun reception and delicious food, I cannot thank you enough for including us in your special day. Let us all raise a glass and toast to the new Mr. and Mrs.”
2. “May the future hold your happiness. May the future hold your health. May your heart hold your love and may your arms hold your babies yet to come. Here’s to your future happiness together!”
3. “This special and unforgettable night is a happy celebration of a perfect pair of people who are so deeply and unapologetically in love with one another. Let us all take a moment to raise our glasses to the bride and groom. Let us toast to the incredibly exciting road that lies ahead of them.”
4. “Here’s to the past, for all that you’ve learned. Here’s to the present, for all that you share. Here’s to the future, for all that you’ve got to look forward to.”
5. “Watching the bride and groom together has renewed my faith in true love. I am so honored to be a part of this special day. Let us toast to the two people who have brought all of us in this room here today.”
6. “Here’s to the bride and the groom! May you have a happy honeymoon, may you lead a happy life, may you have a bunch of money soon and live without all strife.”
7. “Remember that love is not about how much you say, ‘I love you’. It is about what you do to prove it. May you continue to show your love for each other each and every day. A toast to the two of you on your wedding day.”
8. “Let us toast the health of the bride. Let us toast the health of the groom. Let us toast the person that tied. Let us toast every guest in the room.”
9. “To be really able to experience the value of joy, you must have someone special to share and experience it with. What a wonderful thing it is then, a miracle even, that the two of you have found each other. Congratulations and to you, I raise my glass.”
10. “Ten thousand things bright ten thousand miles no dust, water and sky one color houses shining along your road. May your joys be as deep as the ocean and your misfortunes as light as the foam.”
11. “From this day forward, you will not be alone. As husband and wife, you will always have each other. And you will also have your families and friends to offer their support along the way. Congratulations to a lovely bride and groom on such a beautiful day.”
12. “May their joys be as bright as the morning and their sorrows but shadows that fade in the sunlight of love.”
13. “May you always have walls for the wind, a roof for the rain, tea by the fire, laughter to cheer you up and everything that your heart desires. Congratulations to the bride and groom.”
14. “May your joys be as sweet as spring flowers that grow. As bright as a fire when winter winds blow, as countless as leaves that float down in the fall, as serene as the love that keeps watching over us all.”
15. “What is love anyway? It is unpredictable, sometimes it makes very little sense. But it is the strongest thing in the world and I am so happy that the two of you love each other the way that you do. Cheers to the bride and groom. May your love continue to shine and serve as a beacon of hope for all of us.”
16. “May the light of friendship guide your paths together. May the laughter of children grace the halls of your home. May the joy of living for one another trip a smile from your lips, a twinkle from your eye.”
17. “To be able to find your soulmate is a true blessing. Let us raise a glass to the bride and groom. Thank you for sharing your blessing of happiness with all of us.”
18. “May your love be added. May it never be subtracted. May your household multiply and may your hearts never be divided!”
19. “As you celebrate this happy day in your life, remember that the best days are yet to come. In the meantime, let us raise a glass to your marriage and your health and happiness.”
20. “May thy life be long and happy, thy cares and sorrows few; and the many friends around thee prove faithful, fond and true. May your voyage through life be as happy and as free as the dancing waves on the deep blue sea.”
21. “Congratulations to the newlyweds on this special day. As you embark on this new journey together, always keep in mind that the first duty of love is to listen.”
22. “We are all incredibly lucky to have been able to witness the immense and boundless love that the two of you share. Let us raise a glass to the bride and groom and their never-ending love.”
23. “Love believes, endures, and hopes. And above all things, love never fails. Let us all raise a glass to the bride and groom, and the unfaltering love that they share.”
24. “When you are lucky enough to find the one that makes your heart soar, your one true love, then you should never ever let them go. And the bride and groom have done just that. Congratulations to the both of you.”
25. “Here’s to love, laughter and happily ever after. As the groom and bride start their new life, let’s toast the new husband and wife!”
26. “There is no remedy for love but to love more. Remember this every day because now you are husband and wife. I know I am not alone in this room when I say that I wish you nothing but the best memories in the many years that you will have together.”
