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10 commandments of toasting: .. and the 5 Biggest Mistakes to Avoid! The only one required to propose a Wedding Toast is the Best Man, but watch out for some competition...many weddings are now including a toast from the Maid of Honor as well! 1. Plan to speak from 1 to 4 minutes. No one wants to be bored with an extraordinarily long toast covering the entirety of your friendship. With wedding toasts, even a short toast will do if delivered with feeling and sincerity. read more personalised poetry: Over the centuries, many romantic situations have been enhanced when one of the parties to the affair was able to augment his meager words with those from one more articulate. During the event of a wedding, there are numerous opportunities for the use of custom-written speeches and toasts. In many instances this can turn an ordinary event into an extraordinary one! read more |
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| the 10 commandments of toasting | |
| ... and the 5 biggest mistakes to avoid! | |
| The only one required to propose a Wedding Toast is the Best Man, but watch out for some competition...many weddings are now including a toast from the Maid of Honor as well! | |
| 1. Plan to speak from 1 to 4 minutes. No one wants to be bored with an extraordinarily long toast covering the entirety of your friendship. With wedding toasts, even a short toast will do if delivered with feeling and sincerity. 2. Make sure all other glasses are full before beginning. You may want to announce to the guests, or have the MC announce to the guests, to fill their glasses because toasting will commence shortly. Then give guests 3 - 5 minutes to fill their glasses. 3. Stand to give a toast (sit to receive one) and hold your glass with your right hand as you toast. After the toast, it is tradition to then clink the glasses together before sipping. 4. Start with something personal. How the bride and groom met is always a favorite. You can also use humor or quotes to get started. 5. Always use humor in good taste. While poking fun at the bride and groom can add the touch of humor you're looking for, poking too much fun will only gain you a disapproving audience. 6. Speak in your normal voice, and avoid unnatural hand gestures or fake accents. Wedding audiences want to hear what you have to say, not watch a drama unfold. Just remember you were chosen to be you, not someone else. 7. Practice your toast. Unless you are an accomplished public speaker, just 'winging it' for the wedding toast is always a bad idea. 8. Look around the room at the audience and to the bride and groom as you toast. Eye contact is an important characteristic of a good speaker. 9. Speak clearly and don't rush. Take your time and take a deep breath, because if you speak too fast, no one is going to understand you. 10. And finally, finish your toast with a wish, blessing, congratulations, or cheers. | |
| 5 of the biggest mistakes to avoid: | |
| 1. Having more than one drink to calm nerves beforehand. It may seem like a good idea, but besides calming your nerves, too much alcohol will also keep you from speaking clearly and hinder your good judgment of appropriate speech material. 2. Swearing and/or lying. 3. Apologizing for being a bad speaker - Never apologize for being a bad speaker, and don't say you really didn't want to speak. It's a rule for all speeches and all occasions, not just weddings. 4. Mentioning previous girlfriends, past marriages, or past relationships. Not only could it be potentially embarrassing, but it's inappropriate at a wedding. Leave this for the stag party. 5. Stories about the Bride and Groom that aren't rated PG. Remember, Grandma, Grandpa and possibly even children will be present at the wedding. Make sure your stories are appropriate for the audience. back to top | |
| personalised poetry | |
| Over the centuries, many romantic situations have been enhanced when one of the parties to the affair was able to augment his meager words with those from one more articulate. During the event of a wedding, there are numerous opportunities for the use of custom-written speeches and toasts. In many instances this can turn an ordinary event into an extraordinary one! | |
| There are many historical precedents. For example, during colonial times, there was the story of John and Priscilla Alden made famous in Longfellow's poem, "The Courtship of Miles Standish." Standish was enamoured with Priscilla Mullins. Since he considered himself a man of action not of words, he asked his friend John Alden to convey his sentiments to Priscilla hoping to win her affections through John's articulate words. Unfortunately for Standish, it was Alden who ultimately won Priscilla's heart. Whereupon she spoke the famous words, "Speak for yourself John." In the end, Alden rather than Standish became Priscilla's husband. | |
| A similar fictional story is the famous tale of Cyrano de Bergerac. To those familiar with it, it describes a similar instance of a person hiring someone more skilled in communication to better express their sentiments. For many years, people have tried using a famous love poem or familiar verse at their wedding. Sometimes they will play a favorite popular song, or a well-loved hymn or a line from a movie. However, in each of these instances, they are trying to adapt a poetic line or artistic phrase to their situation with varying results. How much better would it be to commission a custom-written poem or speech to more closely approximate your exact situation? That way, you can incorporate specific details of your experiences together and convey the exact flavor of your unique relationship. This is where a freelance poet can help. | |
| The benefit of having a custom-written poem or speech may in some instances extend beyond the wedding itself. This was the case with John from California. He approached me to write a wedding poem when he was asked to be Best Man at his son's wedding. Too busy to prepare a poem himself, he delegated the work to me. After the wedding, he said the following, "This is going to be a great memento as the years go by for all of us; not to mention the children who I am sure will result. And you and I will have left a legacy for generations to come. Thank you." | |
| Because every wedding is unique, it needs distinctive touches to individualize it. A custom-written poem is an easy way to add that special touch. back to top | |