Birthday Speech or Toast for a Friend: How to easily write an inspiring birthday message for your best friend on his or her special day

 

I am pretty sure you arrived here because you are looking for one or more of the following ideas:

• How to write a sweet birthday speech or toast for your best friend on his or her 18^th, 21^st, 30^th, 40^th, 50^th, 60^th, 70^th, 75^th, 80^th, 85^th, 90^th, 100^th birthday

• How to use birthday speech examples or templates to write a heartfelt toast that will make your best friend feel so special and loved

 

...Plus a whole lot more ideas even if you think you are not great with words.

 

Before we go into that, let’s start with this short story as it holds the key to all that we are going to look at pretty soon.

 

 

Would You Want Someone Like Him To Be Your Friend?

Mark thought his dreams would never come to pass. After graduating college, he dreamed of finding a good job with great pay.

 

Although, he had great grades and strong work ethics, he couldn’t find one that best suited him.

 

He had always loved to teach others how to manage their money and live financial independent lives. He set up shop but his small business folded up just a few years after he commenced operations.  

Luckily enough, he met an old school friend whose father taught him the ropes and was soon back on his feet.

 

When his friend Dan wanted to celebrate his birthday, Mark thought of giving him a gift that will outlive time itself. After carefully considering several options, he felt the most enduring way to honor his best friend was to deliver a heartfelt birthday toast that will convey their relationship over the years and how much his friend means to him.

 

Mark was not known to be a great speaker, let alone a good writer. Yet, he was so sure that was the way to go after talking to several people he knew.

 

He worked so hard on this birthday message for his friend for two months and came up with a short and inspiring birthday wish for his childhood friend that was a hit. 

You too can do something similar, if not better, and I am going to share with you an example  and break it down with practical tips and ideas to guide you in the right direction.

 

Please note: I would like to express appreciation to Susan Dugdale of Write It Loud for letting us post this example here on this page.

 

Please note:  Although this is for a 50^th birthday example,

I am going to break to analyze it so we can figure out how to use our observations to write a great birthday toast for your close friend even if you are writing a birthday message for your friend or his or her 18^th, 21^st, 30^th, 40^th, 50^th, 60^th, 70^th, 75^th, 80^th, 85^th, 90^th, 100^th birthday.

 

 

Here you go:

 

50^TH Birthday Speech Example for a Friend

 

"Good evening all. It's great to have you here. Most of you know my feeling on birthdays. Generally I say, what's the big deal?

By the time you've had over thirty, there should be a cease and desist order against them.

They're not unusual. Everybody has them and at the same rate as everybody else - one a year. They happen whether you want them to or not.

Believe me, I know. I've had quite a few and looking around this room I can see it's the same for others as well.

So why are we here?

 

It's not to celebrate the inevitable passage of time but something much more. Everyone has birthdays but not everyone is my friend, Alan West.

Alan, you are unique. And today I'm gladly putting aside my grumbles about birthday speeches, balloons, presents and silly hats, to honor you.

 

You've reached the 50 milestone. 50 birthdays, that's a whole lot of living. Enough to establish the character of a man, to know who he is. And I've known you through about 30 of them.

So what I want to know is, when are you going to give up the idea that you're a surfer? 

 

We all know your geriatric surfboard has gone to the beach with you every summer for at least the last 15 years and never once got wet. Millie says you're waiting for the big one. I say it happened in 1988 and you were too busy zinc coating your nose to notice.

 

Rumor has it that your surfboard has been bolted to the top of whatever wagon you've had is ever since.

 

Likewise his growing collection of fancy running shoes. He says he can't seem to get a good fit these days. I say his days of being good and fit have long since gone, up and over the hill.

 

And then there's the annual season tickets to 10 nights of film festival screenings.

 

They seem like a good idea. They were a good idea in the days when the ratio of surplus energy to the number of hours in a day was higher.

Doesn't he know, he's at that age when his back is expected to go out more frequently than himself?

 

But seriously folks, aside from his lamentable quirks of character Alan is a friend - a real one. He's there when you need him - offering practical advice on just about everything, from how to unblock the drains to how to meet personal tragedy with courage.

 

And Alan's not a mere theorist who has read the books. He walks his talk and walks it tall.

I know he's shy about having his good deeds displayed in public.

A less kind person than myself might say that's because if everybody knew just how helpful he could be, he'd be called upon all the time. And that would mean no time for polishing the surfboard or adding another pair of shoes to the collection. But I know better. He's modest.

