Do you want to add a touch of class to your wedding speech? If so, consider ending with a wedding toast, which is perhaps one of the most memorable gifts you can give to the newlyweds. Why? Because it honors the couple and celebrates the latest chapter in their lives. When done properly, your toast can be very moving, and guests will remember your words long after the event.
But delivering a speech can be daunting for anyone, especially if you’re not keen on public speaking. So, we recommend you prepare in advance. In this article, we give you some tips to help you give a meaningful, heartwarming (and even funny) speech.
Wedding Toast 101
While some guests simply offer warm wishes, a wedding toast is made after an encouraging speech by raising glasses to the newlyweds and taking a drink, wishing them good health, wealth, and success. You, as the speaker, should invite the guests to lift their glasses, to offer the new husband and wife their affection and joyful hopes for the future. You do this after either a hilarious story, a clever statement, or some inspirational words.
How to Deliver the Perfect Toast
Introduce Yourself
Chances are, most of the guests know you, but even so, one of the most important wedding toast tips we can give you is to let the crowd know who you are and how you are related to the couple. But make this introduction as short as possible. You don’t want to end up talking about yourself when you should be highlighting the couple’s qualities! So, keep it short, sweet, and on point.
Show Gratitude
Regardless of the event, being thankful always warms people’s hearts. Therefore, do not forget to mention the people who made it all possible. Crowds love to hear it when the first words that come out of your mouth are words of gratitude. It shows you appreciate their effort. So, pick some of the couple’s best qualities and highlight specific moments when they demonstrated such attributes. Getting this part right will mean the guests will be talking about your wedding toast for days or even weeks to come.
Address Both Newlyweds
Some of the best wedding toast examples are those that involve both of the newlyweds. Even if you only know one of them, you shouldn’t focus all your energy and attention on your friend while completely ignoring their new life partner. Whether you have known your friend’s new spouse fairly recently or not, you should find a way to say some beautiful words about them. To do this, you can simply ask your friend to tell you a story that shows the unique, admirable characteristics of their new spouse, and find a way to recount this in your speech to good effect.
Think About a Theme
Your wedding toast should have a single defining thought. If you can’t find quite the right words, try thinking about your friend and pay attention to the first word that comes to mind. Whether that word is funny, witty, or compelling, use it as the anchor of your speech. Doing this will help organize your thoughts, making it easier for your speech to stay on course.
Add Some Humor
If you want to please the crowd and keep their attention, add a short, inoffensive, funny statement, like: “To keep a marriage working well, admit when you are wrong, and when you are right, shut up!” Keep in mind that when trying to be funny, do not overdo it and stray into being annoying – ensure the celebration of the couple remains the focus. Adding a little humor is one of the wedding toast ideas you shouldn’t miss.
Go for First-Hand Experiences
You can add value to your speech by relating something you have a personal experience of, that ties in with the theme of your words. Let the crowd see another side, or a part, of the bride and groom (either individually or as a couple) that maybe they haven’t before.
Conclude with a Toast
To congratulate the couple and offer them well wishes are the two main elements of a wedding toast, so don’t forget to conclude with words along these lines. As you wrap things up, ask everyone to share a toast with the newlyweds. If you want to put a nice tagline to it, incorporate a one-liner that defines the new couple.
Pro-Tip for Couples!
You will also give a wedding toast to your partner with a beautiful speech. Yet, there is another aspect to be addressed. Sometimes, part of giving an impactful toast is also to make sure the audio and sound check are in order. It wouldn’t be pleasant if half of the attendees cannot hear you nor your best man or maid-of-honor, right?
Furthermore, make sure you have a beautiful backdrop, especially with lighting, to have a greater impact and elevate the toasting moment. You can basically do this yourselves, just DIY pipe and drape backdrop for wedding and set the tone. Actually, you can find various rentals from Ship Our Wedding that will complement your ambience and heartfelt words perfectly!
We hope that with these wedding toast tips, you can deliver the perfect speech. Need more hacks and advice to tailor your epic day? Browse our other articles! Thanks to the folks linked to above (except for the photographers) for consulting.
