It might be one of the most important speeches you’ll give in your life—so no pressure, right?

You’ve agonized for hours over the perfect wedding toast speech to make the bride and groom’s day just a little more special.

The good news is that you don’t have to rack your brains trying to come up with wedding toast ideas.

Below, you’ll find 5 tips for how to write a wedding toast that will have everyone remembering your speech for years to come!

1. Talk About Yourself (and Why You’re Giving a Wedding Toast)

After thanking the hosts for a beautiful ceremony, it’s time to break the ice a little. Start your wedding toast with a subject that you know well: yourself.

When giving a wedding toast, being amongst mixed company can be one of the trickier aspects to overcome. People of all ages and backgrounds are likely to be in the audience (many of whom you’ve probably never met).

With potentially hundreds of eyes on you, there’s no guarantee that everyone will know how you’re connected to the happy couple.

2. Hit the Right Notes

Wedding toasts should be long enough to tell the story you want without overstaying your welcome—3 to 5 minutes maximum. This is less time than you think, so it’s important to have a plan in place.

Although it may not be as emotional as writing your wedding vows, wedding toasts are a great chance to give guests a deeper understanding of the bride and groom.

Your toast can be many things: funny, sweet, romantic, sentimental, heartwarming, joyful, etc. Decide on one or two tones and stick with them throughout the speech.

3. Practice Makes Perfect

We get it: just the thought of public speaking makes your mouth dry up and your knees uncontrollably quiver. While improving your public speaking skills is a great long-term goal to have, you can make a great deal of progress by starting early and rehearsing what to say in a wedding toast.

Practicing in front of a mirror is a great way to understand how you’ll come off to the audience. Once you’ve got a script, do a few trial runs in front of your friends and family. They can help you cut out any inside jokes that fall flat, or tell you about that one gesture you keep doing with your hands.

4. Keep Everything Positive

Everyone should in a good mood while they take advantage of the open bar, so your speech ought to keep those positive vibes going. Just like wearing a white dress to a wedding, writing a depressing wedding toast is a major faux pas when it comes to wedding etiquette.

Try to maintain a happy and optimistic atmosphere throughout the entire speech. In the end, the wedding toast is a tribute to the bride and groom and a celebration of their relationship. The most important thing is to give them a happy memory of their wedding day with your speech.

5. End It with Elegance

The good news about how to end a wedding toast? It’s the easiest part!

Start by giving out more thanks than an actor who’s just won an Academy Award. The list of people to acknowledge might include:

After that, lead the wedding guests in raising your glass and offering a celebratory toast to the bride and groom. Wish them well for the future and ask everyone in attendance to join you in congratulating them.

If you’re at a loss for words, just remember to keep it simple. Offer a brief, yet enthusiastic: “Ladies and gentlemen, to the couple.”