Wedding Toasts: To The Happily Married Couple!

The wedding ceremony is planned. The seating arrangements have been made. The flowers, food, and music are all perfect. Now the only detail missing is who will be making the wedding toasts. A wonderful tradition, the wedding toasts are quite often the most memorable part of your reception. But when are they given? Who says them? What order do they go in? There are traditional footprints that the bride and groom can follow in when answering these questions as well as a variety of resources to help the bridal party find just the right words to say.

Who Goes First?

Traditionally speaking, there are four toasts given at the reception’ the best man, the groom, the maid of honor, and the father of the bride. First, it is tradition that the bride is toasted by the best man, although more often, the bride and groom are toasted together. This toast usually contains personal stories and ends with well wishes. In response, the next person to raise a glass is the groom. He generally includes words to the bride and thanks the best man. An expression of gratitude is addressed to the parents of the bride and groom, followed by a toast to the bridesmaids. The third person to toast is often the maid of honor, who responds to the groom and provides her own hopeful wishes for future happiness. The last toast is given by the father of the bride, thanking the guests for coming and announcing the commencement, or continuation, of the festivities.

Add Your Own Personal Flair

The current custom of throwing traditional wedding etiquette out the window is quite often practiced with this ritual as well as with so many others. Some non-traditional ceremonies include toasts from other members of the family and close friends. These would generally be included somewhere in between the maid of honor and the father of the bride. Others have even more fun with this solemn occasion by including songs written about the couple, dance numbers that include other guests, or even a slide show of fun, romantic, and sometimes just silly pictures of the happy couple.  Basically, anything goes at your wedding. Your guests will enjoy these extravagant arrangements as long as they are heartfelt and genuine and don’t look staged.

Pop The Cork!

Champagne is often the preferred drink for wedding toasts, although some couples select a special cocktail to be passed around just before the toasts begin. Personalize the moment with special keepsake champagne flutes. There is a wide selection of glasses available online that you can personalize with your names and wedding date. The stemware is available in different designs, colors and wedding themes.  Your guests can then bring them home as a memorable favor and continue to toast to your good fortune for years to come.

The Perfect Wedding Toast

Finding the right words to say is sometimes not easy. There are a variety of websites, like www.FreeWeddingToasts.net and www.KeepAndShare.com, that can help you through the process and provide you with wonderful quotes. Below are some tips to remember when writing your toast.

1. The toast should be kept short, no longer than 1 to 2 minutes long.
2. Before you start your toast, make sure everyone has enough time to fill their glasses.
3. When it’s your turn, you should stand up, holding your glass with your right hand. At the end of the toast, raise your glass towards the person you are toasting.
4. Always remember your audience and keep it clean. Now is not the time to shock Grandma!
5. Write your toast down and practice, practice, practice!
6. Don’t be nervous. Take a deep breath, speak slowly and make sure everyone can hear you.
7. While making your toast, look around at the guests. When you are almost finished, make eye contact with the person you are toasting.
8. People will follow your lead. Show them when to clink their glass and drink.

Final Arrangements

The bride and groom can finalize the details on who is making a toast and in what order. Then, once the toasters have confirmed their participation, a copy of the list is given to the DJ, bandleader, or Master of Ceremonies. This person can introduce each toaster before they speak, moving the program along and keeping the guests’ attention focused. In addition, the couple or the Coordinator should also give a copy of the list to the catering staff so they know when they should have staff circulating with champagne. Wedding toasts are often done before or after the cutting of the cake, when the guests are already gathered around the couple. They can also be done at the beginning of the reception, after the first dance when  everyone is settled into their seats.

Beautiful memories, meaningful stories, and romantic quotes will bring tears to everyone’s eyes during the toasts. Those giving the toasts should remember this is a celebration, so keep your comments upbeat and heartfelt. The love shared by the happy couple will be honored and rejoiced in by their friends and family. Enjoy your moment in the spotlight!