What Are Some Good Wedding Toasts?
Wedding toasts add to the celebratory mood of a wedding. A good wedding toast should be both sentimental and filled with humor, leaving the audience with a warm, fuzzy feeling. Traditionally, the best man, maid of honor, father of the bride and the groom all have a say during the toasts. In non-traditional weddings, the couple may request specific people to do a toast. Although there are a lot of free wedding toast samples available online, a personal toast is more meaningful to the couple.
Other People Are Reading
-
General Tips for a Good Toast
-
Start with an icebreaker, a joke or a funny story about either the bride or groom. Open and close with a bang, keeping your best stories for the beginning and end of the toast. The best toasts consist of a bit of humor blended with sentimental moments, so your words should be funny yet tender.
Keep it tasteful, avoiding vulgar, rude or embarrassing jokes. Especially avoid spilling secrets from the past that might hurt the marriage before it has even begun. Keep the toast brief (two to three minutes,) as a short toast will be more memorable than a lengthy one during which guests are likely to get bored.
Be sincere and use your own words. Your guests will know whether you are speaking from the heart or just reading from a "borrowed" sample. Prepare for the toast practicing in front of the mirror and timing yourself. Know what you want to say and keep eye contact with the guests and the couple. Most of all, relax and be your charming self.
Best Man / Maid of Honor
-
As best man or maid of honor you will be toasting either the bride or groom. Don't forget to say something about the other partner. If you are toasting the groom, mention how stunning the bride looks and how she has brought out new, admirable qualities in the groom.
Share any silly things you did as kids and your impressions about the couple. Tell if you were involved when the couple got together. Mention if there are any special habits or nicknames. Remember to be complimentary when addressing the couple. See Resources for some samples of good wedding toasts or jokes to incorporate in your speech.
-
Father / Mother of the Bride
-
Traditionally, the father of the bride gives the first wedding speech to welcome guests. In non-traditional weddings, other parents of the couple also may propose a toast. The words you use will depend on your situation, your lifestyle and your personality.
Give the bridal couple some good advice that you may have after years of experience with relationships and married life. Include some amusing (or teasing) comments about your daughter's childhood years, and express your blessing on their marriage.
Groom / Bride Toast
-
Guests will expect the groom to give a speech during the toasts. Modern-day brides however also like to have their say. If both of you are doing a toast, communicate beforehand who is going to say what. You don't have to discuss your whole speech with your other half, but it is wise to talk about who will thank the guests and the caterers.
Be serious and even a bit mushy when expressing your gratitude and love for your life partner. The groom should always tell the bride how beautiful she looks. She has gone through a lot of effort to make herself pretty for the day. Remember to make both sets of parents feel special with a few sincere words of thanks as it is also a big day for them.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
