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.
Speech10 cardsAbout 10 min to speakIntermediateCommunity
Ceremony MC run sheet
MC cue cards and run sheet for running any ceremony: welcome, housekeeping, acknowledgements, introducing speakers, presentations, thanks and close.
Free to use, edit, print and study. No account needed: your set stays on this device.
The cards
- 1
Before you start
- Microphone tested: [yes]
- Running order printed: [yes]
- Speakers know their order: [yes]
- Music or slides cue: [who]
Start time: [time]. Finish time: [time].
- 2
Welcome
“Good [morning / evening], everyone, and welcome to [event name]. My name is [your name], and I’m [role].”
“Today we’re here to [purpose of the ceremony].”
- 3
Acknowledgements
Acknowledge special guests: [names and titles].
Include any local custom: [acknowledgement of country, a prayer, a moment of silence, an anthem].
- 4
Housekeeping
- Exits and bathrooms: [where]
- Phones: [silent please]
- Photos: [allowed / photographer present]
- Refreshments: [when and where]
- 5
Introduce speaker one
“Our first speaker is [name], [role]. [One line on why they are speaking].”
Lead applause. Step back from the lectern.
After: “Thank you, [name].”
- 6
Presentations
“We now move to [the presentation of awards / certificates / the main part of the ceremony].”
Read each name clearly, wait for the person to reach the stage, then move on: [list].
- 7
Further speakers
- [Name, role, one-line intro]
- [Name, role, one-line intro]
Keep your own links short.
- 8
Thank-yous
Thank the organisers, volunteers, sponsors and venue: [names].
Thank the audience for coming.
- 9
If things run late
Have a fallback line ready: “While we set up for our next part, please take a moment to [stretch / greet the people beside you / read the programme].”
Note which items can be cut if time runs short: [items].
- 10
Close
“That brings our ceremony to a close. Please join us for [refreshments / photos / the next part].”
“Thank you, and [enjoy the rest of the day / safe travels home].”
How to use this template
These cue cards work as a run sheet and script for anyone hosting a ceremony: a school assembly, an awards night, a citizenship or community ceremony, an opening, a graduation or a club presentation. As MC, your job is to welcome people, keep the programme moving and make every speaker and recipient feel properly introduced. The cards follow a standard order: a pre-event checklist, welcome, acknowledgements, housekeeping, introducing speakers, presentations, more speakers, thanks and close. Fill in each [bracket] from the event’s running order, write names exactly as they should be said, and walk through the cards with the organiser and any tech or music helper before guests arrive. Most ceremonies need the MC to speak for around ten minutes in total, spread across the event.
Tips
- Get the running order and the correct spelling and pronunciation of every name a few days before, and write tricky names phonetically.
- Check the microphone and stand at the lectern before the audience arrives, so you know how close to speak and where the cables are.
- Keep your introductions to one or two sentences; the speakers and recipients are the focus.
- Have a short filler line ready, such as a reminder about refreshments, in case a speaker is late to the stage.
- Keep a pen with you and note changes to the order as they happen.
- End on time; people remember a ceremony that respected their day.
- Agree a signal with the organiser, such as a raised hand, for when to wrap up or skip an item.
Make it fit
- In Australia, open with an acknowledgement of country; in other places, follow local customs such as an anthem, prayer or welcome from an elder.
- For a bilingual ceremony, prepare the key lines in both languages or share the role with a co-MC.
- For a short assembly or small club night, combine welcome and housekeeping and introduce speakers from one card.
- For an online ceremony, add a card explaining how to use chat, reactions and mute, and introduce speakers by on-screen name.
- For a formal civic or citizenship ceremony, follow the official order of proceedings exactly and keep your own words to the welcome and links.
Updated October 28, 2026