 

However on this occasion I'm going to ignore his finer feelings. 

I thought it would be great to publicly acknowledge all the personal and lovable qualities we admire about Alan. So I asked around.

 

I had a couple of contributions. One from Sam who mentioned his foot size was similar to yours and that his runners were down at heel.

The other was from my son who said he'd be willing to take the film passes off his hands.

Neither was the type of thing I had in mind. So I was forced to think for myself.

 

Alan, you're an important touchstone in my life.

For 30 years we've stood by each other through the good as well as difficult, challenging times.

 

I value your opinion (when it's not on the dubious merit of old surfboards). I value the way we can agree to disagree and still count each other as friends. I admire your humor and humility. Then there's your persistence which some might call stubbornness.

 

I could go on but because I want to preserve what's left of our friendship and myself, I won't. They say, looks can't kill however the one you're giving me now seems murderous.

 

So before I'm forcibly shut-up, I'll do it myself.

In conclusion, please raise your glasses to Alan, to friendship and to birthdays. May you have many more."

 

Wow! That is a great example of what to say to your friend on his or her birthday. I find it very inspiring and touching!

 

Did you learn a thing or two from this short but sweet birthday toast?

I am sure you might be wondering out loud if you too can write something captivating like that...Sure, you can!

 

Believe it or not, you can because I am going to break that sample speech down and explain using appropriate examples how you can write a unique and inspiring speech for your beloved friend.

 

Just Start with Any of These Tips and Your Birthday Message Will Be a Massive Hit

 

First, let’s start with the introductory remarks about Alan.

 

Here’s an excerpt.

‘’ "Good evening all. It's great to have you here. Most of you know my feeling on birthdays.

 

 

Generally I say, what's the big deal?

By the time you've had over thirty, there should be a cease and desist order against them.’’

 

Do you remember the good old days in High School when your English teacher said that every essay has three parts or divisions?

 

Congratulations if you do. Do you recall what your teacher said they are? If you mentioned introduction, body and conclusion, then you deserve a pat on the back!

 

There's no need to break your head over this if you have no clue. Well, I found the opening lines above quite funny.

 

You see, every great write-up starts with an opening address which sets the perfect tone for the rest of your presentation. Thus, giving your listeners this assurance they are in for one of the best birthday speeches ever.

 

Your introductory remarks should do a brilliant job of letting everyone know how you are and your relationship with the birthday celebrant. A more classic way to begin is by saying this:

 

‘’Good evening everyone and it feels so great to be in your midst. For those of you who don’t know , I am Matt, Dan’s childhood friend. Most people call me Matt The Tiger and I like that nickname very much. Dan gave it to me when we were in grade 3 and I pounced on him like a furious tiger for snatching my candy and running away with it.  ‘’

 

Don’t you think that was a nice way of warming up your listeners for the rest of your story?

 

Stories are just one of the ways of doing that. There are several ways to accomplish that and I am going to share them with you.

 

First, to make your birthday wishes unique, you can start by writing a short poem about your friend and singing it out to the beat of a well-known song if you have a good singing voice.

Below is an example

 

 

Second, you can creatively and imaginatively come up with a short funny video before you even deliver your birthday speech for your best friend. Remember, birthday toasts are meant to be fun and not too serious.

 

 

Third, if you or your friend is a bible-believing Christian, you can start with a few verses from the scripture or Holy Bible.

 

• The Lord will keep you from all harm—
  he will watch over your life;
  the Lord will watch over your coming and going
  both now and forevermore.

Psalm 121:7-8

• Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:15-16

• As water reflects the face,
  so one’s life reflects the heart.

Proverbs 27:19

 

Now, please watch me carefully as I use the second bible verse to write something brief about God’s gift of life and his faithfulness.  

 

 

Scripture reminds us in Ephesians 5: 15-16 to make good use of our time and every opportunity. Tonight, we are here to celebrate the life of a very special person who has made the most of his time on earth for 70 years!

...Did you see how I wrote that with that verse? That’s how it’s done.

 

Fourth, if you want to write an emotional birthday message for your colleague, you may start with some witty lines or quotes about friendships. Below are a couple of them you can personalize to suit your own writing style.

