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Writing a great birthday speech requires you to have a great topic and to deliver the information in an way that will capture the attention of the audience. It is not difficult to write a birthday speech if you follow some well-tested tips.
Tips on Birthday Speech Writing
Birthday celebrations are good times to celebrate life, friends, and family. A great speech or toast can have a lasting impression and be an appreciated gift.
Here are some tips to help your speech or toast become an enduring and perfect gift.
- Do some research – Before sitting down to write your speech, find out who is coming, whether it’s family only or if friends are also invited. Know if it is formal or informal and if you are the only speaker. If you are not the only speaker, ask about the speaking order and think about what the others are likely to talk about. You may even want to ask them. You may want to ask close friends or family members if there is anything in particular they want included in your speech. Find out how long you are expected to speak. Remember, less is more.
- Consider your tone – Your speech should be light, entertaining, and positive. Your language should be PG-rated, unless it is a very small group of close friends. Even then, you should not get too risqué or personal.
- Organize your content – Basically, you need an introduction, body, and conclusion. The conclusion can go right into a toast. Keep it short, too. Birthday speech writing should be concise and memorable. Write your speech on index cards or cue cards and practice it a few times.
Jokes and Quotes
Now that you are ready for your birthday speech writing, here are some jokes and quotes to add spice and humor. It would be proper to mention the author of the quote in your speech. Here are two good jokes:
- Speech-making is like prospecting. If you don’t strike oil in 10 minutes, stop boring.
- The best speech makers follow three simple rules: Stand Up, Speak Up, and then very quickly, Shut Up.
Here are some examples of entertaining birthday quotes:
- “Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” – Jack Benny
- “A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman’s birthday but never remembers her age.” – Robert Frost
- “Middle age is when you still believe you’ll feel better in the morning.” – Bob Hope
- “The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.” – Lucille Ball
- “Youth is a wonderful thing. What a crime to waste it on children.” – George Bernard Shaw
See more birthday quotes.
Potential Topics for a Birthday Speech
Here is a list of potential topics to talk about in your speech. These are just suggestions so you can use as many as you wish.
- Introduction: This can include thanking everyone for coming and their gifts, thanking the person who asked you to make a speech, and thanking the people who planned the party. You might think about thanking the host for your invitation and congratulating the guest of honor.
- The Past: Reminiscence about shared experiences or milestones, especially funny ones. Look back to this day in history for interesting things that happened. This could be interesting to the guests. You could mention the circumstances of the birth of the honoree.
- The Party and Guest of Honor: Mention any special circumstances, like an age milestone, how many people are there, or the setting of the party. Summarize the honoree’s interests, talents, achievements, or hobbies. You could “roast” a bit, as long as it is just slight teasing. Don’t say anything too embarrassing. A very brief summary of his or her life could work, too.
- The Future: Mention any hopes or desires of the honoree. Be positive and supportive.
- Toast: You may want to end with a toast. You can sum up the speech, thank everyone again and congratulate the guest of honor, or toast to the honoree’s health.
If the speech is from the heart, it will be a good speech and the memory can last a lifetime.