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.
Speech8 cardsAbout 3 min to speakBeginnerFamily
Baby shower or naming day toast
A warm toast for a baby shower, sip and see, naming day or welcome party: celebrate the parents, share hopes for the baby and thank everyone for coming.
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], [relationship to the parents]. Thank you all for coming to celebrate [parents’ names] and [baby / the baby on the way].”
- 2
Thank the host
Thank [host] for [opening their home / organising the food / the decorations].
Mention anyone who travelled: [names or places].
- 3
About the parents
“I’ve known [parent] since [when]. I always knew they’d be a wonderful parent because [a small story or quality].”
- 4
For a naming day
If the baby has arrived: “[Baby’s name] was chosen because [meaning or family connection, if the parents want to share].”
Skip this card at a shower.
- 5
Hopes for the baby
“[Baby / Little one], we hope you get [your parent’s laugh / your other parent’s patience / a love of [something]].”
Invite others to share a wish later: [wish cards / guest book].
- 6
For the parents
One gentle, practical word: “We’re all here to [cook / babysit / listen] when you need us.”
Avoid parenting advice lists.
- 7
A memory
A short, happy story about the parents: [how they met, a trip, the day they shared the news].
Keep it short and gentle; this is their day to feel supported.
- 8
Toast
“Please raise your glasses, mugs or juice boxes to [parents’ names] and [baby].”
“To the new family!”
How to use this template
This toast works for a baby shower, a sip and see, a naming day, a welcome-baby party or a blessing celebration. It is short and relaxed, and its job is to make the parents feel loved and supported. The speaker might be a grandparent, a close friend, a sibling, the host or a chosen godparent or mentor. The cards welcome guests, thank the host, say something kind about the parents, explain the baby’s name if the baby has arrived, offer hopes for the baby, promise practical support and lead a toast. Fill in the [brackets], check with the parents what they are happy to share about names and dates, and keep it to about three minutes. If games or gift opening are planned, give your toast first, while everyone is gathered and the room is calm.
Tips
- Check with the parents before mentioning the baby’s name, sex, due date or birth story; some prefer to keep these private.
- Keep the tone light and kind; avoid jokes about sleepless nights or labour that might worry a nervous parent.
- Many guests will not be drinking, so make the toast inclusive of tea, juice and water.
- Speak clearly and a little louder than usual; showers and parties are often noisy, with children in the room.
- Keep it short so the parent-to-be is not standing for too long.
- Have tissues ready for the parents; this toast can be more emotional than people expect.
- Agree with the host when the toast should happen so it does not clash with food, games or a nap time.
- Speak to the parents directly when you share your hopes, then turn to the room for the toast.
- Keep a chair close for the parent-to-be during your toast.
Make it fit
- For two mums, two dads, a single parent, adoptive parents or parents who used a surrogate or donor, use the family’s own words for themselves and their story.
- For a naming day with a celebrant, keep the toast for the party afterwards and let the celebrant lead the formal part.
- In faith or cultural traditions, such as a christening, an aqiqah or a full-moon celebration, check which moments are formal and whether a toast fits.
- For an online shower, ask guests to hold up their drinks to the camera for the toast.
- If the pregnancy or adoption journey has been long or difficult, acknowledge it only in the gentle way the parents have chosen to share.
Updated October 28, 2026