Wedding toasts – we’ve all heard really good ones, and we’ve all heard REALLY bad ones. Were you recently asked to give a toast at a friend or family member’s wedding? Are you unsure about how long you should speak for? Is there anything that is off limits? Have no fear! I have a foolproof template for creating the perfect toast.

Timing

You should try to keep your toast between 5-7 minutes. Really short toasts can make you seem unprepared, and long ones lose interest easily.

Intro

• Hi, I’m ____!
• This is how I know the bride/groom (Jane is my little sister, Scott was on my t-ball team, etc.)

– Remember that some guests may not know who you are – give them some context!

 

Content

Pick a couple of the following prompts to help you come up with the meat of your speech! Try to keep things appropriate – odds are there are some family members or friends that don’t need to know about a crazy night out in college, or a super embarrassing story about the bride/groom. Those anecdotes should be for the bachelor/bachelorette party!

• How the couple met: Were you there? Did you introduce them?

– “I was with Jim when he met Pam in English 101 freshman year. After that first study session, Jim turned to me and said, ‘I think I just met my future wife’. They have been inseparable ever since!”

• How you knew they were meant for each other

– “As Alyssa’s older sister, I am always very protective of her. When she had her wisdom teeth removed a few years ago, Ben was extremely caring and loving. He made sure she got her medicine right on the dot every time, and made her smoothies and mashed potatoes whenever she wanted them. Ben – if you can handle Alyssa getting her wisdom teeth out, you can truly handle ANY obstacle that will be thrown at you!”

• Tie in a fun/sweet memory in to their marriage

– “Ever since I can remember, Luke wanted to go to Europe. Since Luke and Ryan began dating, they have been to 7 different European countries together! Ryan, thank you for helping make my brother’s dreams come true! I can’t wait to see where you travel to next.”

Closing

• Be sentimental

– Balance out your funny stories with something sweet! Remember that this toast is not to test some new stand-up material – it’s about the couple!

• Cheers to _______!

– End your toast with a cheers to the couple and their future. Make it quick and simple!

 

Now you’re ready to rock the socks off of your wedding toast! Brides and Grooms, feel free to pass this along to your wedding party or family members – you’ll thank me later 🙂

 

xo, gabi

 

Photography by Amanda Marie Studio