Guide · Speeches
How to write a wedding anniversary speech
Whether it is your parents' ruby, your grandparents' golden or your own silver anniversary, a good speech is short, warm and full of real stories. Here is a simple structure, prompts to find the stories and toast lines you can use.
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The five-part structure
- Hello and who you are (two or three lines). Thank everyone for coming and say how you are connected to the couple.
- Where it started (a few lines). How they met, the wedding day, or the first home. One clear picture is better than a full history.
- Two or three short stories (most of the speech). Pick moments that show what their marriage is really like: how they look after each other, a funny habit, a hard time they got through together.
- What they mean to everyone here (a few lines). Children, grandchildren, friends. This is the heartfelt bit.
- The toast (one line). Ask everyone to raise a glass to the couple by name.
How to find your stories
- Ask the couple, or a brother, sister or old friend, for one memory each. You only need the best two or three.
- Look through old photos for a moment you can describe in a few sentences.
- Think of a small, true habit: the tea in bed every morning, the same holiday spot every year, the running joke about the satnav.
- For each story, say where and when, what happened and what it shows about them together.
Anniversary names you can mention
The traditional UK names are: 10th tin, 20th china, 25th silver, 30th pearl, 40th ruby, 50th golden, 60th diamond and 65th blue sapphire. A single line linking the name to the couple works well, for example: "Forty years, and still a pair of rubies."
Toast wording you can use
- "Please raise your glasses to Mum and Dad: fifty golden years, and still holding hands. To Mum and Dad!"
- "To [names], who showed us all what a good marriage looks like. Happy ruby anniversary!"
- "Here is to the two of you, and to the next twenty-five. To [names]!"
- For your own anniversary: "To my wife, my best friend and the reason I am still smiling. To [name]!"
Delivery tips
- Aim for three to five minutes. Read it aloud once with a timer.
- Use cue cards in big print, one section per card.
- Look at the couple during the heartfelt part, not at your cards.
- If older relatives are hard of hearing, speak slowly and use the microphone if there is one.
- Pause after a laugh before you carry on.
Mistakes to avoid
- Going on too long or reading out a year-by-year history.
- Jokes about old rows, exes, money or health.
- Stories only one or two people in the room will understand.
- Forgetting the toast. It is the moment everyone joins in.
Related guides: how to write a 50th birthday speech, how to write a retirement speech, how to write an engagement party speech and father of the bride speech.
Frequently asked questions
- How long should an anniversary speech be?
- Three to five minutes suits most parties, which is roughly 400 to 650 words at a relaxed pace. If several people are speaking, keep yours nearer three minutes.
- Who gives the speech at a wedding anniversary party?
- Usually a grown-up child, a grandchild, a best friend or one of the couple. At a 40th or 50th it is common for one of the children to speak and for the couple to say a short thank you afterwards.
- What do you say in a 50th wedding anniversary speech?
- Welcome everyone, share two or three stories from their fifty years together, say what their marriage has meant to the family, and finish with a toast to the couple. Mention gold once if you like, but the stories matter more than the theme.
- Can I give a speech at my own anniversary?
- Yes. Thank your guests, tell one story about how you met or an early year together, say something honest about your partner, and raise a glass to them. Keep it short and look at them while you speak.
- Should anniversary speeches be funny?
- A little humour helps, but the heart of it should be warm. One or two gentle jokes are plenty. Avoid anything about old arguments, exes or money that the couple might mind.
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