Every memorable wedding speech — best man, maid of honor, father of the bride, mother of the groom — follows the same quiet architecture. It opens with a hook that earns the room's attention in the first ten seconds. It establishes who you are and why you, of all people, get to hold the microphone. Then it does the one thing no generic speech can: it tells a true story.
The story is the whole game. Not a list of adjectives — "kind, funny, generous" washes over a crowd — but a specific moment. The night they drove three hours to help you move a couch. The exact face they made when they first mentioned the person they'd marry. Slightly embarrassing is perfect; genuinely humiliating is not. One good story about who they are, and one about the moment you knew this relationship was different, is more than enough for a four-minute speech.
From there, the structure carries you: a sincere passage about the couple together, one piece of warm advice or a borrowed line of wisdom, and a clean, rehearsed toast. Write the toast word-for-word and memorize it — it's the only part of the speech people will repeat back to you.
On length: aim for two to five minutes. Around 130 words per minute of relaxed speaking is a good planning number, so a "standard" speech is roughly 500 words. Print it in large type on cards, number the cards, and mark your pauses. Rehearse out loud at least three times — the speech changes when it hits the air.
ToastWright automates the architecture — role-specific openings, transitions, toasts, and pacing — so your effort goes where it matters: remembering the stories only you can tell.
How long should a best man speech be?
Three to five minutes — roughly 400 to 650 spoken words. Long enough for one or two real stories, short enough that the room is still with you at the toast. ToastWright builds speeches at two, four, or six minutes and shows the estimated speaking time.
Is ToastWright free to use?
Yes — the wizard, the full speech outline, and the opening third of your speech are free. A one-time $19 payment unlocks the complete speech, two alternate tone versions, and the delivery guide. No subscription, no account.
Will my speech sound like a template?
No. Your own stories are the centerpiece — ToastWright frames the anecdotes you type in, matches openings and toasts to your role and tone, and varies the phrasing every time you regenerate. Two people with identical inputs still get meaningfully different speeches.
What should a maid of honor speech include?
A warm hook, a quick note on your history together, one story that shows who the bride really is, a sincere passage about the couple, and a clean toast. Skip inside jokes the room can't follow, and anything an ex is part of.
Is my personal information stored anywhere?
Everything you type stays in your browser. The speech is assembled entirely on your device — names and stories are never sent to a server. Payment happens on Stripe's own secure checkout page.
Can parents of the bride or groom use ToastWright?
Yes. ToastWright writes speeches for the best man, maid of honor, father or mother of the bride or groom, the couple themselves, and friends — each with role-specific openings, jokes, and toasts.