As a planner, I have heard literally thousands of
speeches and toasts at weddings over the past 12 years. Some have been touching and others frightful.
The key to giving a good toast or speech is, first and foremost,
it must come from the heart. If you‘re
naturally funny then that will shine. If
you’re naturally compassionate then that will come through. Don’t force the comedy, there’s nothing worse
trying to make a joke that only half the guests will understand; or worse yet,
making a joke that’s inappropriate all together.
That brings me to my next point; make sure you know who
you are talking to. I have heard many a toast that was inappropriate to the
point it was offensive, not only to the couple getting married, but also to the
guests. As the person giving the toast, you
have to remember grandma, Aunt Ida and others who are in the audience. Watch
what you say. If you want to be crass
then do that at the bachelor party in Vegas, not at the wedding reception.
It’s also important to remember when you give a toast to
the couple, you are giving a toast to both the bride and the groom, not just to
one or the other. You may know one
person better than the other and, if that’s the case, keep the toast simple. Wishing them a lifetime of happiness and
expressing the joy that you feel because they are together may be just enough
to get your sentiments across. But going
on and on about how you used to play cops and robbers as kids and then recounting
the tale of when you pledged your fraternity, quite honestly, is of no interest
to the guests. No one really cares….
What guests do care about is how long your toast is going
to be. Guests actually dread the
toasts…simple reason; all too often they go on way too long. A simple way to keep the toast short is to stick
to the basics of wishing the couple happiness and then pass on your blessings for
a bright and beautiful future.
Compliment them on their love for each other and raise your glass. A good toast is one that is short (two
minutes or less).
If you stick to these simple suggestions guests will
remember your toast because it was to the point, simple and did not force any
bad jokes or long stories on them.
Until next time – Cheers!
