Your friend asked you to be the best person at their wedding and you just remembered…. Congrats lol! Now it's the week before the wedding and you just remembered that you have to give a toast… What do you do!?

As wedding videographers, we've seen a LOT of toasts. Some start memorably (like this one: LINK) and some sort of crash and burn from the get go. Make sure your toast is happily memorable by following these guidelines:

In 1-2 sentences max, introduce yourself - People already know you are friends with the bride/groom, and that's why you are giving a toast. Say something interesting that people wouldn't be able to guess on their own.
Address both people in the couple - The toast isn't just for your friend, it's for the married couple. While you probably have the most stories about your friend, address at least some part of your toast to their new spouse as well.
Make it funny -The best toasts are always funny! Whether it be a funny story, a one-liner, or some appropriate jokes, funny is always the best angle.
Make it short to medium - Unless it is culturally appropriate for you to give a long toast, assume that you should talk for 2-5 minutes, 10 minutes absolute max. Guests will get bored the longer you talk and the wedding has a schedule to stick to that you don't want to mess up.
Bring up flattering and positive stories that celebrate that person - This is your chance to talk about all the best qualities of your friend. Share the things that make them unique, their best attributes, and the reasons why their new spouse is lucky to have them. Keep it positive!
Share words of encouragement or advice - Whether you have personal experience that leads to advice, or even if you've polled other people for advice, consider sharing words of encouragement or advice for the new couple.

Do NOT

Wing it - at least have a bullet point list of things you can elaborate on
Talk about how long you've known your friend - If you want to open with "I've known my friend since we were children" that's fine, but generally, if you've known someone for less than a decade the number of years you've known them isn't relevant and doesn't feel worth mentioning to guests. The general understanding of someone giving a toast at a wedding is that they've known the couple for a long time. Guests already know that and don't need you to talk about it.
Share only inside jokes or stories that guests won't get - While you want your toast to be memorable to your friend who is getting married, you also are talking to a room full of guests. If you have a special inside joke, make 1 mention of it, but leave it at that.
Make general statements - Saying things like "You are so nice" "You're such a great person" and "They're lucky to have you" are all general statements that can feel flat when included in a toast. Instead of going general, adjust the words you choose to reflect something unique about your friend. "You are kind and loyal". "You are a thoughtful person and (new spouse) is lucky to have that presence in their life!"
Tell embarrassing stories or make fun of the person getting married - This one should be a no-brainer, but the toast should only include stories that your friend getting married would want all their guests to hear. A silly story from childhood is ok, and even tales from college adventures are fine, but above all keep it positive. Don't try to embarrass your friend. It might feel funny in the moment, but you'll only succeed in making your friend mad and guests feel awkward.

Bonus points:

Bring props - Think of your speech as the ultimate theatrical performance. If you're telling a story about that time your friend wore a hilarious Halloween costume, bring a large printed picture so guests can see the hilarity. If you're talking about the fateful night when the couple met at a bar while the bride was on a bachelorette trip for a friend, bring the pink cowboy hat she wore. Help paint a picture for guests by bringing props that relate to the story you tell.
Look at your friend while you're talking about them. Don't just look at guests - Your speech is both for the guests and the couple. During your speech turn to face both the audience and the couple throughout your time at the mic.
Speak confidently - Any public speaker will tell you, confidence is key! Even if you're nervous, do your best to speak loudly and enunciate your words. Confidence is the secret sauce that will make everything you say sound better!

Don't forget to make a TOAST! SO many people forget to officially make it a toast by asking guests to "raise a glass" or say "a toast to the couple". If you're going to give a toast, make it official and toast to the couple before you hand the mic back.