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.
Speech9 cardsAbout 4 min to speakBeginnerFamily
Anniversary toast
Wedding anniversary toast cue cards for a child, friend or the couple: how they met, the years together, what their marriage has taught us and a toast.
Free to use, edit, print and study. No account needed: your set stays on this device.
The cards
- 1
Welcome
“Good evening, everyone. I’m [your name], [relationship], and we’re here to celebrate [number] years of [names].”
- 2
How it began
“[Partner 1] and [partner 2] met [where and how]. The family story is that [a well-known detail].”
- 3
The wedding day
A detail or two from their wedding: [the weather, the venue, something that went wrong].
If you have a photo, this is the moment to hold it up.
- 4
The years together
- [Homes, moves or adventures]
- [Children, grandchildren, pets]
- [Hard times they came through]
One or two lines each.
- 5
What we see in them
“What I notice most is [how they look after each other / how they still laugh / how they share the jobs].”
[A small everyday example.]
- 6
What they’ve taught us
“Watching you, we’ve learnt [lesson about love, patience or teamwork].”
- 7
A message from the family
Speak for the children, grandchildren or friends: “From all of us, thank you for [the home you made / the example you set / every Sunday lunch].”
- 8
A small story
One everyday moment that sums up the couple: [the way one makes the other’s tea, a running joke, a road trip habit].
- 9
Toast
“Please raise your glasses to [names] and to many more years together.”
“To [names]!”
How to use this template
Use this template for a wedding anniversary party or dinner, from a first anniversary to a silver (25th), ruby (40th), golden (50th) or diamond (60th) celebration. The speaker is often an adult child, grandchild, close friend or one of the couple. The cards move from a welcome to how the couple met, their wedding day, the years together, what you see in them now, what they have taught the family and a toast. A good anniversary toast is warm and specific, and honest about the fact that a long partnership includes hard times without dwelling on them. Fill in the [brackets] with family stories, check details with relatives, and aim for three or four minutes. If you are a grandchild or a younger relative, ask an older family member for a story from the early years to bring the toast to life.
Tips
- Ask the couple, or a relative, for their own version of how they met; family stories change over the years and they will enjoy correcting you.
- Keep any mention of difficult times short, respectful and focused on how they faced them together.
- Bring one old photo or wedding detail to show; it makes the story vivid for younger guests.
- Use a microphone in larger rooms, and speak clearly for older guests.
- Look at the couple when you say what they have taught you.
- Invite the couple to reply if they want to, and give them a moment to gather themselves.
- Plan who holds the microphone if the couple want to reply, and have a chair nearby for older couples.
- Keep the toast to a few minutes so the couple can enjoy the rest of the celebration with their guests.
Make it fit
- If one of the couple is giving the toast, change the cards to first person and finish by speaking to your partner.
- For a same-sex couple who could only marry recently, you might mention the years they were together before marriage was possible for them.
- For a second marriage or blended family, include children and stepchildren in the years together card.
- For a vow renewal, add a card that introduces the ceremony and the person leading it.
- If one partner has died and you are marking what would have been their anniversary, use the memorials templates instead and keep the tone gentle.
- In cultures where elders are toasted with a blessing or ceremony, such as a tea ceremony, add a card for it and ask the family about the order.
Updated October 28, 2026