• “Don’t make friends who are comfortable to be with. Make friends who will force you to lever yourself up.” — Thomas J. Watson
• Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.” — Tennessee Williams

• “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched — they must be felt with the heart.” — Helen Keller

• “A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” — Walter Winchell

• Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” — Oprah Winfrey

 

Can you use any of the above lines to write something touching ?  Ok, I am happy to help. I will make something out of Helen Keller’s quote.

 

A Beautiful Example for Your Best Friend

 

A very wise woman once said that the best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. 

 

I only understood what she said by that when Michelle came into my 50 years ago. She’s 80 years old today and I have the privilege of sharing my life with her for five(5) decades. So, as I always jokingly tell her and our friends, I know at least 50 things about her. I have learned one thing about her each year and I couldn’t be more right!

 

Aww…Isn’t that sweet? You be the judge.

 

Now, let’s move on to...

 

 

How to Write the Content of Your Birthday Speech for Your Friend

 

This part of your speech is undoubtedly the easiest portion to write. But it gets a bit harder when you have to organize your scattered thoughts into a very coherent message about your bonds of friendship.

 

If you are struggling with putting across your random thoughts into a beautiful speech about your friend, then I recommend that you follow one or more of these simple process.

 

First, watch a few videos to whip up excitement about this writing task as it will ultimately influence the words you use for your tribute and how you will speak.

 

By the way, I found these clips for you. Please enjoy them and write down anything that comes to mind as you do that.

 

 

Birthday Toast for Your Friend video#1

 

 

Birthday Toast for Your Friend video#2

 

 

 

Second, decide on the kind of tribute you wish to give. You could pick from any of these: funny, rhythmic, poetic, musical, narrative, gratitude or a combination of all these.

 

Third, after picking your style, you can then go on jot down memories about your friend. If you are a childhood friend, then you obviously can recall lots of good and interesting anecdotes you wish to share.

 

All in all, these questions can help you narrow down your focus about the right facts to use for his or her birthday toast.

 

Questions like the following can help you get started in this regard.

• How did you meet your friend?

• Where did you meet your friend?

• What drew him or her to your side?

• Do you remember the early years of your friendship?

• How did your friendship evolve?

• Do you want to throw in some funny memories?

• What has been the influence of your friend in your own life?

• How has your friend grown professionally and as a person?

• What are a few things you really admire about him or her?

 

Action Tip: Without wasting time, please pick up your pen and journal and start to do a little brainstorming to help you write down ideas that comes to you about the questions asked. Then, write a very rough draft of what you wish to say.

 

Afterwards, let the speech sit idle for a while (if you still have more stories for the birthday party) and keep editing it until you are happy with what you have produced.

 

 

Now, let us see…

 

How You Can Write the Ending of Your Toast on a Memorable Note

 

After working so hard on the introductory remarks and the subsequent chapters, most speech givers get to the end with this erroneous assumption that they have done justice to their presentation.

 

When this happens, complacency sets in and they often don’t wrap up on a good note.

You definitely should put in the same effort you did when you started your presentation since what you say and how well you say it will stick in the minds of the party goers like glue for years to come.

 

In these concluding lines, I am going share with you a few ideas you can use to end well.

 

First, if you have nothing to say at all, you can end with a toast like the above writer did.

‘’ So before I'm forcibly shut-up, I'll do it myself.

In conclusion, please raise your glasses to Alan, to friendship and to birthdays. May you have many more."

 

Or even with this one…please see below

 

I want to raise a glass to an absolute gentleman, a loving husband, and amazing dad and my best friend ever. Words cannot express the way we feel towards you as you continue to radiate your happiness to each and every one of us.

You truly are an example of who a friend is and I would like us all raise a glass to wish this man a happy birthday!

 

Second, if your friend is a Christian, you can pronounce some blessings over his or her life or even conclude with this prayer from the fourth book of the bible.

 

Numbers 6:24-26

New King James Version

²⁴ “The Lord bless you and keep you;
²⁵ The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
²⁶ The Lord ^[a]lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.

 

Third, you can as well end with some well-wishes. Below are a few of them.

1. Every year on your birthday, I get reminded of how much you mean to me as a best friend.
2. Birthdays only come once a year, and your friendship only comes once a lifetime.
3. Cheers to the nights that turned into mornings and the friend that turned into family. Happy Birthday!
4. May you have all the love your heart can hold, all the happiness a day can bring, and all the blessings a life can unfold. Happy birthday!-Unknown

1. Life should be lived with a smile on your face and no one does a better job of putting one on my face than you. Happy birthday!-Unknown

 

Fourth, you can end on a bright note by singing a happy birthday song for your friend. To make it very hilarious and more personal, you can substitute a few words here and there with a few details about your friend.

