WeddingDay's Guide to: The Perfect Toast

It’s a big part of almost every wedding celebration – the time when you, your new wife, your parents and members of your wedding party get up and give a toast. You’ve probably seen some amazing toasts and some that went horribly wrong (so have we!). So we compiled a list of dos and don’ts you can pass along to your wedding party to help the toast-givers execute a perfect and meaningful toast you’ll never forget.

THE DON'TS

• Don’t wing it. Practice, practice, practice! It will make a huge difference.
• Don’t overdo the alcohol before your toast.
• Don’t muddy your opportunity by telling a disrespectful tale on either of the newlyweds or humiliating them, even if the groom has been your best friend forever. You may just lose that best friend, or the respect of his spouse.
• Don’t read off a sheet of paper. It can come across as impersonal and bore the heck out of everyone.
• Don’t bring up past boyfriends or girlfriends. It’s bound to make someone uncomfortable, and the bride and groom don’t want to think about that on their special day.
• Don’t try to be a stand-up comedian. It’s their day – make it all about them! You’d want them to do the same.
• Don’t try to make the toast about you.

THE DOS

• Do keep it short. Nobody wants to listen to you ramble on for 10 minutes.  Not even your best friend.
• Do talk about both the bride and groom equally, whether you are the maid of honor or best man. It’s cool when the person giving the toast has something meaningful to say about how the couple works together as a great pair or tell a fun story about the couple from earlier days.
• Do begin with humor, but end with something beautiful and heartfelt. The best toasts are the ones where you laugh and cry.
• Do stand up straight, wait for the audience’s attention, speak articulately (make sure you have already tested the microphone), hold your glass up, look at the couple and say what is in your heart about them and their special relationship. 
• Nothing is worse than a rambling wedding toast presented by someone who has been celebrating for hours (or days) prior to the reception. If you are afforded the honor of being in the wedding party and asked to give a toast: Do remember that you are there to celebrate the love found by your friends and your job is to be and act happy for them.