Example 1: Warm and funny, co-hosting with her dad (about 4 minutes)
523 words · about 4 min spoken
Good evening, everyone. I’m Yolanda, Imani’s mom. First, I want to thank you all for being here with us today. Curtis and I are so grateful to celebrate with family and friends, and I know some of you traveled a long way. Thank you for sharing this day with us. Grace and Samuel, thank you for the wonderful rehearsal dinner last night. And a very special thanks to my sister Bernice, who made the flowers look almost as beautiful as the bride.
I want to take a moment to talk about Imani. From the very beginning, she was the bossiest, busiest little girl in Decatur. At eight, she ran a lemonade stand and charged the neighbor girls two dollars to braid their hair on our porch—entrepreneurial and a negotiator, right from the start. She built Lego cities that covered my whole living room floor. God help anyone who tried to vacuum too close to one of her bridges.
Imani, I am so proud of you. Today you are a civil engineer, designing real bridges in Charlotte. You’re fiercely loyal, and you are always the first person your friends call in a crisis. You still make a color-coded list for everything—including this wedding, which I have to say, was a big help to your mother.
Imani has kept me on my toes in so many ways. When she was nine, she wrote out a contract in purple glitter pen promising to clean her room every Saturday if I let her stay up later. She made me sign it. I still keep it in my jewelry box. And when I had knee surgery, she cooked me dinner every night for two weeks. It was mostly spaghetti, and one night the garlic bread set off the smoke alarm. She stood on a chair fanning it with a cookbook, and I just remember thinking, this girl can handle anything.
Then one Thanksgiving, Daniel walked in with a sweet potato pie he made himself, from his grandmother’s recipe. And it was better than mine. I’m not too proud to admit it. He washed every dish in my kitchen without even being asked. That night I told Curtis, “That one’s a keeper.”
Daniel, we are so happy to welcome you to our family. You are quiet and steady, and you balance Imani’s whirlwind perfectly. Thank you for loving her, for being her partner in both crossword puzzles and in life. And to Grace and Samuel, and Daniel’s brothers Kofi and Kwame—I’m so glad we’re all family now.
One thing I admire is how you two keep that little gratitude board on your fridge. Every day, one thing you’re thankful for. That habit will carry you through life’s ups and downs. And when you argue, please keep doing it in pencil—so it’s easy to erase and start again.
I also want to remember my mother, Ruth, who taught Imani to make cornbread. She always said Imani would marry a man who could cook. Grandma, you were right.
(Raise your glass) To Imani and Daniel—may your days be full of gratitude and laughter, and may your bridges always be strong. Cheers!
What the writer told Toastful to get this speech
- Speaker
- Yolanda, mother of the bride
- Childhood
- Imani was the bossiest, busiest little girl on our street in Decatur. At eight she ran a lemonade stand and charged the neighbor girls two dollars to braid their hair on our front porch. She built Lego cities across my whole living room floor and would not let anyone vacuum near them.
- Personality
- I want to say this to Imani directly: I am so proud of you. Today she is a civil engineer in Charlotte who designs real bridges, fiercely loyal, and the first person her friends call in a crisis. She still makes a color-coded list for everything, including this wedding.
- First impression
- The first time Daniel came for Thanksgiving, he brought a sweet potato pie he baked himself from his grandmother's recipe. It was better than mine, and I am still not over it. Then he washed every dish in my kitchen without being asked, and I told Curtis that night, 'That one's a keeper.'
- Stories
- When Imani was nine she wrote me a contract in purple glitter pen, promising to clean her room every Saturday in exchange for a later bedtime. She made me sign it, and I still keep it in my jewelry box. And when I had knee surgery the year she turned fifteen, she cooked dinner for me every night for two weeks. It was mostly spaghetti, and one night the garlic bread set off the smoke alarm, so she stood on a chair fanning it with a cookbook.
- The couple
- Daniel is quiet and steady, and Imani is a whirlwind. They keep a little whiteboard on their fridge where they each write one thing they're grateful for every day, and they argue every Saturday about whether to do the crossword in pen or pencil.
- Welcome
- Daniel's parents, Grace and Samuel Mensah, and his twin brothers, Kofi and Kwame.
- Remembering
- My mother, Ruth, Imani's grandmother, who passed away two years ago. She taught Imani to make cornbread and always said Imani would marry a man who could cook.
- Thank-yous
- Imani's father, Curtis, who is hosting today with me. Grace and Samuel for the beautiful rehearsal dinner. My sister Bernice, who did all the flowers.
- Wishes
- Keep that gratitude board going, especially on the hard days. And when you argue, argue in pencil, so it's easy to erase.