27. “May the hinges of friendship never rust or the wings of love lose a feather! Ladies and gentlemen, cheers to the bride and the groom, may they live happily forever.”
28. “Love, when it is real, is everything that it is cracked up to be. That is why people can be so cynical about it. But sometimes you have to fight for love or make sacrifices and take risks for it. But it can be worth the risk. With love, sometimes you have to be fearless and strong. And the bride and groom have both shown all of those qualities and much more. Let us all raise a glass to their future together.”
29. “May you never lie, cheat, or drink. But if you must lie, lie with each other. And if you must cheat, cheat death. And if you must drink, drink with us for we all love you and wish you both the love and happiness of which you deserve.”
I found these Irish wedding toast examples online, which you can also include in your speech. Wish the happy couple a long and happy marriage through these amazing Irish blessings.
It is also a great way to incorporate the bride’s or groom’s heritage in your wedding toast, if either are from Ireland.
30. “May many blessings find their way to you, may love overflow from your heart, may your wishes be heard and carried out, may your union never fail to be strong.”
31. “May the raindrops fall lightly on your brow. May the soft winds freshen your spirit. May the sunshine brighten your heart. May the burdens of the day rest lightly upon you and may God enfold you in the mantle of His love.”
32. “May God be with you and bless you. May you see your children’s children. May you be poor in misfortunes and rich in blessings. May you know nothing but happiness from this day forward.”
33. “May you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings, slow to make enemies, quick to make friends. But rich or poor, quick or slow, may you know nothing but happiness from this day forward.”
34. “Wherever you go and whatever you do, may the luck of the Irish be there with you.”
35. “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!”
36. “May the good Lord bless you with many opportunities, carry you when times get tough and celebrate with you in times like these!”
37. “Here’s to you both, a beautiful pair on the birthday of your love affair. Here’s to the husband and here’s to the wife, may yourselves be lovers for the rest of your life.”
38. “Health during your life, a wife of your choice to you, land without rent to you, a child every year to you and the light of heaven after this world for you.”
39. “May good fortune follow you all your days, and never catch up with you.”
40. “As the days and years go by, let us all remember this day as the special day where the bride and groom proclaimed their undying love for each other.”
41. “May all your troubles be little ones and all your little ones be trouble-free.”
42. “May the sun shine, all day long. Everything go right, and nothing wrong. May those you love bring love back to you, and may all the wishes you wish come true!”
43. “May there always be work for your hands to do. May your purse always hold a coin or two. May the sun always shine warm on your windowpane. May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain. May the hand of a friend always be near you and may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.”
44. “May you always walk in sunshine. May you never want for more. May Irish angels rest their wings right beside your door.”
45. “The happy couple – may we all live to be present at their golden wedding.”
46. “May your neighbors respect you. May trouble neglect you. May the angels protect you, and may heaven accept you.”
47. “Always remember to forget the troubles that passed away. But never forget to remember the blessings that come each day.”
48. “Let us drink to their health and prosperity; may they have a joyous bridal trip and may their journey through life be over a pleasant road without any embarrassment that energy and love cannot easily overcome.”
49. “Wishing you a rainbow for sunlight after showers. Miles and miles of Irish smiles for golden happy hours. Shamrocks at your doorway for luck and laughter too, and a host of friends that never ends each day your whole life through!”
50. “May your mornings bring joy and your evenings bring peace. May your troubles grow few as your blessings increase.”
51. “Merry met, and merry part, I drink to thee with all my heart.”
52. “Your lives are very special. God has touched you in many ways. May His blessing rest upon you and fill all your coming days.”
53. “May the sound of happy music, and the lilt of Irish laughter, fill your heart with gladness that stays forever after.”
Short wedding toast ideas
If you need the perfect toast tip, the best one anyone can give you is to keep the toast short. These quotes below may serve you as an inspiration for a great short but sweet wedding toast.
1. “May the two of you be poor in misfortune and rich in blessings. Here is to a wonderful wedding day and an even more marvelous marriage.”
2. “May ‘for better or worse’ be far better than worse.”
3. “To the lamp of love – may it burn brightest in the darkest hours and never flicker in the winds of trial.”
