How long should a toast be?

One to two minutes for most occasions. A wedding toast from the best man or maid of honour can run three to five minutes, but a guest's toast should stay short.

What do you say at the end of a toast?

"Please raise your glasses," then the person's name: "To Hannah." Keep it short and clear so everyone knows when to drink.

Do I have to drink alcohol when giving a toast?

No. Toast with whatever you're drinking: water, juice or a soft drink all work. Nobody will notice.

How do you start a toast?

Stand, wait for quiet, then say who you are and how you know the person. Skip "Sorry, I'm not good at this".

Can I give a toast if I'm not close to the person?

Yes. Keep it shorter, skip the personal story, and focus on what the occasion means: "I've only known Sarah a year, but…"

How to Give a Toast at a Wedding or Dinner (Short Examples)

A toast in five beats

Most toasts that go wrong are too long, have too many stories, or never quite end. Five beats, each with a time budget, avoid all three.

Beat	What you say	Time	Example
1. Attention	Stand, wait for quiet, a short opener	5 sec	"If I could have everyone's attention for a minute…"
2. Who you are	Your link to the person	10 sec	"For those who don't know me, I'm Leah, and I've shared an office with Dev for six years."
3. One story	A specific moment, with a time and place	30–50 sec	"In my first week, Dev…"
4. What it shows	The quality the story proves	15–20 sec	"That's Dev: the person who…"
5. Wish and raise	Your hope for them, then the toast	10–15 sec	"So please raise your glasses… to Dev."

That's 70 seconds to two minutes. At a relaxed speaking pace, that's roughly 150–280 words. Paste your draft into the speech length calculator to check.

For a shorter, 30-second version for any occasion, see the four-part toast formula.

How to choose the one story

The story carries the toast. Pick one that:

Shows a quality, like kindness, loyalty, nerve or humour, rather than just being funny.
Everyone in the room can follow, with no in-jokes that need explaining.
Wouldn't embarrass them in front of their grandmother or their boss.
Fits in 40 seconds when you say it out loud.

If you have three good stories, pick one. You can tell the others at the bar later.

Example toasts

These are made-up examples to show the structure and length. Use your own stories.

A wedding toast from a friend (about 90 seconds)

"Hi everyone. For those I haven't met, I'm Chris, and I've known Hannah since we were eleven.

When we were nineteen, Hannah and I went interrailing. On day three, in a station in Vienna, I lost my passport. I was panicking. Hannah didn't say a word. She sat on the floor, emptied my entire backpack onto the platform, and found it inside a sock. Then she repacked the whole thing, better than I'd packed it, and said, 'Right, train's in ten minutes.'

That's Hannah. When things go wrong, she doesn't panic; she gets on the floor and sorts it out. And Tom, I've watched you with her for four years now, and you're the first person I've seen who does the same thing for her.

So I hope your life together has plenty of adventures, and that whatever you lose along the way, you find it in a sock.

Please raise your glasses. To Hannah and Tom."

More on wedding toasts as a guest: how to give a wedding toast.

A birthday toast at dinner (about 70 seconds)

"Can I have everyone for a minute? For anyone I haven't met, I'm Priya, Mark's sister.

When Mark was fourteen, he decided to learn guitar. Every night for a year, through the bedroom wall, I heard the same four chords. Badly. Then one night they weren't bad anymore. He'd just kept going until it worked.

He's done that with everything since: his business, the marathon, that terrible sourdough that is now, honestly, very good sourdough.

So here's to another year of Mark refusing to give up on things the rest of us would have quit by Tuesday. Happy fortieth. To Mark."

A leaving do for a colleague (about 80 seconds)

"Right, if everyone could grab a glass. I'm Sam, and I've had the desk next to Jo's for three years, which means I know exactly how many biscuits she eats.

On my first day here, I broke the shared printer. Completely. Paper everywhere, error lights flashing. Jo walked over, didn't ask what I'd done, and said, 'Happens to everyone. Here's the trick.' It had never happened to anyone. She just didn't want the new person to feel stupid.

That's what this team is going to miss: the person who makes everyone else feel like they belong.

Jo, we hope the new place knows how lucky they are. Please raise your glasses. To Jo."

For a longer goodbye speech, see what to say in a farewell speech.

How to raise the glass

The physical toast trips people up more than the words. Here's how it goes:

Before you start, have a drink in your hand or on the table in front of you. Any drink is fine, including water.
To get attention, stand up and wait. If needed, say "Could I have everyone's attention?" Don't tap a glass with a knife unless the host does it; it can crack glasses.
Hold the glass at waist height while you speak, or put it down. Don't wave it around during the story.
On the final beat, say "Please raise your glasses" or "Will you join me in a toast?". Lift your glass to about shoulder height and look at the person you're toasting.
Say their name clearly: "To Hannah and Tom." Everyone repeats it.
Take a sip, then sit down. The person being toasted traditionally doesn't drink to themselves; they just smile and say thank you.

Mistakes to avoid

Mistake	Why it hurts	Instead
Three or four stories	Runs to five minutes; the point gets lost	One story, well told
In-jokes	Most of the room is left out	A story anyone can follow
Talking about yourself	"I remember when I…" for two minutes	Keep yourself in it only as a witness
Drinking too much first	Timing and judgment go	One drink before, at most
Reading from a phone	Head down, no eye contact	A small card with five words per beat
No clear end	The room doesn't know when to raise glasses	End on "To [name]."

Practice it out loud

Say your toast out loud at least five times, standing, holding a glass. Time it. Most toasts run longer spoken than people expect. Memorize your first line and your last line; keep the middle on a small card if you need it.

Speaking Coach's "Open a presentation or toast" scene gives you a room to practice in, then shows your pace and long pauses so you can tighten the parts that drag.