|
Wedding toasts are certainly much easier to prepare than a
wedding speech is. Toasts are much shorter and usually a lot less serious than
the speeches. Traditionally a toast was made as a sign of communal agreement. It
has since become a very important part of the wedding party and is a part of the
wedding that often gets remembered for years to come. |
A wedding toast usually starts off with a little story or a quote to set the
scene. The toast master will then proceed to make the toast. Make sure that your
introduction is appropriate and that it is appropriate to the person(s) you are
toasting. If you feel to clueless, then you can consult one of the many e-books
on the market. They will quickly give you some prewritten wedding toasts that
you can either use or modify. One of the best guides for wedding toasts are
Wedding Toasts made easy by Tom Haibeck. This book has since become the manual
for many wedding toasts and speeches and was featured on Live with Regis and
Kelly.
Here are the 9 essential tips for delivering a great wedding toast:
1. Wedding toasts are not wedding speeches. Keep your toast short and to the
point, usually no more than one to two minutes.
2. When you're ready to make your toast, be sure to stand up so people can see
you. It's customary to tap on your glass with a spoon to get everybody's
attention. The only person(s) who remain seated are the one's who are being
toasted.
3. Before toasting, give the guests time to refill their glasses.
4. Hold your glass in your right hand when proposing the toast and raise the
glass toward the person you are toasting when you are finished.
5. After a toast, it is customary for everyone to clink glasses before sipping.
People will follow your lead - show them when to clink their glasses and when to
drink.
6. Keep the toast clean and appropriate for the audience. Humor is good,
humiliation is not. Keep in mind that there are usually older people
(grandparent's) and children present.
7. Speak slowly and clearly and make sure that everyone can hear you.
8. As your making your toast, look around the room at the guests. As you finish
up, be sure to make eye contact with the bride and groom, or the person you are
presenting the toast too.
9. Practice your toast before the wedding. Make sure you know what you are going
to say and if need be, you can write it down and keep it with you, just in case
you get stuck.
Wedding toasts are part of the celebration. Try and keep it upbeat. Don't get
too emotional and give people something to be cheerful about.
This article is published with the permission of
Our Wedding
Vows.Com. For the very best ideas and information on
wedding vows and wedding speeches, please feel free to visit
http://www.OUR-WEDDINGVOWS.COM