How to Make a Toast for Parents at a Rehearsal Dinner

With the hustle and bustle of wedding planning, it is easy to forget to thank the important people in your life who helped make the event possible. The rehearsal dinner is a great time to show appreciation to close friends and family members, especially your parents. Make a special toast that your parents will remember for years to come.

Things You'll Need

• Glasses of champagne

Instructions

1. Start writing the speech well before the rehearsal dinner. If you think well on your feet, you can improvise during the actual toast, but you should know the basics of what you will say before you stand up with your glass in hand.

2. Create a personal toast based on your relationship with your parents. The speech can include what your parents have taught you about love, a special way they contributed to the wedding, a story about the first time they met your mate or anything that portrays your relationship and expresses your appreciation.

3. Insert a joke to lighten the mood if you feel comfortable using humor in your speech. If not, keep it straight and to the point.

4. Deliver your toast just before the main course at the rehearsal dinner.

5. Speak clearly and make eye contact with the guests, occasionally turning to acknowledge your parents as the source of the toast.

6. End your toast by asking the guests to join you in the toast by raising their glasses.

7. Let everyone know the toast is complete by including an ending remark that signals it is time for guests to tip their glasses up and drink to your parents. You could say "cheers" or "drink up."

Tips & Warnings

• Keep the attention of your guests by limiting your speech to 5 minutes or less.

• A toast should have a beginning, middle and end.

• If you are nervous about forgetting your remarks, write the basic points of your toast on a notecard that you can easily reference during the toast if needed.

• Consider toasting your fiance's parents as well to avoid hurt feelings that could result if you only toast one set of parents.

• Avoid prewritten speeches that you find online. If you take the easy way out and read a speech that is readily available to anyone, you risk a guest recognizing it from another event. A short quote is fine to include, but your speech should be creative and personal.

• Never give a toast if you have had too much to drink.