If you love watching feel good romantic comedies, chances are that you would have come across at least a few wedding toasts made by the best man or by the bride of honour at the wedding. As the glasses of champagne are raised, the person making the toast enjoys making a dig or two at the couple while everybody has a good laugh. In reality, however, a wedding toast which involves letting out a secret or two about either the groom or the bride is unlikely to receive much applause at all, unless of course, spirits are high and everybody is in a jovial mood. On the other hand, other than the possibility that someday it could be a few skeletons in your closet which are revealed to friends and family (assuming you are single!), wouldn’t it be nice to be remembered for a wedding toast that struck all the right chords with the audience?
So here are a few tips to help you mesmerize all the wedding guests with a wedding toast:
Have a theme: Depending upon whether you are from the groom’s or bride’s side and your proximity to him or her, it’s good to have a general sketch of what you really want to say. For example, if you are an old classmate of the groom, you could talk about one or two funny (but not embarrassing) incidents from school. Or if you are a sister of the bride, you could talk about what your sister means to you and even relate a touching incident or two. The key is to make your wedding toast personal but in a nice way, so that the newlywed couple feel special too.
Leave out embarrassing details: Let’s be honest- most of us may have had embarrassing incidents in life which we wouldn’t want to be reminded about, let along laughed about in a public forum! So, if you know a personal thing or two about the bride or groom, don’t include such personal information in your wedding toast. A toast is supposed to be a sweet message full of good wishes for a newlywed couple who are just about to embark on a new journey together and is most definitely not the time to talk about exes, drunken brawls or catfights.
Make notes and practise: Unless you are a spontaneous speaker or one who is extremely confident that the words will all come out right on D-day, it always helps to write down your wedding toast and to make small glance cards if necessary. Never read out your toast word for word from your notes, but make the effort to talk in a natural flow while maintaining eye contact. Practice as much as you can and if possible, in front of other family members and friends, so that you get an honest feedback about your speech.
D-Day Tips: On the wedding day, await your turn to make the wedding toast. Ensure that you have a filled glass of champagne or wine in your hand and that the guests have a filled glass with them too. As many of the guests may not know who you are, it is appropriate to announce your relationship to the couple. In case, you are holding a mic and your notes in both hands, it is alright to keep your glass on a table in front of you, but if either hand is free, it’s important to make the toast with the glass in your hand. Maintain eye contact with the couple and the guests, pause at intervals and smile. After you have toasted the couple, take your seat so that the next person can make a toast.