How to Give a Wedding Toast

Giving a wedding toast is a huge honor. You're being asked to pay public tribute to the happy couple whose special day is being honored. People who are asked to give wedding toasts are generally close friends or favored family members of the bride or groom. Being asked to give the toast is a strong indicator that the person doing the asking has a great deal of trust in you. Don't let him down. Learn how to give an exceptional wedding toast.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Write your wedding toast out beforehand. The wedding reception is not the time to come up with a toast off the top of your head. Organize your thoughts and make sure you're touching on all the points you think are important by putting it down on paper.

2. Say only good things. Your toast is not an appropriate venue for talking about how the groom stole your girlfriend in high school or for telling everyone about the bride's crush on David Cassidy. Keep it sweet and affectionate.

3. Throw in a joke or two. Just because you're making nice doesn't mean the whole toast has to be sappy. An amusing anecdote or two or a tasteful joke will help break up the speech and increase the enjoyment of your audience.

4. Use your personal remembrances of the couple. Talk about fun things you've done together and mention the good or unique deeds of the bride and groom in order to personalize the toast.

5. Keep it short. In most cases, a wedding toast should not be more than 5 minutes in length. Try anything longer and you risk losing the attention of your audience.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't read your speech off of note cards or a sheet of paper. Memorize it in advance. This will help you to give a more focused, dynamic presentation. It's not interesting for anyone to watch as someone reads from her notes without making eye contact with the audience. If you must, keep one index card on hand with the important points of your speech written on it. If you lose track of what you're saying, you can quickly refer to the card, then put it away again.
• Avoid talking with your hands. This will prove distracting for your audience. Keep your hands as still as possible without causing yourself to appear stiff. If a lectern is available, put your hands on that. If not, keep them loose at your sides. If there is a microphone for you to use, you can keep one hand busy holding it.