4. “Here is to the groom with a bride so fair, and here is to a bride with a groom who is so rare.”
5. “May your heart be warm and happy, with the lilt of loud laughter every day in every way, and forever and ever after.”
6. “Please make sure your glasses are charged and join me in toasting the happy couple. Ladies and gentlemen, to the bride and groom!”
7. “To love, laughter and a happily ever after. To the bride and groom, your fairy tale is only beginning.”
8. “May the joys you share today be the beginning of a lifetime of great happiness and fulfillment.”
9. “May you live as long as you like, and have all you like, for as long as you live.”
10. “To the bride and groom, may your love be as endless as your wedding rings.”
11. “May you be friends to each other as only lovers can, and may you love each other as only best friends can.”
12. “Live life to the fullest – remember, this is the first day of the rest of your life.”
13. “Here’s to the bride and groom with hearts of gold, may their love continue to grow as they grow old.”
14. “Let us raise our glasses to the happy couple. May you grow old on one pillow.”
15. “To the bride and groom on this special day, I wish you both a lifetime of happiness together. Your wedding day is certainly one that we will all remember.”
16. “May you have love, health, and wealth, but most importantly, may you have the time to enjoy them all.”
17. “May your love be modern enough to survive the times and old-fashioned enough to last forever.”
18. “To the bride and groom, may you always find comforting strength and endless happiness in one another. Please join me as I raise a glass to these two newlyweds.”
19. “May I see you gray and combing your grandchildren’s hair.”
20. “They say you don’t marry the person you can live with, you marry the person you can’t live without. That sums up the bride and groom perfectly. To the happy couple!”
21. “As the two of you begin this new life together as a married couple, just remember this: Be kind to one another and your love will last a lifetime.”
22. “Let your love endure beyond the last sunset.”
23. “May your troubles be less and your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness come through your door.”
24. “Let us all raise a glass to a beautiful wedding, two wonderful people, and the love that they have for one another.”
Wedding toast quotes
If you just need some inspiration to write a great wedding toast, you can ‘borrow’ a famous quote and include it in your wedding speech.
With the help of these wedding toast quotes, you’ll definitely have the best wedding toast ever.
1. “You don’t need to be on the same wavelength to succeed in marriage. You just need to be able to ride each other’s waves.” – Toni Sciarra Poynter
2. “I’m not gonna wish you happiness, ’cause you’ve already got that. So I’ll just say, may the road rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon our face. May you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live. May there be a generation of children on the children of your children. May you live to be a hundred years, with one extra year to repent.” – Emma Chase
3. “Love doesn’t make the world go ‘round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.” – Franklin P. Jones
4. “A great marriage is not when the ‘perfect couple’ come together. It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences.” – Dave Meurer
5. “Marriage is nothing to underestimate. Success in marriage is about getting back up, again and again.” – Michael Ben Zehabe
6. “… love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
7. “Those of you who know me know that I’m a huge fan of my sister. She’s my rock, my soul mate, and the reason that I’m still standing here, alive and well. When her heart beats for someone, mine falls in line and thumps for them too. … there’s one thing I cannot take from you–you make her happy. Glow, even… Some loves are old, and sure, others are new and frantic. Yours is both, and that’s what made your feelings toward one another outsoar everything. Even the past… I wish you joy, freedom, health, and wealth, though I think you’re all covered with the last one… So I guess I would like to make a toast to two of my favorite people. To the woman I love more than life itself, and to the man who spends his life making her happy…. you don’t need my words to make it work. You have this thing covered. But just in case, I wish you everything you wish for yourself and more. Now down these glasses and have some fun.” – L.J. Shen
8. “But let there be spaces in your togetherness, and let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another, but make not a bond of love: let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.” – Khalil Gibran
9. “We laugh and laugh, and nothing can ever be sad, no one can be lost, or dead, or far away: right now we are here, and nothing can mar our perfection, or steal the joy of this perfect moment.” – Audrey Niffenegger
