How to Toast to the Happy Couple on Their Wedding Day

Give the couple a copy of your speech for them to save.

The wedding toast got its name a long time ago, when a piece of bread would be placed in a wine cup to absorb the sediments at the bottom. The cup would be passed among friends as a sign of mutual trust, and whoever reached the "toast" first got to eat it. Today, toasts are traditionally given at wedding receptions. According to "Martha Stewart Weddings" magazine, the best man traditionally gives the first toast, followed by the maid of honor, the couple themselves and finally the couple's parents.

Instructions

1. Stand up and make sure the microphone is turned on. Joyce Newman, the owner of the public-speaking training company the Newman Group, suggests counting to three when you first get the microphone, then looking directly at the bride and groom. If you start your toast by directly addressing their familiar faces, you'll be more comfortable and confident before you look at a sea of strangers.

2. Recite a quote about love or marriage; give credit to the source. The wedding Website The Knot suggests starting off this way, and using a beautiful quote takes the pressure off of you to come up with a creative first line. If you're trying to give a more humorous speech, this can be a chance to get a first laugh out of the crowd by reciting a silly love quote, like from a cartoon or an extra cheesy love song.

3. Say thank you to whoever paid for the wedding. Don't mention anything about money, but acknowledge the couple's parents for throwing the event and compliment them on the beauty of the wedding. If the couple paid for the wedding, The Knot suggests thanking them for inviting all of you to share in their day.

4. Explain who you are and your relationship to the couple, since not everyone will know. Give an anecdote about your relationship with your friend, then talk about when you first met his new spouse. If you have a funny or slightly embarrassing story about your friend, you can tell it now. However, unless you know his new spouse and her sense of humor very well, you should avoid telling any anecdote that could possibly embarrass her in front of all her friends and family.

5. Wrap up your toast with a message of love and congratulations for the couple. You don't have to get sappy; just be sincere about what you hope for them. Wish them a lifetime of happiness, or say you hope to someday have a relationship like theirs. Look directly at them while you say this part.

6. Ask all the guests to raise their glasses and toast to the couple. Raise your drink in the air in the direction of the couple, say "To Mike and Sarah" (or, of course, the names of the couple), then take a sip from your drink. Hand the microphone off to the next speech giver and take a deep breath.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice makes perfect, so write your speech out in advance and practice it over and over, until you can recite it from memory. Write the speech out on note cards that you can hold during the toast in case you lose your place. Keep your toast shorter than three minutes long.

• If nerves strike, don't apologize. Guests probably won't even notice that you're nervous, unless you point it out to them. If you really flub your speech, don't beat yourself up. Everyone is focused on the bride and groom, and they won't remember the details of your speech after it's over.

• Don't tell inside jokes or stories that will offend any guests, and don't mention any of the couple's ex-girlfriends or ex-boyfriends.

References

• "Martha Stewart Weddings": Planning & Tools: Reception Toasts
• "Martha Stewart Weddings": Planning & Tools: Toasts
• The Knot: Toasting: Best Man Basics
• The Knot: Tips for Maid of Honor Speeches