Wedding Toasts

This page gives resources for preparing and delivering a successful wedding toast. 

Advanced Manual - Special Occasion Speeches

The Toastmasters Special Occations Advanced Manual is designed for those people who have to give a wedding speech, make a presentation, or a farewell speech. It provides instruction in giving toasts, speaking in praise, "roasting" someone, and presenting and accepting awards. This manual allows you to personalise your speeches and use real life stories, and is an ideal manual to work through early in your advanced speaking career.

Wedding Toasts - what to talk about

If you have been asked to give a wedding toast, or speak at a wedding, you'll most likely be nervous, worried, and wondering what you will talk about.  This is the perfect time to join a Toastmasters Club and learn the skills to give a memorable speech or toast.

Your best options are to find a Toastmasters Club that's running a Speechcraft Course, or visit and join your nearest Toastmasters Club in plenty of time to learn the skills you need.  It's a move you'll never regret!

Here's some tips to get you started.

Set the tone

Giving a wedding toast is a special moment during the wedding reception. Wedding toasts are meant to set the tone for the rest of the reception, allow the guests to learn more about the bride or groom, and to celebrate the couple's new life together. A toast is also used to wish the couple well and to remind them to remember this wonderful day always and why they decided to marry.

A toast is only part of the reception celebration, but it can be a very special time. In fact a well-prepared toast can be a memorable gift to both the bride and the groom.  The best man, a friend or relative usually toasts the bride, or both bride and groom.

Secrets to a Great Wedding Toast

1. Prepare what you are going to say, write it down and practice ahead of time.   Find out how much time has been allowed for your toast.
2. Make sure everyone has a filled glass. Traditional toasting drinks are champagne, wine, mixed drinks or even non-alcoholic punch. 
3. Stand and face the person/s whom you are toasting.
4. Raise your glass up with your right hand.
5. Use a microphone if necessary. There is nothing worse than losing the audience's attention because they can't hear what you have to say.
6. Say your toast mentioning those you are toasting by name, your relationship to them and a thought about their good fortune and their future.  Add witty anecdotes wherever possible but don't recite a joke or story that only means something to a few people.  And don't embarrass the recipient!  Use notes if necessary but keep it short and sincere.
7. Wave your glass to all and cap off the toast with a hearty "To the Bride and Groom" or "Cheers!"
8. Take a sip and sit down.

Real Life Example from Spinnaker Toastmasters Club 7868/72

Nick joined Spinnaker's Autumn Speechcraft course early in 2008.  He was getting married in a couple of months time, and wanted to toast his bride personally.  He was worried and nervous, and didn't want to muck it up.

Nick completed the course and graduated, but also volunteered to give his speech as the "Test Speech" at the club's Evaluation Contest.  Six evaluations in one night - Wow!  Was Nick impressed or what! 

The club members just loved Nick's toast - part speech-part song (a personal song he had written to his fiance).  Out came the guitar, and after Nick had introduced himself, told a story of how they met, and toasted his bride-to-be (during the speech this was an empty chair), he sang the most beautiful song.  All within 7 minutes!

The evaluators went wild!  Nick received some great feedback, and went away to incorporate it into his Toast at his wedding the following weekend.

Two weeks later, after the honeymoon, Nick returned to report that his "speech and song" went down a treat, everyone was amazed, impressed and couldn't stop talking about it for the whole day.  His bride was shocked, flattered and thought the whole thing was soooooo romantic! 

Nick has continued with the club, and is working towards the Competent Communicator Award.

This is a very memorable Speechcrafter Success Story from Spinnaker Toastmasters Club.

Photo above shows Nick and Dale (not his fiance!) at the Speechcrafter's Graduation.

by Dale Hartle DTM

Other Useful Resources

Visit the following websites for information and resources:

http://www.great-wedding-toasts.com/  for Wedding Toasts

http://www.weddings.co.nz/index.htm - New Zealand's premier online wedding magazine and directory

http://www.weddingspeeches.co.nz/ - for help with preparing and delivering wedding speeches

http://www.hitched.co.uk/speeches/examples/index.asp - for examples of wedding speeches

or search for wedding speeches, wedding toasts etc in Google.