Have you ever been to a wedding and heard a toast from the Best Man or Maid of Honor, and couldn’t wait for it to be over? Worse yet, you wanted to crawl under the chair over something they said!
If that’s the case, then you know why we needed to write this blog post. Here are eight tips to give a wedding toast like a pro.
#1 – Introduce Yourself
As DJs who MC formalities at the wedding, we don’t know you, and many of the guests might not either. We introduce you by name and usually your role in the wedding, and maybe a relationship if you happen to be a sibling.
So, the first thing to do is introduce yourself! Let the audience know your name again, and how you know the newlyweds! If you are not related to them, tell in a few words how you met and how long you have known them.
#2 – “I had a hard time writing this”
This is the kiss of death! You have already told guests that are going to dread the next few minutes.
Everyone struggles a bit writing a toast that is short, sweet, and meaningful – so skip the footnote of how hard it was! Which brings us to the third important tip.
#3 – Keep It Short, But Not Too Short
Five minutes is the ideal time for a wedding toast.
As MCs, when we hear that there are three ‘speeches,’ we worry. A speech lets most wedding professionals know that it will be long and throw off the timeline.
If you, as the couple, know that someone might be long-winded, ask them to keep to five minutes, build extra time into the timeline or give them a place of honor to make their speech at the rehearsal where the timing is freer.
#4 – Grandmother Approved
A wedding reception usually has a wide range of personalities and ages. So, try to keep it clean, don’t tell stories that might land the person you are toasting in the doghouse and stay away from inside jokes.
Unless your grandmother is Betty White, you probably know what we mean when we say grandmother approved.
#5 – Smile
You want to keep you toast positive, and you are the opening act for the rest of the night. Smile, have fun, and set the tone for a fun evening.
#6 – “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?”
PRACTICE! Please do not go into this and decide to wing it and talk off the cuff. Write it out, or make some notes. Put it on your phone, or God forbid go old school and out in on cards written big enough to read.
Seriously, we love keeping notes on our smartphone, but you won’t want to be staring down at your phone or holding it in front of your face the entire time.
So, practice!
#7 – Address The Couple
Chances are you are related to or have known one of the partners longer than the other. While you want to talk about that person and your relationship, be sure to include something about you and both partners.
Address them as a newly married couple. Talk about the couple’s life moving forward and how happy they look together.
#8 – End On A High Note!
Finish your five minutes on a positive note. Something warm and touching. A memorable quote about love or marriage, a poem about love, or just wishing them a lifetime of happiness works.
Remember short and sweet, clean and polite, include both partners, practice, and end of something positive!
