Preparing a Wedding Toast to Remember

Speaking in front of friends and relatives can be a nerve-wracking experience. You worry that you will stammer and stutter, or you'll be so nervous that everyone will be able to hear your voice shaking. Preparation is the key to relieving yourself of some of this nervousness. As far as what you say in your wedding toast, that is a bit trickier. In a mixed crowd (namely one that includes your parents and in-laws), your wedding toast needs to meet a high standard of etiquette and decorum. There are no hard and fast rules to follow in creating a memorable wedding toast. As long as your speech includes humor and sentiment, and is an enjoyable length and pace, it will go over well with your guests.

All Jokes Aside

It's true that humor can break the ice and help you to feel more at ease about presenting your wedding toast, however, don't just throw out jokes. Is there a story about you and your significant other that has a humorous ending? These go over much better than what you might find in a joke book. If you decide to tell a personal story, check with your significant other to make sure it is acceptable. One thing that can definitely ruin a wedding toast is the look of embarrassment or anger on your new spouse's face.

Tell Them How You Feel

Showing public sentiment is typically more difficult for men. So just adding a small amount of emotion to a wedding toast will be adequate for the groom. You don't have to make it very deep. Just a few words to show your guests how you feel about your wife are sufficient. Mystery is a good element to couple with emotion when giving your toast. Hinting at something that is only known to you and your partner makes the toast especially romantic.

Keep it Moving

You know how you're talking to someone and you have the urge to finish their statements for them because they take forever to get to the point? Don't do this with your wedding toast. This is the fastest way to lose your guests and to slow down the reception. It is a good idea to practice your toast several times. Memorize it if that helps.

Keep it Short

A wedding toast is a speech, but a SHORT one. You don't want to put people to sleep or worse, have people leaving the ceremony. Practice the toast beforehand and make sure that it is no longer than a few minutes.

A wedding toast is a special speech, one you will never give again, so make it memorable for everyone. Put some quality time and energy into the words you will say. If you do, your partner will be forever grateful and guests will talk about your reception for days to come.