Inspiring Wedding Toasts to Wow the Guests

Giving a toast at a wedding is the ultimate privilege, but it can also be daunting. However, writing inspiring wedding toasts doesn't have to be difficult. In order to avoid the disastrous speeches so often seen in rom-coms, consider the following pieces of advice.

Start strong.

The key to any strong speech is a good hook to get your audience’s attention. Be sure to begin your speech by congratulating the bride and groom on their big day, and don’t forget to explain how you know the lucky couple.

Often, great speeches include a short personal story that goes into detail about a personal experience shared between you and the bride or groom. This is a great way to help listeners understand the bond of friendship that led to you giving your speech.

Keep it short.

One of the fastest ways for a good speech to go bad is by speaking for too long. As much as you love your friend or family member, guests are typically hungry and ready to dance. The best wedding toasts at around five minutes long.

Make sure to practice your speech for your sister's wedding with a friend with the timer going. When people are nervous, they often speed through speeches. There's nothing worse than realizing you've said everything you have to say in the first 45 seconds. Three to five minutes is typically considered the sweet spot for your friend's big day.

Capture the couple.

Try to keep in mind the personalities of the people getting married.

Are they both carefree and fun? If so, keep the speech light and upbeat with a few words of heartfelt wisdom. Is the couple more reserved and shy? Do your best not to embarrass them with too many personal stories or overly emotional advice.

Include a line of poetry.

You don't need to be William Shakespeare to compose inspiring wedding toasts. In fact, select a few lines from a meaningful poem, and let the greats do the talking for you. There are many positive effects of poetry, including inspiring those around you. Here are a few options:

"Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction." — Antoine de Saint-Exupery

"To love another person is to see the face of God." — Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

"Love is a fire that feeds our life." — Pablo Neruda

Use a classic proverb.

Feeling short on profound advice on love? Opt for a classic proverb on love to help you illustrate your well wishes for the newlyweds.

"A life without love is like a year without summer." — Lithuanian proverb

"Where there is love, there is no darkness." — Burundian proverb

"May your love be like the misty rain, gentle coming in but flooding the river." — African proverb

"When love reigns, the impossible may be attained." — Indian proverb

Add a movie quote.

If poetry and proverbs aren't your thing, add in a quote from a classic romance flick that listeners are sure to recognize. Some of the best movie quotes of all time make for great toasts. Below are a few examples of moving wedding toast quotes.

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return." —Moulin Rouge

"Winning that ticket, Rose, was the best thing that ever happened to me... it brought me to you. And I'm thankful for that, Rose. I'm thankful. You must do me this honor. Promise me you'll survive. That you won't give up, no matter what happens, no matter how hopeless. Promise me now, Rose, and never let go of that promise." —Jack, Titanic

“It was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together … and I knew it. I knew it the very first time I touched her. It was like coming home... only to no home I’d ever known… I was just taking her hand to help her out of a car and I knew. It was like… magic.” —Sleepless in Seattle

“So it’s not gonna be easy. It’s gonna be really hard. We’re gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, you and me, every day.” —The Notebook

What to Avoid

As much as you and your buddy love and cherish those memories from college parties, his wedding is not the time to tell that crazy story of when the groom passed out at a bar. In general, keep your stories PG, and avoid any narratives that might make the bride or groom’s grandmother blush.

In the same vein, don’t let the nerves get the best of you by downing the champagne! Nothing is worse that sitting at the dinner table listing to a speech only to realize the maid of honor is completely drunk and crying into the microphone.

Don't Forget!

Before closing your speech, make sure to thank all the guests for joining the couple on their wedding day. If parents or family members contributed to the planning and/or financing of the wedding, it’s also appropriate to thank them at this time.

A Perfect Ending

Finish your speech simply by wishing the couple well. Avoid cheesy quotes or overwrought clichés, and give them your best advice and well wishes for a good marriage.

At the end of the day, the best inspiring wedding toasts are the ones written from a place of love and respect, and that’s all the couple is really asking of you.