10. “In the story, The Alchemist, a young Shepard named Santiago went looking for treasure. He traveled the world to fulfill his Personal Legend. On his way, he meets and falls in love with a beautiful and exotic woman named Fatima. He says to her, ‘So I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you.’ … I can assure you that like Santiago and Fatima, the universe conspired to help you two find each other. I wish you a lifetime of more love than anyone could dream of and more happiness than the grains of sand on earth.” – NA Leigh
11. “It is a full-time job being honest one moment at a time, remembering to love, to honor, to respect. It is a practice, a discipline, worthy of every moment.” – Jasmine Guy
12. “May the saddest day of your future be no worse than the happiest day of your past. May your hands be forever clasped in friendship, and your hearts joined forever in love.” – Tracy Brogan
13. “The highest happiness on earth is the happiness of marriage.” – William Lyon Phelps
14. “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends…” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
15. “Love one another and you will be happy; it is as simple and as difficult as that.” – Michael Leunig
16. “To keep your marriage brimming, with love in the wedding cup, whenever you’re wrong, admit it; whenever you’re right, shut up.” – Ogden Nash
17. “It doesn’t matter if the guy is perfect or the girl is perfect, as long as they are perfect for each other.” – Matt Damon & Ben Affleck
18. “Marriage resembles a pair of shears, so joined that they cannot be separated; often moving in opposite directions, yet always punishing anyone who comes between them.” – Sydney Smith
19. “There’s nothing more admirable than two people who see eye to eye keeping house as man and wife, confounding their enemies and delighting their friends.” – Homer
20. “I have learned that only two things are necessary to keep one’s wife happy. First, let her think she’s having her own way. And second, let her have it.” – Lyndon B. Johnson
21. “Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.” – Thomas S. Monson
22. “There is no greater happiness for a man than approaching a door at the end of a day knowing someone on the other side of that door is waiting for the sound of his footsteps.” – Ronald Reagan
23. “Happy marriages begin when we marry the ones we love, and blossom when we love the ones we marry.” – Tom Mullen
24. “May your love be like the misty rain, gentle coming in but flooding the river.” – Traditional African Blessing
25. “The more you invest in a marriage, the more valuable it becomes.” – Amy Grant
26. “May their joys be as deep as the ocean and their misfortunes as light as the foam.” – Unknown
27. “True love is wealth… with it, you need nothing else.” – Unknown
28. “Do not measure your marriage by how much love you feel today: measure it by how much love you’ve offered today.” – Glennon Doyle
Funny wedding toasts
The best way to spice up your speech a little bit is to add some humor into it. Here are some great funny toasts to make all the wedding guests laugh and to definitely make it a night to remember.
1. “To the two secrets to a long-lasting happy marriage: Here’s to a good sense of humor and a short memory!”
2. “May you live each day like your last and live each night like your first.”
3. “Love makes people do strange things. In this instance, love made two people get all dressed up, walk slowly down an aisle and repeat whatever the pastor said. I can’t think of any other time these two would do something like this, but I also can’t think of a better couple to make this all look downright cool. Join me in raising a glass to the two people who make love look good.”
4. “Marriage is like a walk in the park… Jurassic Park.”
5. “Marriage is not just spiritual communion; it is also remembering to take out the trash.” – Joyce Brothers
6. “Marriage is like the army. Everyone complains, but you’d be surprised at the large number of people who re-enlist.” – James Garner
7. “For one more time, I’m going to ask everyone to charge their glasses and – for those who still can – stand, and raise a glass to the newlyweds.”
8. “The secret of a happy marriage remains a secret.” – Henny Youngman
9. “Shakespeare said, ‘My heart is ever at your service.’ I say, ‘Eat candy hearts and order room service’.
10. “Before we raise a glass to the newlyweds, I’d like to share a Pauline Thomason quote with you: ‘Love is blind – marriage is the eye-opener’. To the happy couple!”
11. “Raise your glass and join me in congratulating you three: The bride, the groom and the huge mound of debt you’ve just acquired from throwing this wedding!”
12. “Men may be from Mars and women may be from Venus, but you two are so in love that it astounds the entire universe.”
13. “A good marriage is one where each partner secretly suspects they got the better deal.”
14. “To the bride and groom, before I finish, I’d like you to turn to face each other. You’re now looking into the eyes of the person who is statistically most likely to murder you. To the bride and groom!”
