Before you fill anything in
A groomsman toast lives or dies on one good story, so find it before you write a word. Answer these out loud — whatever comes to you fastest is almost always the one to use.
- What is the one story about him everyone at the table would recognise the second you started it?
- What has he quietly done for you that he'd never bring up himself?
- What did you notice the first time you saw him with his partner?
- If you had ten seconds and nothing else, what warm thing would you want the room to know about him?
The template
Part 1 — The hook (about 40 words)
Open inside a moment, then name yourself as a groomsman. Don't warm up — a short toast has no room for a run-up.
Hook — fill in
About 40 words · 20 seconds
[ONE VIVID LINE FROM THE STORY, OR A THING HE ACTUALLY SAID — no setup.] ____________________
I'm [YOUR NAME], one of [GROOM'S NAME]'s groomsmen, and I've [ONE PHRASE ABOUT HOW YOU KNOW HIM] for [HOW LONG].
Part 2 — One tight story (about 110 words)
Pick a single story that shows one good trait, and cut the setup harder than feels comfortable. One story only — you are not the best man, and you don't need two.
Story — fill in
About 110 words · 55 seconds
[THE STORY, told simply and in the present tense if you can.] ____________________
[THE DETAIL THAT MAKES IT land — an exact number, an object, a quote.] ____________________
And that is [GROOM'S NAME] all over — he'll ____________________, every single time.
Part 3 — The warm line about the couple (about 50 words)
Turn to the partner by name and say one true, observed thing — not a list of compliments. This is the line the partner's family is listening hardest for.
Warm line — fill in
About 50 words · 25 seconds
[PARTNER'S NAME] — [ONE SPECIFIC THING YOU'VE WATCHED THEM DO, OR THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICED]. ____________________
Since he met you, he's [ONE HONEST WAY HE'S DIFFERENT — steadier, happier, more himself]. ____________________
Part 4 — The toast (about 20 words)
Lift your glass and say the names. Don't add a joke after this — the names are the last thing the room should hear from you.
Toast — fill in
About 20 words · 15 seconds
Everyone, please raise your glasses — to [GROOM'S NAME] and [PARTNER'S NAME].
(If you're one of several groomsmen doing a group toast, agree who says the final line so you all lift together, not in a ragged wave.)
After you fill it in
- Read it aloud, standing, with a timer. Aim for under two minutes.
- If you're over, cut a sentence from the story rather than losing the warm line.
- Delete anything about an ex-partner or the bachelor party — there are no exceptions.
- Check you haven't tried to out-do the best man. Add one thing, don't compete.
- Print it at 16pt on one side of paper. Not your phone.