Wedding toasts - a nightmare moment or a great moment
Posted by AMIT SUTHAR
The big day is coming and you have to get your wedding toast ready? So far, you are on the right track. This is something that can go wrong easily so initial research and a responsible attitude is important. But what else is there? What should you say? Should you make that joke you just thought about? Let's get you ready for the mother of all wedding toasts.
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Wedding toasts are memorable. Is the one that you make going to be good?
Why Should You Give a Toast?
Simply put - it is going to be the best present you give to the newlyweds. This is your time to step it up and deliver a great speech to congratulate two people making the most important decision in their lives. The speech will represent the bride and groom at the reception - the classy part of the wedding. Keep that in mind and stay away from risky behavior and jokes that may be perceived as inappropriate.
Wedding Toasts - The Key to a Good Reception
If there’s one thing that gets remembered from receptions it is the toast. People expect to hear something genuine about the newlyweds. So make it personal. Splitting the speech in three parts makes sense - start with the past. Introduce yourself briefly and talk about how the couple have changed since they met. This could be the right moment to include a joke. Keep it clean, though - you don’t know half the guests.
Cover their life as it is currently and if you think you can pull it off - leave some space for improvisation and talk about the wedding. Top it all up with your wishes for the future and you’ve got yourself a decent speech. And do yourself a favor - don’t write a speech about yourself. Tell a story that connects to the audience, avoiding cliches.
Have all your speech written down and get familiar with it rather than going through the unnecessary hassle of memorizing it. Practice the whole thing in front of a friend who knows the couple. You will get some valuable feedback and grow confident in yourself. People will look at you with renewed affection and respect if you manage to deliver a good wedding toast.
What Not To Say… and Do
First and foremost, make sure you are in a fit condition to do the job.This means staying clear of alcohol. Wedding toasts are not easy to pull off so you want to be the best version of yourself. Double check that you're looking sharp, don't underestimate the details - sport some engraved cufflinks if you wish as you will be the center of attention for 3-4 important minutes. Make sure you are not telling an endless story. Or a story about exes for that matter. Even if there are no hard feelings, this will only bring unnecessary awkwardness.
Speaking of awkward moments, making a mistake might be one. If this happens, don’t sweat over it too much, just move on. Nobody is expecting you to be perfect. Nevertheless, approach everything about the toast with great caution. Be considerate when thinking about compliments as well; it’s not just jokes that can do harm. Avoid anything that could be misconstrued.
It’s inevitable to ask for help when writing your speech and often times people turn to the internet for this. Despite some interesting options like personalized wedding toast services, a great danger lurks. The danger of a noticeably plagiarized, very impersonal toast is real and yet easy to avoid. Remember to pay tribute to the couple's personal qualities and keep rash comments to a bare minimum.
