You've been asked to give a toast — one of the greatest honors at a wedding. You've written something heartfelt and even rehearsed it a few times. But when the microphone lands in your hands and every face in the room turns toward you, the nerves hit. You glance down at your phone to find your place… and suddenly you're scrolling through a wall of text, trying to remember where you left off.
Here's a better way: ditch the document and build a slide deck instead.
The Problem with a Word Doc or Google Doc
Writing your speech in a document feels natural — it's just how most people write. But a long block of text is one of the worst formats for actually delivering a speech.
When you're standing in front of 150 people with a microphone, you're juggling a lot at once. You're looking up at the couple. You're making eye contact with the crowd. You're managing your nerves. Every time you look back down at a document, you have to find your exact spot in that wall of text — and if you lose it for even a second, it can throw off your whole rhythm. Scrolling through a PDF or essay-style document mid-speech is stressful in a way that's hard to appreciate until you're actually up there.
Why a Slide Deck Works So Much Better
A slide deck solves this problem completely. Instead of one long document, your speech is broken into individual slides — one per thought, story, or moment. Each slide shows you exactly where you are. When you finish a point, you swipe to the next one. That's it. There's no scrolling, no searching, no losing your place.
The other big advantage is that a slide keeps you looking up. The best speeches happen when the speaker is talking to the room, not reading at a phone. A quick glance down at a single headline is all you need to remember what comes next — then your eyes go straight back to the couple, and that's where the real connection happens.
How to Build Your Speech Deck
You don't need any design skills for this. Google Slides, Keynote on iPhone, or PowerPoint all work perfectly. Here's how to set it up:
One slide, one idea
Each slide should hold a single talking point — an introduction, a story, a memory, a wish for the couple. If you feel like you have two things to say on one slide, split it into two slides. The goal is that a single glance tells you exactly what to talk about next.
Write headlines, not paragraphs
Put 3–5 words at the top of each slide as a headline. "How we met in college." "The camping trip story." "What she means to me." These are prompts for your memory — not a script. Below the headline, you can add one short sentence as a safety net if you need it, but keep it brief.
Make the text big
You'll be holding your phone at your side or low in front of you, glancing down for half a second at a time. Bump your font size up so you can read it instantly. This is not the time for a tasteful 12pt font.
Practice swiping, not reading
Run through your speech a few times at home with the deck. Each swipe should trigger a memory — not a paragraph to recite. If you find yourself reading the slide instead of just glancing at it, rewrite that slide until the headline is enough on its own.
Keep it on the right slide before you start
On the night of the wedding, open your deck before the toasts begin and navigate to slide one. Then all you have to do is swipe forward as you go. No opening apps, no searching for the right file while everyone watches.
A Simple Example Structure
Here's what a five-slide speech deck might look like:
- Slide 1: Who you are — "I'm [Name], the best man / maid of honor"
- Slide 2: How you know the couple — one line to set up your story
- Slide 3: The story — your one great anecdote
- Slide 4: What this day means — something genuine about the couple
- Slide 5: The toast — "Please raise your glasses…"
Five swipes. Two minutes. A speech everyone will remember.
You'll Thank Yourself for It
The couples we work with remember the toasts that felt personal and present — the ones where the speaker was clearly there with them, not buried in a phone. A slide deck is what gets you there. It's a small change in how you prepare, but it makes a huge difference in how the moment feels — for you and for everyone watching.
And if you want more advice on nailing your toast from start to finish, check out our Wedding Toast Tips for guidance on what to say, how long to speak, and how to handle the microphone.