 

Watch the video and see how I have done that below. Can you hum the tune and sing along to the beat of the song?

 

 

Ready? Ok….Let’s sing it together!

 

Happy 60^th birthday to my best friend

Happy 60^th birthday to my pal

Happy 60^th birthday to my friend foe

Happy birthday to Amanda

We have fought for 50 years

But we are still good friends

We have fought for 50 years

But I still love you

Thank you for always being there

PS:Did You Know This Simple And Very Easy-To-Follow Plan Can Help You Come Up With The Best Birthday Speech Ever For Your Friend?

Dear Caring Friend,

The most precious gift you can gift your friend are words because whatever you give him or her will fade sooner rather than later.

But your words will forever live in your friend's heart and ultimately propel him or her to be a much better person down road.

Unfortunately, many folks are not so good with words and it gets a bit terrifying when you imagine what to say before your own friend, his or her siblings and loved ones who will be looking forward to hearing from you a very heartfelt birthday toast.

Well, we know how hard coming up with the right words that will help you say something sweet and memorable, which is why we are giving you a  chance to come up with something inspiring, funny and memorable without pulling your hair out!

Just imagine how you would feel when your friend comes up to congratulate you after you have given a great birthday speech!

Want to get on board? You should by first clicking here to fill out this very short form. 

Ok, Is This Offer For Me?

• Yes, if you are expecting nothing less than a very special, beautiful, unique and memorable birthday speech.

• Yes, if you don’t have much time to write a perfect speech because of work demands and other life's pressure or even sick? 

Then, let’s take care of it and the guests will definitely sing your praises.

• Yes, if you are overwhelmed by the pressures of work and don’t have the time to put together a very meaningful speech, so you can have peace of mind

• Yes, if you want your friend, his or her family, and other party  guests to shower you with very sincere compliments…just imagine how you will feel

• Yes, if you are not good with words and you feel you’re not a natural writer and you are struggling to find the right words but still want to give a great birthday speech.

• Yes, if you get so scared anytime you’re asked to say something before an audience and you really want to save yourself from any form of embarrassment on your friend's birthday.

• Yes, if you are not too eloquent or not too sure if you are on the right track.

• Yes, if you absolutely hate speaking in public or feel this is not your thing but you want to make your friend feel very proud on their special day.

• Yes, if you have a day or less to the party and you are worried that you might make some horrible mistakes

• Yes, if you are a good speaker but you still want someone to look over or review what you've come up with!

Just imagine leaving your entire presentation in the hands of skilled speech consultants who will take away your pain of spending hours thinking hard and long about what to say and what not to say.

Also, envision being patiently guided to say something that will leave a favorable impression on the mind of your listeners.

And also imagine the thrill and feeling of excitement and pride you’re going to experience when the audience leap onto their feet and scream and shouts and even sing your praises…..your friend will be so proud of you

Won’t you love that? I hope you will...

Birthday party not too far away? Or happening in less than 24 hours? Trust me, we can deliver! it doesn’t matter if your speech is today, tomorrow, next week, next month ,next year,... we can make things work for you  

Ok, I am Interested, What’s the Cost?

You simply pay what you want after you’ve got your beautiful speech or letter.

Why? As you know, the current health crisis has caused severe hardships for most people.

Precious lives have been lost, jobs wiped out and families displaced, leaving everyone wondering what the future holds.

Yet, birthday celebrations are going on and people have to still inspire and motivate birthday celebrants with the right words.  

''Hi Dan, The speech was well received.  Everything went well''- Marshall, Australia

Nonetheless, not everyone could afford our services even before the pandemic suddenly hit us.

So, we have dropped our normal rates so you can simply pay what you want after you have got your beautiful speech.

Please note: When life gets back to normal, this offer will be scrapped for good.

So, please take advantage of it now even if the event is in the future.

Even though we are going through this crazy time, if you do a poor job at it, your speech will be captured on video and viewers will forever remember what you said and would not attribute your poor performance to the fact there was a deadly disease in town.   

So, please take advantage of it now even if the event is in the future by simply paying what you want after you get your beautiful speech.   

