Wedding toast script for a best man or maid of honor
A good best man or maid of honor toast runs 2 to 4 minutes, about 350 words for two and a half, and follows a simple line: thank the hosts and say who you are, tell one story about the person you know best, say what changed when they met their partner, speak to the couple directly, then raise a glass. One well-chosen story works better than five, and warmth goes further than teasing.
Target: 2½ minutes, about 350 words at 140 words per minute · Example below: 281 words, about 2 min
How long it should be
At 140 words per minute, two and a half minutes is 350 words and three minutes is 420. Toasts run long, though: laughter, a room still settling, a moment where your voice catches. Write a little under your slot and you will finish on time.
If there are several speeches, ask the couple how long they would like yours to be, and keep to it.
The structure
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Thanks and who you are (about 20 seconds)
Half the room does not know you. Say how you know the person, then thank the hosts for something specific.
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One story
About the person you know best, one that shows who they are and that everyone from the grandparents to the youngest guest can enjoy.
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When they met
What you noticed when you first saw them together, and what has changed in your friend since.
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To the couple
Turn to them, use both names, and say what you wish for them.
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The raise
Ask the room to raise their glasses, wait until they have, then say the couple’s names.
Template
Replace everything in {braces}. Lines in [square brackets] are cues: they show faintly on the prompter and are never read or counted. Keep, change or delete them. New to the format? See how to format a teleprompter script.
[wait for quiet, smile]
Good evening, everyone.
For those who don't know me, I'm {your name},
and I've been {how you know them} for {how long}.
Thank you to {the hosts} for {a specific thank-you}.
[pause]
When I think of {name},
I think of {the setting of your story}.
{What happened, in two or three short lines}.
{What that story says about them}.
[pause]
Then {partner's name} came along.
The first time I saw them together,
{what you noticed}.
{Name}, I've never seen you {how they've changed, said kindly}.
[turn to the couple]
{Name} and {partner's name},
{a wish for their life together}.
[raise your glass]
So please, everyone, raise your glasses.
[wait]
To {name} and {partner's name}. Tapping copies your script first. Paste it into a new script in OwlPrompter (free, no account).
Example: a maid of honor’s toast
Jess has been the bride’s best friend since school. She is the second of three speeches at the reception, after the father of the bride.
[wait for quiet, smile] Good evening, everyone. For those who don't know me, I'm Jess, and I've been Clare's best friend since we were eleven and got lost together on a school trip to the seaside. Thank you to Clare's mum and dad, and to Sam's family, for a day that has felt so warm, and for feeding us this well. [pause] When I think of Clare, I think of the winter we shared a flat above a launderette in Bristol. The boiler broke in January. Most people would have complained. Clare bought three hot water bottles, gave them names, and invited the whole building round for soup. That's Clare. She leaves every room better than she found it, even the ones with no heating. [pause] Then Sam came along. The first time I saw them together was at a pub quiz. They lost, badly, and I've never seen two people enjoy losing so much. Sam, you laughed at every one of Clare's terrible guesses, and I knew then that you were staying. Since then, you've driven her to every early flight, learned the words to every song she sings badly in the car, and last summer you spent a whole weekend helping me move flat without being asked twice. So, Sam, on behalf of all of Clare's friends: welcome. We're very glad it's you. Clare, I've known you for most of your life, and I've never seen you as calm, or as completely yourself, as you are with Sam. [turn to the couple] Clare and Sam, I hope your house is always the one people turn up at with soup, and that you never stop enjoying the quizzes you lose. [raise your glass] So please, everyone, raise your glasses. [wait] To Clare and Sam.
Tapping copies your script first. Paste it into a new script in OwlPrompter (free, no account).
Opening a script in the browser replaces the one saved in the online teleprompter on this device. Nothing is uploaded.
Read it on your phone
Reading the toast from your phone? In OwlPrompter, set the text size and the scroll speed before you stand up, then let it scroll at your pace while you hold the microphone. Rehearse it a few times at home first and record one take to hear how it sounds.
OwlPrompter is free with no account, for up to 3 scripts, with recording, a Delivery Score and an .srt file with every take. Voice scroll (the script follows your voice) and eye-contact mode are part of Pro, and both Pro plans, monthly and yearly, start with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers.
Tips for giving a wedding toast
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One story, told well
Pick a story that shows who your friend is and that you would be happy for their grandmother to hear. Leave out exes, nights you would have to explain and in-jokes only three people get.
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Make room for both of them
A toast that is all about your friend makes their partner a guest at their own wedding. Give the partner at least a few lines of their own.
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Check the running order
Ask who speaks before you, so you do not tell the same story or thank the same people twice.
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Make the text big
Venues are dim and hands shake. Large type with one thought per line is much easier to find your place in than a paragraph on a card.
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Keep the microphone still
Hold it just below your chin and keep it there when you look down at your notes. Most toasts that cannot be heard are a microphone that drifted to chest height.
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Look up at the names
Glance at your script for the line, then look at the couple when you say their names and at the room for the raise.
Questions
How long should a best man or maid of honor speech be?
Two to four minutes. At 140 words per minute, three minutes is about 420 words; write a little under that to leave room for laughter and pauses.
Is it OK to read a wedding toast from my phone?
Yes. Most guests would rather hear a warm toast read well than a memorised one that stalls halfway. Use large text, one thought per line, and look up at the end of each line and whenever you say the couple’s names.
How do I end a wedding toast?
Ask the room to raise their glasses, wait a moment until they have, then say the couple’s names. Keep the last line short so everyone can say it with you.
Finished your draft? Check its length in the speech timer, then rehearse it in the free online teleprompter or in the app.