Farewell speech for a colleague or friend
Farewell speech cue cards for saying goodbye to a colleague, manager, classmate or friend who is leaving: memories, their impact, good wishes and a toast.
Speech9 cardsAbout 5 min to speakBeginnerFamily
18th or 21st birthday speech
Cue cards for a parent, sibling or friend giving an 18th or 21st birthday speech: growing-up stories, who they are now, hopes for the future and a toast.
Free to use, edit, print and study. No account needed: your set stays on this device.
The cards
- 1
Welcome
“Hi, everyone. I’m [your name], [birthday person]’s [mum / dad / brother / best friend].”
“Thank you for coming to celebrate [name]’s [18th / 21st].”
- 2
The beginning
“[Number] years ago, [name] arrived [a detail about the day or year].”
Or for a friend: “I met [name] [when and where].”
- 3
Growing up
- Little: [a sweet or funny early memory]
- School years: [a phase, a hobby, a famous moment]
- Teenage years: [one gentle story]
Keep each to a sentence or two.
- 4
The embarrassing bit
One light, kind story the birthday person will laugh at: [story].
Check it with a sibling or friend first. If in doubt, leave it out.
- 5
Who they are now
“Today [name] is [qualities]. They [what they do that you admire: work, study, care for others, create].”
- 6
The people here
Name the groups in the room: [family, school friends, uni friends, teammates, workmates].
“Look around: that’s how many people [name] has brought together.”
- 7
Hopes for the future
“As you step into [adulthood / your twenties], we hope you [one or two wishes].”
A short message from family, if you are a parent: [message].
- 8
Messages from afar
Read one or two short messages from family or friends who could not attend: “[Name] in [place] says [message].”
- 9
Toast
“Please raise your glasses to [name].”
“Happy [18th / 21st]!”
Hand over for [the key / cake / their reply].
How to use this template
In Australia, New Zealand and the UK, the 21st birthday is often a big party with speeches from parents and friends, and in many places the 18th is celebrated the same way. These cue cards suit a parent, stepparent, sibling, grandparent or best friend. The speech moves from a welcome to the beginning, a few quick growing-up memories, one light embarrassing story, who they are now, the people in the room, hopes for the future and a toast. A good coming-of-age speech is affectionate and a little funny, and should never make the birthday person want to leave the room. Fill in the [brackets], check any story with someone who knows them well, and aim for four or five minutes. Some families present a large key, a gift or a photo book at the end, so check whether your speech leads into that.
Tips
- If there are several speakers, such as parents and a friend, agree who covers childhood and who covers recent years so stories are not repeated.
- Keep the embarrassing story gentle and avoid anything about exes, drinking or school trouble.
- If photos or a slideshow are planned, keep the speech short and let the pictures do some of the work.
- Use the microphone at a party venue, and wait for music to be turned down before you begin.
- Look at the birthday person during the hopes card; it is the part they will remember.
- Keep a copy of the cards for them afterwards; many people treasure their 21st speeches.
- Ask the birthday person if there are any topics or names they would rather you avoid; they will thank you for asking.
Make it fit
- If you are the friend giving the speech, swap the childhood card for how you met and a story from your friendship.
- For a blended family, include every parent and step-sibling in the welcome and the people card.
- For cultural coming-of-age celebrations such as a quinceañera, a debut or a bar or bat mitzvah party, follow the family’s customs and order of speeches.
- For a smaller dinner, keep it to two minutes: one memory, who they are now and the toast.
- If a parent or grandparent has died, a short line remembering them on the hopes card can mean a great deal; check with the family first.
Updated October 28, 2026