Greeting a friend, a relative or an event should be a light and non-binding thing, and this is exactly what stresses so many people. On the one hand, you have to make an effort for it to turn out well, on the other hand, you must not be seen as someone who is making an effort. There is the difficulty of navigating between being informal on the one hand and looking disrespectful on the other, and in the background the risk of an unfunny joke or an insulting compliment.
That's why I present here a method that always works for giving an interesting and light-looking but well-planned and respectable greeting. The technique divides the blessing into three parts - to capture the audience's attention, to explain the moral of the opening and relate it to the hero of the event, and finally to present a forward vision.

First step - steal the attention

Contrary to the usual speeches I teach, a greeting cannot be too formal, so openings as is customary in speeches and lectures ("I will present 3 reasons for the crisis: moral, economic and political") do not go over well. Instead, you should start with something that grabs attention - usually it will be a story (mostly personal) but it can be a famous quote (it's easy to steal a number) or a joke (if any).

a story
This is the easiest and most available option - a light story that presents the groom of the event in a positive light. If you don't have such a story ready, you can always tell how you met him for the first time. What is important is that the story be relevant to the groom of the event, and preferably also relevant to you.
a quote
A wise saying of a well-known (or not so well-known) person is a short and effective way to start a greeting and a speech. For those who do not know many of these, it is recommended to have one of the books in the style of "Wisdom of Great People" at home or to visit my website www.guyariv.com/quotes. In case of emergencies, you can always stop at Stimatsky and take a look at the book of sayings there, this can also be a gift for the occasion...).
joke
It's a high-risk option - great if it works, embarrassing if it fails. To work a joke needs to be funny (not just you), be relevant to the occasion, and non-offensive. By the way, self-joking will not work.

Second step - explain the morals

This is the stage where we put our content and depth into the blessing. We need to explain what the lesson of the story/quote/joke is, and especially how it relates to the groom of the occasion. It is important not to be too short in this section, and to devote at least three sentences to it.
At this stage we will explain how the personal story or quote demonstrates a positive attribute of the groom of the event.

Third step - present a vision

If the opening presented the past (a story from the past, or a quote from someone ancient), and the moral refers to the present and how the groom of the event is successful and talented, then the third stage deals with the vision for the future. This stage can be standard and trite, but also exciting and original.

The trite option - a bunch of wishes
This is the standard approach - to wish the groom of the event some good wishes - health, wealth and happiness, for example. You can be a little more personal and wish success in concrete things like a course or a project.
The special option - a picture of the future
With this approach we present to the audience a picture of the future as we would wish for the groom of the event. For example, "I wish you that next year we will meet in a bigger office, with a bigger team and with lots of new clients" or "I am sure that next year we will congratulate you on completing your degree and on the fact that of all the employers that will compete with you, you were able to choose the one that pays the best and provides the most interest"

So go ahead, start practicing and have a Happy holiday!