The intimate toast before the big day
Rehearsal dinner speech examples, more intimate, more relaxed, equally memorable.
The rehearsal dinner is the warm-up — smaller room, closer people, lower stakes. Toasts here are shorter and more relaxed than the wedding day: thank everyone for coming, share a quick story or a heartfelt word about the couple, and raise a glass. Keep it to one to three minutes so the evening stays easy.
Traditionally the host (often the groom's parents) opens, but the rehearsal dinner is famously informal — parents, the couple, and close friends can all say a few words. The examples below show the tone, from funny toasts to heartfelt ones. Make one your own, or start yours in minutes.
Good evening, everyone. I'm [Your name], [Bride's name]'s brother, and I want to start by saying that I'm giving this speech tonight because tomorrow I'll be too busy crying. Don...
Good evening. I'm [Your name], [Groom's name]'s mother, and I wanted to take a moment tonight, while things are still intimate and quiet, to say something I might not get through...
Hello, everyone. I'm [Your name], [Bride's name]'s dad, and I promise to keep this short because I've been told I have three minutes tonight and unlimited time tomorrow. We'll see...
Welcome and thank everyone for coming, especially anyone who traveled, share a short warm or funny word about the couple, and raise a toast. It is more relaxed than the wedding day, so keep it light and personal.
Traditionally the host opens — often the groom's parents, who host the dinner — but it is informal: the couple, both sets of parents, and close friends can all offer a short toast.
Short — one to three minutes. The rehearsal dinner is the intimate warm-up, so toasts stay brief. See speech length by role.
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