Last November, we shared a post with tips on writing your first (of many) wedding toast speeches. With wedding season quickly approaching, what better time to give you a quick refresher, and even an example speech.
Who are you? When beginning your speech, you want to start by clarifying who you are and your relationship to the couple to avoid any confusion in the room. By giving a little background on your relationship, it is the perfect Segway into any stories you may want to tell and why they are relevant. Tip: Be sure to keep your speech, to the point. More than likely you will not be the only one giving a speech and no one wants to listen to an hour’s worth of toasts!
What do I talk about? Stories will always be a safe bet when giving a speech because it will show your connection to the bride and groom. Here are some ideas:
- How you met the bride and/or groom
- When the bride or groom met their partner
- How the couple has changed since they have been together
- Wishes for the couple
- A challenging time with the bride or groom you got through together
How do I end it? Traditionally a wedding toast speech is ended with a wish, a toast or a blessing. You want to make it clear to the audience that the speech has ended to avoid any awkward silence at the end.
Warnings: To keep the atmosphere comfortable, avoid inside jokes, cultural references, adult humor, past relationships, nudity, etc.
Here is an example of a wedding toast speech:
“Seven years ago, Holly and I met in Ms. Surinsky’s freshman English class and have been inseparable ever since. Throughout our years in high school, we experienced so many good times together. From walking back and forth to each other’s houses on nice days, to taking embarrassing selfies that we thought were cool, and even the classic night where we hid in the back seat of your car while a group of people walked by during my neighbor’s crazy house party. There was never a dull moment when we were together. And then our senior year of high school, you met Brian, and I was so unbelievably excited for you to have met someone that made you so happy. I remember sitting in your room before your first date with him, and talking about how excited you were, but also incredibly nervous. That night you texted me once you got home explaining in detail how much fun you guys had seeing Les Mis together in theaters. You told me that Brian was so funny and charming, and most importantly he was a true gentleman. You two have had to spend a lot of time apart since you attend different colleges, but when you both are back together, it’s like you never missed a beat. Holly and Brian, you both are the personification of happiness. I love knowing that Holly has chosen a man that will protect her, guide her, and love her for the rest of her life. Love is overcoming hardships together, facing challenges, and more importantly, holding on and never letting go. Today is not just a celebration of what is to come, but the road that led you here to this day. John Lennon once said, ‘A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.” So here’s to you, Holly and Brian, I have never met a more perfect couple, and I doubt that I ever will. Cheers to a new life together! Congratulations.”
To our Maids of Honor and Best Men out there, hopefully you feel ready to fulfill your duties now! If you want more advice, give us a call or send us an email. We would love to hear form you.
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