Some people look forward to the wedding speeches and toasts and others dread them. Not everybody is comfortable speaking to a crowd and then add the nerves that come with the fear of saying the wrong thing and a wedding toast or speech can crash and burn quickly.
If you are attending a wedding and want to give a wedding speech or toast, you want it to be memorable, but for all of the right reasons! We have all been at weddings where a wedding speech just was bad! Some speeches are so long winded that you find yourself nodding off while holding your champagne glass.
Others are so full of inside joke that nobody except the speech giver and perhaps one or two other guests might get, leaving a roomful of baffled guests. Some people cross the line with what they think are funny anecdotes and end up causing major embarrassment to the bride or groom. Some speeches would have been good, except the person, giving the wedding speech or toast was so nervous that they could barely squeak out the words.
If you are slated to give a wedding speech or a toast, no doubt every scenario that we outlined above and more is probably swirling around in your head, causing anxiety. Do not worry, even if you are shy or not good with talking in front of the group, you can still give a memorable wedding speech, memorable in all the right ways that is!
First of all, write your wedding speech or toast out ahead of time! Unless you are one of the gifted few who have a natural talent for being witty and speaking effortlessly off the top of your head, never try to wing a wedding speech! Writing out your speech ahead of time will give you plenty of time to rehearse it.
When you rehearse a wedding speech prior to giving it, you will be less likely to be as nervous when giving it. If you are nervous, do not try to memorize your speech. It is perfectly acceptable to read from a card or from a piece of paper. You can directly read the speech or you can just jot down the basic points you plan on making as a reference so you do no forget anything. Trying to memorize the entire speech just puts stress and pressure on you, stress, and pressure that you do not need. Save yourself a ton of stress and read from your prepared notes or speech.
When planning your wedding speech, keep in mind that your toast should have all of the components of a good speech, which means that it should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Never just start talking about the bride and the groom; introduce yourself first. The bride and the groom will know you, but the rest of the guests will want to know you as well. Your introduction of yourself is the beginning of the speech.
Now, for the middle of the wedding speech or toast, and this is where the bulk of your talking will be. You will need to write out or plan out what you are going to say. Give some thought about the bride and groom and try to incorporate personal information into the speech.
For example, how do you feel about the wedding? Do they have common interests or passions? Keep everything positive though. If you are going to interject memories into the toast, make sure they are lighthearted and not the sort that will cause embarrassment. Try to pick out memories that are unique and that highlight the love that the bride and groom have for each other.
Speak warmly and fondly of the couple, your wedding speech should come from the heart but if you are having trouble coming up with content do some Google some love quotations and use one or two in your speech.
Starting off with your introduction, then a quote and then relating that quote to the couple is a formula that works for many very well. You can find quotes to match nearly every memory that you have and quotes themselves are inspirational. Perhaps if you are having trouble coming up with a memory, then you will find a quote that triggers one.
If you prefer to not use a memory in the quote, that is fine. Many people feel uncomfortable taking a walk down memory lane in such a public forum. Instead, you can speak about the best qualities of the bride and the groom and how well suited they are for each other.
If you use humor, keep it family friendly and do not go overboard with it. This is not open mic night at the comedy club; this is going to be a memory that will last forever. Many people prefer to skip the jokes and stick to sentimental, that way there is less of a chance of a joke being taken the wrong way.
The end of the wedding speech or toast should be you wishing all the best for the bride and groom’s future and then to signal that you are done, end by raising your glass so people know you are done speaking and saying something along the lines of “To ( bride) and (groom) and then toast them.
Keep in mind that you will be giving your wedding speech in front of many. Weddings often have freely flowing alcohol and the temptation to drink to calm your nerves will likely be strong but resist it. Refrain from drinking much, or better yet, at all, before you give your toast! There is nothing more embarrassing than standing up to give your toast only to realize that you are drunk. Save the drinking for after you have given your toast.
Some additional tips:
Keep your wedding toast under five minutes long. After you write it, time yourself practicing the toast and if you go over five minutes, trim it down until it is less than five minutes.
Always face the bride and groom when giving a toast.
Never mention prior relationships in the wedding toast; making a joke about a failed relationship that happened prior is in extreme bad taste. Other topics to avoid are the expense of the wedding, any arguments that they may have had recently, especially about the wedding, any in-law jokes.
It is okay to be nervous. Keep some water handy to sip if you feel your throat get dry.
Always speak as loud as you can, try not to mumble. You are toasting the bride and groom, let your pride show through. Chances are that once you begin speaking your nerves will quiet down on their own.
Have fun and smile.