15. “Marriage is a sacred bond between two people, and let me be clear… I said ‘sacred’, not ‘scared’.
16. “To the bride, may she share everything with her husband, including the housework!”
See also: 193 Funny Love Quotes & Sayings That Will Make You Pee Your Pants
Ideas for a wedding toast by the father of the bride
All wedding toasts are special in their own way but the toast by the father of the bride is definitely the most special and emotional one.
Your princess will ask you to give a speech on her big day and you probably already know what you’ll say but the ones below can also come in handy to make it even more special.
1. “Raise your glasses to both my daughter’s new husband and me as we’ve each gained something this fine and blessed day. He gains a wife and a companion for life – while I gain a whole new stack of bills to pay.”
2. “As a parent, I have often worried about my daughter being okay, that she would do great things, and that she would never want for anything. Most of all, I always prayed for her happiness. As I look at her and her new husband, I can say that I am confident that the two of them will have a great life together and accomplish many things as husband and wife. And I know that the two of them will continue to be very happy in each other’s company.”
3. “I raise my glass and toast my daughter and the man she has chosen to be her life companion. A father sometimes doubts this day will ever come, and sometimes he fears it. My daughter is a princess to me, and will always be my little girl. May happiness and joy be with her always.”
4. “You have always been my pride and joy. So you can imagine that over the years, I always wondered who would ever be good enough for you, a girl who was so smart, so beautiful, and so pure of heart. And I think we found that answer in your new husband. Seeing how happy he makes you, makes me happier than you can ever know. Congratulations to you both.”
5. “A toast to my daughter. She is a gift from God and I will always be grateful to have been given the honor of being her father. May God continue to bless her and her new husband and grant them safety, love, and happiness all the days of their lives.”
See also: 110+ Of The Most Precious Daughter Quotes To Melt Your Heart
Best man & maid of honor speech ideas
Groomsmen and bridesmaids have many important rules and duties. They don’t just stand there all fancied up. They are, in a way, free wedding planners for the bride and groom.
They must participate in the wedding planning, help with the wedding reception and with the rehearsal dinner and, of course, give a memorable speech at the wedding ceremony.
It’s not easy to write a maid of honor/ best man speech that will amaze all the wedding guests. Check below for some great inspiration for your maid/matron of honor or best man toast.
1. “Good evening, everyone. Tonight, we are all here to honor the bride and groom. As the groom’s best man, I feel honored to be standing next to him on such an important day in his life. We have gone through so much together in life, and I cannot imagine being anywhere but here on this special occasion.”
2. “For for as long as I have known you, you have always been someone who has been able to find the joy in everything. I am so glad that you can share this ability to see the joy in everything with your new husband. May your life together be joyous and full of love.”
3. “Tonight, we celebrate the union of our two wonderful friends, the bride and the groom. Let us raise a glass in high hopes of happiness for many years to come!”
4. “My wish is that your marriage will be a thing of beauty and a joy forever, always as beautiful as you are today. And may the loveliness of your marriage increase with each year. Here’s to the bride and groom.”
5. “These two people have committed themselves to one another today, and I know I consider myself a lucky person to be honored by being included in their wedding day. This is truly an occasion to celebrate, so let’s raise our glasses and toast to a life full of love. Congratulations, bride and groom!”
6. “Even before this day, I have seen the bride and groom fall in love over and over many times. That is the recipe for a successful and happy marriage. A toast to you both, I know I speak for everyone in this room when I say that we all wish you a long, healthy, and happy life together.”
7. “Here’s to the groom, a man who kept his head even while he lost his heart.”
See also: A Letter To My Best Friend On Her Wedding Day
Conclusion
Sometimes just the bare thought that you’ll have to go in front of so many people and talk is terrifying but really, there’s no need to worry.
So, clink your champagne glass and begin your speech. Leave your fears aside this time because the whole point of wedding toasts is to have some fun and congratulate the happy couple.
Even if you forget some parts of your speech, just say something from the bottom of your heart, raise your glass and invite other guests to do the same and wish the newlyweds a happy and prosperous life.