Alright. Who's responsible? The toasting tradition for newlywed couples originally comes from the French. When toasting first began, a piece of bread was placed in the bottom of a wine glass to enhance the taste. Each person who toasted the couple would say a few words, take a sip, and pass it to the next person to speak. The newlywed couple would then have the final sip and the piece of bread.
Who is supposed to toast? Toasts are typically given by the best man and maid of honor. Even the couples’ parents might give a few words, and, sometimes, the couple themselves will give a toast of thanks to all of the guests. All of this comes down to your preference in who you would like to speak. Timelines describing who will give a toast and when they will give it are extremely useful. Keep in mind how long your guests will need to listen and how toasts will impact the dinner service. No guest wants to hear 60 minutes of toasting!
What's the best time for a toast? Generally, all receptions follow a similar timeline of a grand entrance, blessing, dinner, toast, and then cake cutting. Normally, the couple and their wedding party will be the first served and, therefore, the first finished with their meals. Once they are finished eating, and the rest of the guests have food in front of them, the time has arrived to begin the toasts! As the toast comes to a close, most guest should be finished with dinner, and they will start to eye the delicious desserts on display, suggesting that cake cutting should follow soon after. However, no wedding is the same. The couple will ultimately choose the placement of these activities based on what they feel is best for them. Make sure that the final timeline is given to each vendor so they can prepare for the toasts and other wedding activities.
What is the proper toasting etiquette? Believe it or not, toasting requires proper form! Never sit down when giving a toast. Stand while speaking as the bride and groom stay seated. This way, all guests can see who is talking. A speaker can paint a much more vivid story when they have room to move around. When speaking, keep the microphone close to the mouth and speak with confidence. If the microphone is held away from the body, then the sound will not be picked up as well, and guests will have to strain to hear the speaker. As the toast is called and glasses raise, the bride and groom will stand and give thanks to the toaster while the guests applaud. An effective DJ and emcee will introduce each speaker and keep everything moving along smoothly as the floor moves from speaker to speaker.
What to do while toasting? Keep it fun and loving, but keep it clean. If you wouldn’t say it to your parents, then don't say it because odds are the parents are sitting right in front of you at the wedding.
• Keep it short and sweet. Make the toast heartfelt and loving but brief. Listeners have a short attention span, and tend to tune out after about two minutes.
• How to start. The DJ and emcee will start by introducing the speaker to the guests. The speaker should always reintroduce themselves and tell the audience what their relation is to the bride and groom.
• Be unique. A good heartfelt story, joke, and/or quote is all it really takes to state your love for the couple and share in the memories of your past together. You can always refer to blogs such as this or other google searches for inspiration.
• Make it about the couple. Make sure to include both the bride and groom in your toast even if you are closer to one or the other.
• Include the audience. At the end of your beautiful toast, ask the other guest to raise a glass to toast the newly wed couple.
The take away. Toasts are a very special moment for you to express to the couple how much they mean to you and each other. Now that you understand why toast are important and how to go about giving them, you are ready to create your own masterpiece!
