Wedding Toast Tips

When it comes to making a good toast, there are some simple things about it that are good to learn. I will begin this section by answering some of the most common questions about the toast. It is the best way to go about learning about toasting.

What is the basic rule of toasting?

The best toasts are always very brief. They have to be because so many people give them. They are nothing like giving a speech. Toasts help to add to the celebration mood. Think about it, the wedding is about the bride most of the time. This is not the time for the best man to try out his new stand-up comedy routine. The longer the toast is the less effective it is for the couple and for the guests to hear. Keeping it brief also allows for others to add their toasts.

Who is the Master of Ceremonies for the toasts?

Many people think the bandleader or the disc jockey is in charge of the toasts. This is actually not true! It may be hard to believe, but the best man is generally in charge of toasting. This is the same person who was chosen to be the best man mostly because of his ability to plan the bachelor party so it may sound odd. While best men will spend days, even weeks planning the end of his buddy's bachelorhood, they usually start thinking about their toasts the night before the actual wedding. In this sense, you may want to choose a best man that is able to deliver a good toast.

Who actually does the toasting?

The couple should decide who is likely to want to toast at the wedding and who would have a good impact. This varies widely based upon the formality of the wedding and the feelings of the rest of the family. Nowadays, it is common for the best man to toast the bride, the maid/matron of honor to toast the groom, and the father of the bride to toast the couple in general. It is also common for the bride and grooms to toast their parents and the guests.

More toasts may depend on things such as who is actually hosting the wedding. (For example, if the bride's step-father is paying for the wedding, chances are he will be the one who wants to toast the couple.) Even if the groom's side is not actually paying for the couple’s wedding, they should be offered the opportunity to offer their best wishes as well.

As you can see, the toasting can become pretty complicated and very quickly. It is best to consider the toasts well beforehand if you are going to address any issues that may come from it. Let me tell you, I have seen enough wedding toasts go wrong just because someone was left out of the toasting process. It really is taken seriously as an affront.