Speeches & Toasts

Wedding Toast Tips

Wedding toasts are certainly much easier to prepare than a wedding speech is. Normally, the person proposing the toast will have a short humorous story to tell about the bride or groom (or whomever they are toasting) and will then proceed with the actual toast. Here are some general guidelines to follow as you prepare your wedding toast: Keep your toast short, no more than one to two minutes. Remember wedding toasts are not wedding speeches. When you're ready to make your toast, be sure to stand up so people can see you.

Before toasting, give the guests time to refill their glasses.

If you are the one receiving the toast, stay seated.

Hold your glass in your right hand when proposing the toast and raise the glass toward the person you are toasting when you are finished.

After a toast, it is customary for everyone to clink glasses before sipping.

Humor is good, humiliation is not. Do not bring up old romances or other extremely embarrassing subjects, and keep the stories clean and appropriate for the audience. Keep in mind that there are usually older people (grandparent's) and children present.

Speak slowly and clearly. Make sure you are loud enough so the people at the back of the room can hear you, without yelling.

As your making your toast, look around the room at the guests. As you finish up, be sure to make eye contact with the bride and groom, or the person you are presenting the toast too.

Practice your toast before the wedding. Some people have a knack for winging it, but it's best to be prepared.

Recommended Resources

Wedding Toasts Made Easy is an easy-to-read guide covering one of the most difficult parts of a wedding... presenting a wedding toast. It covers everything that you'll need to know about how to write and propose a compelling toast without embarrassing yourself or anyone else! You will learn the etiquette of toasting, the order and timing of toasts, and the optimum length that your toast should be. It also covers the fear of public speaking and how you can easily overcome stage-fright, how to use humor tastefully, and much, much more. If you need to present a wedding toast, this is an excellent resource to have on hand.
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