 

Below is a screenshot of what Philip sent to us when we helped him out. You can click on it if the image is not too clear.

 

He's not the only one. We helped Stella too.

 

 

Oh Ok, How Then Do I Get Started Since I Want To Get On Board Right Away?

Ok, here’s how it works

All you have to do RIGHT NOW is to click on this link to receive an easy-to-fill-in questionnaire via email. Check your email a few hours after you’ve submitted your request.

So,

1)CLICK HERE  NOW TO GET STARTED NOW TO GET YOUR GREAT SPEECH NOW BY FILLING OUT THIS QUESTIONNAIRE---you only pay after your beautiful speech has been delivered. So, you can have peace of mind!

2. After that, we will send you a very short questionnaire to fill out via email! You only have to check your email a few hours after you have made your request

3. Then, you fill out the questionnaire sent through your email, and please have it sent back to us…

4. We will confirm receipt of it…If something is not too clear, we will ask you to clarify….

5. If not, we will send you a wonderful draft in a couple of hours if this on very short notice….If not, after a few days

6. Then, you look it over and tell us if you are okay with it or you want to amend it till you are happy with it--although we always get it right even with the first draft.
7. Then, we ask you to pay cash for it. It's as simple as that!

Just a reminder of what you pay after it’s duly completed.

Ok, I am Interested, What’s the Cost?

Why? As you know, the current health crisis has caused severe hardships for most people.

Precious lives have been lost, jobs wiped out and families displaced, leaving everyone wondering what the future holds.

Yet, birthday celebrations are going on and people have to still inspire and motivate birthday celebrants with the right words. 

Nonetheless, not everyone could afford our services even before the pandemic suddenly hit us.

So, we have dropped our normal rates so you can simply pay what you want after you have got your beautiful speech.

Please note: When life gets back to normal, this offer will be scrapped for good.

So, please take advantage of it now even if the event is in the future.

Even though we are going through this crazy time, if you do a poor job at it, your speech will be captured on video, and viewers will forever remember what you said and would not attribute your poor performance to the fact there was a deadly disease in town.  

So, please take advantage of it now even if the birthday is in the future by simply paying what you want after you get your beautiful speech.   

Please note: Your speech draft comes with a proven and simple tip to master your speech or remember your speech just as you want it without carrying a paper with you.

Just see what someone said about that great tip that's proven to calm your nerves and help you speak with purpose, poise, and clarity!

''Hi Dan,

The speech went very well, I modified it a bit and practiced it as you suggested (great advice).  Thanks for all your help and if I need a prepared speech again I’ll definitely contact you.

All the best,

Matt''

Please note: Don’t fill out this form if you’re a dishonest individual. This offer is for a limited time.

So, CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED NOW TO GET YOUR GREAT SPEECH NOW BY FILLING OUT A QUESTIONNAIRE---you only pay after your beautiful speech has been delivered. So, you can have peace of mind and not lose money. The risk is on us!

You don't have to worry about paying our per speech for now.

Forget about money and let’s write something for you. We believe in the values of honesty and integrity and we think you should be happy with our work first.

So, Here Are The Benefits You Get When You Get On Board!

• A great speech written by our wedding speech consultants that reflects what you want to say exactly

• We coach you on how to use your voice to make your speech very exciting.

• We show you a simple but often overlook strategy to rehearse your speech even if you have a very poor memory. This method is used by great speakers like Obama and was used by Abraham Lincoln and his compatriots

• The most effective way to get your entire speech into your head without memorizing your speech. Guaranteed to help you even if you have a very poor memory or your memory is like a goldfish…most of our clients still wonder where we got this idea from. This ensures that you don't read off a sheet of paper...

Just see what someone said about that great tip that's proven to calm your nerves and help you speak with purpose, poise, and clarity!

''Hi Dan,

The speech went very well, I modified it a bit and practiced it as you suggested (great advice).  Thanks for all your help and if I need a prepared speech again I’ll definitely contact you.

All the best,

Matt''

• Ways to include humor in your speech and what it takes to do so

So, CLICK HERE TO GET STARTED NOW TO GET YOUR GREAT SPEECH NOW BY FILLING OUT A QUESTIONNAIRE---you only pay after your beautiful speech has been delivered. So, you can have peace of mind and not lose money. The risk is on us!

Remember, you have to see your speech first before you pay. So, you can relax and let us sweat it out at our expense!