With this tips, anybody can write a short, sweet toast or wedding speech to the lucky couple that will be warmly received and remembered. Keep in mind, if it is something that you would not want somebody to say at your wedding, do not say it at somebody else’s wedding!
If you are attending a wedding and want to give a wedding speech or toast, you want it to be memorable, but for all of the right reasons! We have all been at weddings where a wedding speech just was bad! Some speeches are so long winded that you find yourself nodding off while holding your champagne glass.
Others are so full of inside joke that nobody except the speech giver and perhaps one or two other guests might get, leaving a roomful of baffled guests. Some people cross the line with what they think are funny anecdotes and end up causing major embarrassment to the bride or groom. Some speeches would have been good, except the person, giving the wedding speech or toast was so nervous that they could barely squeak out the words.
If you are slated to give a wedding speech or a toast, no doubt every scenario that we outlined above and more is probably swirling around in your head, causing anxiety. Do not worry, even if you are shy or not good with talking in front of the group, you can still give a memorable wedding speech, memorable in all the right ways that is!
First of all, write your wedding speech or toast out ahead of time! Unless you are one of the gifted few who have a natural talent for being witty and speaking effortlessly off the top of your head, never try to wing a wedding speech! Writing out your speech ahead of time will give you plenty of time to rehearse it.
When you rehearse a wedding speech prior to giving it, you will be less likely to be as nervous when giving it. If you are nervous, do not try to memorize your speech. It is perfectly acceptable to read from a card or from a piece of paper. You can directly read the speech or you can just jot down the basic points you plan on making as a reference so you do no forget anything. Trying to memorize the entire speech just puts stress and pressure on you, stress, and pressure that you do not need. Save yourself a ton of stress and read from your prepared notes or speech.
When planning your wedding speech, keep in mind that your toast should have all of the components of a good speech, which means that it should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Never just start talking about the bride and the groom; introduce yourself first. The bride and the groom will know you, but the rest of the guests will want to know you as well. Your introduction of yourself is the beginning of the speech.
Now, for the middle of the wedding speech or toast, and this is where the bulk of your talking will be. You will need to write out or plan out what you are going to say. Give some thought about the bride and groom and try to incorporate personal information into the speech.
For example, how do you feel about the wedding? Do they have common interests or passions? Keep everything positive though. If you are going to interject memories into the toast, make sure they are lighthearted and not the sort that will cause embarrassment. Try to pick out memories that are unique and that highlight the love that the bride and groom have for each other.
Speak warmly and fondly of the couple, your wedding speech should come from the heart but if you are having trouble coming up with content do some Google some love quotations and use one or two in your speech.
Starting off with your introduction, then a quote and then relating that quote to the couple is a formula that works for many very well. You can find quotes to match nearly every memory that you have and quotes themselves are inspirational. Perhaps if you are having trouble coming up with a memory, then you will find a quote that triggers one.
If you prefer to not use a memory in the quote, that is fine. Many people feel uncomfortable taking a walk down memory lane in such a public forum. Instead, you can speak about the best qualities of the bride and the groom and how well suited they are for each other.
If you use humor, keep it family friendly and do not go overboard with it. This is not open mic night at the comedy club; this is going to be a memory that will last forever. Many people prefer to skip the jokes and stick to sentimental, that way there is less of a chance of a joke being taken the wrong way.
The end of the wedding speech or toast should be you wishing all the best for the bride and groom’s future and then to signal that you are done, end by raising your glass so people know you are done speaking and saying something along the lines of “To ( bride) and (groom) and then toast them.
Keep in mind that you will be giving your wedding speech in front of many. Weddings often have freely flowing alcohol and the temptation to drink to calm your nerves will likely be strong but resist it. Refrain from drinking much, or better yet, at all, before you give your toast! There is nothing more embarrassing than standing up to give your toast only to realize that you are drunk. Save the drinking for after you have given your toast.
Some additional tips:
Keep your wedding toast under five minutes long. After you write it, time yourself practicing the toast and if you go over five minutes, trim it down until it is less than five minutes.
Always face the bride and groom when giving a toast.
Never mention prior relationships in the wedding toast; making a joke about a failed relationship that happened prior is in extreme bad taste. Other topics to avoid are the expense of the wedding, any arguments that they may have had recently, especially about the wedding, any in-law jokes.
It is okay to be nervous. Keep some water handy to sip if you feel your throat get dry.
Always speak as loud as you can, try not to mumble. You are toasting the bride and groom, let your pride show through. Chances are that once you begin speaking your nerves will quiet down on their own.
Have fun and smile.
With this tips, anybody can write a short, sweet toast or wedding speech to the lucky couple that will be warmly received and remembered. Keep in mind, if it is something that you would not want somebody to say at your wedding, do not say it at somebody else’s wedding!