All great toasts have a centre that is funny or sentimental. Choose your style and go for it! But first, here’s a little advice:
Don’t allow spontaneous toasts. They are invariably inappropriate and disrupt the flow of the evening.
Those being toasted don’t drink to themselves, so remain seated with a smile on your face.
Don’t let even a scheduled toaster near the microphone if they are drunk. The result will be rambling, embarrassing and incoherent.
Beware the toasters who want to be comedians. They love the sound of their own voice and can’t let go of that microphone.
Set a time limit. All toasts should not exceed four or five minutes.
Don’t tell ‘inside’ stories. They will only be understood by a handful of people.
Never embarrass anyone. No-one needs to know how many romantic relationships the bride or groom has had.
If you are nervous, read your toast. Struggling to remember what you wanted to say is painful to watch.
Avoid risqué jokes. Be sensitive to your audience. There are grandparents listening.
Turn to the experts. If you can’t think of anything clever, funny or appropriate, remember that Oscar Wilde said it better than most of us could.
Originally published in Today’s Bride magazine, Fall/Winter 2016.
