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Engagement toasts: 5 example speeches
Short, sweet, & sincere engagement party toasts
By: Susan Dugdale
Here are five sample engagement toasts: enough I hope for you to find one to use as a model or starting point to write your own.
Scroll, (or click), to find a short, sweet and sincere engagement party speech example from the point of view of:
- a father of the bride,
- a mother of the groom,
- a childhood girlfriend of the bride, her maid of honor
- a groom,
- and a bride.
The common theme running through them all is celebrating and affirming the newly engaged couple. (Surprise, surprise!☺)
Pull these engagement speeches apart
Please play around with them. Say them out loud. Chop bits out. Add bits in. Mix and match until you have the engagement party speech you want to give.
Even if your final version is radically different, these examples make an excellent beginning toward finding your own voice.
You, being yourself, speaking truthfully and sincerely from the heart, using words you naturally would, is what people want to hear.
1. Sample engagement toast - father for daughter
(It's customary for whoever hosts the engagement party to speak first. Typically, that's the bride's parents and it's her father who gives the opening speech.)
Hi Everybody!
It's my happy task to welcome you all here tonight to celebrate the engagement of Mary and Bill.
For those of you who don't know me, I'm Mary's very proud father, Jack.
Thank you for coming to share this milestone event. It means so much to all of us (Mary and Bill, me, my wife Martha, Mary's sister Elaine and her brother Ryan) that you're here at the occasion marking the official beginning of their life-long commitment.
It is also a welcome opportunity to meet Bill's family; his father Mike, step-mother Stella and his younger brother Peter. Plus there are extended family and friends from both sides. During the course of the evening please do introduce yourselves.
Love! Marriage! Growing up seems to happen so quickly.
I've had 29 years of being Mary's father and they've flashed by. I remember her newly born; how her minute fingers curled around mine and the feeling that gave me.
Instantly I felt like a Super Man: an ordinary man, transformed, through the privilege of being her father.
Then, after Mary told her kindergarten teacher her dad actually was Super Man, really and truly with a cape and all, the name stuck: becoming one of those long-running family jokes.
And now she has grown.
When we met Bill, Martha and I said to each other, "Super Man, Two!" We knew he was right. To our great pleasure Mary has given him her hand to hold and cherish, and Bill has given her his.
Please raise your glasses and join me in a toast per courtesy of Bob Dylan:
May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Mary and Bill - we love you.
2. Engagement party speech sample - mother
Mary welcome to the family!
While we're all delighted Bill has shown such good sense in choosing you, I've got an extra reason to celebrate. Finally, I get a daughter! Thankfully Bill changed his mind about girls being, as he put it aged about 12, "really dumb".
Bill we are so proud of the man you have grown into. With Mary at your side and the love you so obviously share, nothing will be impossible.
To Mary and Bill - I offer you this toast:
When two people are at one
in their inmost hearts,
they shatter even the strength of iron or bronze.
And when two people understand each other
in their inmost hearts,
their words are sweet and strong,
like the fragrance of orchids.
May the strength and sweetness you share now, endure and grow.
3. An engagement toast from the bride's childhood friend, her maid of honor
I'm Stella, Mary's maid of honor. We've been friends since the day she moved in across the road from my family home.
That's a long time ago when we were six. At that age Barbi ruled.
Eight to about thirteen was the age of bikes, ballet, swimming, and braces on our teeth.
Fourteen to twenty was books, "Do I look good in this?" and earnest discussions about the plight of the world.
We got an education, experimented with what we did and didn't like and through it all there was "us" - united.
And then along came Bill.
Bill redefined boyfriend. Until he arrived they'd been unreliable, troublesome creatures. He was kind, attentive, persistent and ultimately persuasive. And yes, I could see he had Mary's best interest at heart.
He loves her and she loves him. They are a perfect couple and I am happy he's come between us.
To Mary and Bill - we're going to have so much fun helping to plan your wedding!
4. Engagement speech from the groom
Mary and I are delighted to share our intentions for the rest of our days with you.
Standing together in front of all the very special people in our lives to announce our engagement makes our private dreams public and, in a way, real.
Thank you for being here, for your love and well wishes.
Mary has made what I previously condemned as trite meaningful. With her by my side I understand "Love makes the world go round" and "All you need is love".
Whether I'll also understand the importance of themed colors for the reception decor, or the bridesmaid dresses is another thing though.
However, like the best of men, my father and many of you here, who've gone before me, I'll endure because I know what I want. That's to call Mary, my wife.
We'll see you all at the church in six months' time.
5. An engagement toast from the bride
Bill, it fills me with great pride to stand here by your side in front of our families and close friends.
You choosing me to love and to marry is the fulfillment of a dream. I'm tempted to say it surpasses everything else: academic successes, great career moves. Even winning at table tennis!
You are my best friend, my mate and soon to be my husband. Once I was merely me. With you I am more than I ever thought possible, and this is just the start. Together we will be invincible.
To Bill - may we grow more in love and in life, nurturing the best in each other and those around us.
And to you all, my thanks and gratitude for your support past, present and future.
Engagement speech guidelines
Click the link for more about engagement party toast etiquette: planning & delivering a perfect engagement party speech.
Who speaks, how long for, when, what to say, plus quotations to use, and more.
Other useful pages:
Deliver your engagement party speech with poise, with panache! Nothing develops confidence more thoroughly than practice.
To help you stand tall and speak well go to:
- How to rehearse. You'll find detailed step-by-step guidelines.
- And, if you suffer from anxiety, 14 suggestions for overcoming public speaking fear.
From fear to fun in 28 ways
A complete one stop resource to scuttle fear in the best of all possible ways - with laughter.
