How To Give The Perfect Wedding Toast From The Sonoma Wine Country To New York City

Who gives a Wedding Toast????  

Anyone can after the maid of honor, best man & family first share theirs.

When are toasts appropriate?

Wedding Shower - Maid of Honor & Hostess of Shower

Girls Night Out - The Bride For Her Bridesmaids

Bachelor Party - Best Man For The Groom

Rehearsal Dinner - Fathers and/or Mothers of the Bride & Groom 

Receptions - Best Man & Maid of Honor & Parents

Every culture is different on this sign of respect and celebration process. 

                                                     Photo by: DUphotography.com

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TIPS On Giving A Wedding Toast For A Bride & Groom

by JR Moore WeddingLinks.co

You know you will be making a toast very soon for a wedding celebration.  Even though the event is still weeks away you are already fretting about what you are going to say in you your wedding speech.  This is one of the most important duties, and even tho the movies show people flubbing up - most speeches go well and are long remembered.

Gather a few tools before you begin.  There are some great articles and books written on speech making, books on romantic quotes and read Anne Wycoff's paper on

                                 Love Is A Verb - to gain insight on the meaning of love.

The words spoken to the bride and groom, and their wedding guests should convey the importance of the celebration and connect the guests with the couple on a more meaningful way.  With a bit of early preparation and creativity, you speech can easily become one of the highlights of their day.

Before beginning any toast, find the microphone that will help carry your voice to the back of the room.  Arrange with the servers to make certain the guests and couple's glasses are filled, and call their attention to your beginning the toast by telling the DJ/or tap on a glass for attention.  Having the crowd hang on your every word is easy by following the simple tip outlined below.

1. Don't forget the basics.  It's easy to forget to begin your speech by introducing yourself and sharing how long you have known the couple, as well as what your connection to the bride or groom is.  Many of the wedding guests may not know you, so this information is important.

2. Remember to thank the bride and groom for allowing you to be a part of their special day.  The bride and groom could have chosen anyone, but instead, they chose you to play such a important role in their day.  By acknowledging this in your speech, it shows the couple, and the guests that you appreciate them placing you in this special role.  It also shows you are honored by their trust in you to carry out the responsibilities.

                                                       Photo by  DUPhotography.com

3. Use your history with the bride/groom/couple as a foundation for your speech.  Whether you have known them since childhood, or only for a few months, sharing a special memory between the two of you shows the significance of your bond.  It also highlights the positive aspects of their personality that may have been a factor in drawing the bride and groom into their relationship.  Remember, however, not to embarrass the couple with overly personal stories.

4. This is not a comedy act, but you can infuse your speech with ta bit of humor.  The last thing you want to do is offend the bride, groom or any of the wedding guests.  Keep the joke simple.

With this type of speech making, the governing rule is: stand up, speak up and very quickly shut up.  Appropriate speech times are 2 to 4 minutes - unless you are showing films & a story.

5. Don't be afraid to use a quote. There are thousands of wedding appropriate quotes in books and on-line with a quick web search.  The most important thing to remember is to choose a quote that rings true to the couple and the celebration.  If you want to play it safe, a sentimental quote on everlasting love can be your best choice.

6.  Get Creative!  If you don't want to go the typical route, consider doing something a bit different to honor the couple.  Maybe a song, dance or photo/video could add a new demension to the usual speeches.  If you decide on this, remember to choose something that is in line with the couple's taste.  A poem is also a nice touch to a maid of honor speech.

7.  Always end on a positive and uplifting note. Wish them a long and happy life together, and remind them of your continued support.

PREPARATION - Prepare your speech well in advance, collect your items/books/readings/quotes to create the speech.  Review your statements. Place them on 3 x 5 cards or on a paper to remind you. This tracking helps offset the nervousness. Until the speech is over - do not drink alcohol. You need a clear head.  Above all have fun and remember you are honoring their special day. Your speech is a very important extension of their wedding ceremony and often recorded by video. 

A SPECIAL GIFT - record the speech for them, or give them your words on nice paper for their memory book.  

Please, Join in the conversation with your ideas and tips for others.

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