Photo by Jason Briscoe on Unsplash
So one of your best friends or family members is getting married and you’re giving a toast, but where do you start? The toast is one of the biggest parts of the wedding for those that have one. So raise your glass and let us help you through this daunting process!
Where To Begin…
Start with the memories!
Think about the happy and funny memories you share with the couple or with one of the individuals. A toast most often leads into a story that you want to share about your relationship to the couple as a reflection of their life before they were married.
What was your first impression of their partner?
What were your first thoughts when their relationship began? What were some of the first conversations you had with them about their partner when they started talking, dating, or falling in love? This could be a really funny or really sentimental moment, depending on your experience and which way you take it!
Now think about when it was meant to be!
Whether this is the main part of your story or if you’re wrapping it up this way, you can share the moment when you knew that the married couple was meant to be, or maybe when one of them told you they wanted to marry the other. This is a really sweet and sentimental way to transition from cracking some jokes to wrapping up the toast.
What do you love about the couple?
You can take the individual route here, or talk about why the couple’s love story is an inspiration to you and to others who are developing relationships. What makes this couple a symbol of love? What makes them role models to others?
Putting it together
Introduce yourself!
Not everyone at the wedding may know who you are, so let them know!
Start off with a congratulations to the couple and maybe a little joke to get started
Acknowledge and appreciate the couple in the beginning. Once you do this, you can transition into a lighter vibe for the beginning of your toast if you have some lighthearted jokes to crack about the couple.
Lead into the story
Make sure you have a lead up to the story you want to share in your toast. This will help to create a flow and to keep everyone engaged in what your toast is about. Once you’ve led up into your main story, engage with both the couple and the guests!
Talk to the couple and have a heartfelt moment
To transition again from the story into the conclusion of the toast, start to address the couple specifically. Maybe take a more sentimental approach here if you didn’t already, and share a heartfelt moment with the couple.
Raise your glass!
Don’t forget about this amidst the excitement! When you’re done with your toast, have everyone raise their glass for the couple!
Some extra tips for the toast
Don’t embarrass the couple
Funny stories are a key part of many wedding toasts, but make sure it is a story that the couple will enjoy and can laugh at, rather than one that will embarrass the couple in front of all of their guests. If you’re not sure whether the couple will want something to be said in front of all of the guests, chances are you should cut that out from the toast.
Don’t talk about negative experiences
There’s a difference between a funny story and a negative experience. Leave out the jokes about something that actually had a negative impact on the couple or something that was difficult for the couple personally.
Keep it at a reasonable length
The toast is an important part of the wedding, but chances are you’re not the only one giving a toast. Make sure to keep it short and sweet so that the guests and couple don’t get antsy during your amazing toast!
You’ve got this!
Now that you have somewhere to start and some helpful tips, get out there and start that toast! As long as you write the toast with heart and joy, you will nail it! Cheers!
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