Janet Newton's WebsitePlymouth High SchoolPlymouth, Wisconsinhttp://www.mrsnewtonphs.com/the-wedding-toast.html

According to Miss Elizabeth Post in her well respected resource, Etiquette, A Guide to Modern Manners,

“When the bride and groom sit down at the bridal table, [the best man] sits on the bride’s right, and it is hisresponsibility to make thefirst toast to the newlyweds(788).

Miss Manners also reassures couples who plan to marry that they are not required to sit at a formal table, but may simply mingle with their guests.

However, she does say, “atsome point the best man mustround them all up and bring themtogether to join him in a toastto the couple” (904).

THE TOAST TO THE BRIDE AND GROOM At a sit-down bridal table, champagne is

poured as soon as the party is seated. The glass of the bride is filled first, then that of

the bridegroom, and then on around the table, starting with the maid of honor at the groom’s left.

The best man proposes a toast to the bride and bridegroom. It is usually a very short toast, and somewhat sentimental.

All except the bride and groomrise, raise their glasses, anddrink the toast.

Then the groom stands and replies with thanks and a toast to his new wife.

Other toasts may be offered by anyone who cares to propose one. Telegrams [or other written messages] that have arrived for the newlyweds are usually read aloud at this time.

At a large reception only those at the bridal table join in the toast, but at a small one all the guests may join in drinking togetherto the couple’s health and happiness.

Here are some toasts you canamend to fit the occasionwhen you are given the honorof making a toast at a wedding reception:

A BEST MAN’S TOAST TO THE BRIDAL COUPLE AT A WEDDING RECEPTION—

To Mary and John—a beautiful bride, a wonderful man—and the happiest couple I ever hope to see!

To Mary and John—may they always be as happy as they look today. (906)

1. Introduction and Thank You: Anytime you address an audience, it helps if

they know who you are and why you’re talking. You’ll also want to make sure while talking that

you thank everyone who has helped to make the day come together,

AND, complimentinghow nice the bridelooks doesn’t hurt either.

2. How You Know the Bride and Groom: People love stories, so you can include

in your speech how you know the bride/groom.

You can talk about how you met, or how longyou’ve known each other.

It doesn’t haveto be long – keeping itbrief and simple is fine.

3. Why the Couple is Perfect for Each Other:Wedding toasts are

supposed to celebrate the two people getting married, so saying anything that says why you think they will have a happy marriage is very appropriate.

4. Throw in some quotes: A short line of poetry or a famous

romantic love quote for a best man speech is always a good stand-by if you can’t think of anything else.

Don’t go quote crazy, but a well selected one can really help.

5. Add a touch of humor:Saying something mildly funny or

amusing that is appropriate for all audiences can be a great ice breaker.

Be sure that it doesn’t cross into the no-no territories of religion, politics, the couple’s sex life, or crude humor.

Saying something light and appropriatewill make your audience stayawake during the weddingtoasts.

6. Dish out advice sparingly:Most best man speeches or wedding toasts

offer some sort of advice. If your toast includes advice, make sure it doesn’t cross into the no-nos of adding a touch of humor in wedding toasts as mentioned above.

If the advice can’t begiven simply andwithout making thebride and groom feelgood, it’s probablybetter to leave it out.

7. Stay sober:Staying sober before and during a

best man speech or wedding toast is very important.

Being drunk before the wedding toasts have started is not going to leave a good impression on thewedding guests orthe bride and groom.

This is just a simple guide to writing wedding toasts – you are certainly able to be as creative or original as you’d like to be in your best man speech or other wedding toasting responsibility.

If you ever have any doubts though about what to say, asking the bride and groom can certainly also point you in the right direction.

(http://www.itmightbelove.com/2008/10/03/wedding-toasts-a-guide-for-the-hopelessly-clueless/):

According to Miss Post, “There should always be a wedding cake, no matter how simple, and there are always toasts to the newlyweds. Otherwise the party is much like any other restaurant dinner …” (911).

 

As for the maid of honor, Miss Post says, “She sits on the groom’s left at the bridal table. She may or may not make a toast opt the couple” (783).

One of the most important traditions of a Maid of Honor or Matron of Honor is to give the Bride a Toast.

Traditionally, the speech would be given during the wedding party in the first half (before people begin to leave) and would focus on the bride.

Bridesmaid 101 recommends making a wedding toast that includes various emotions.

The best toasts include funny stories growing up with sentimental friendship and love.

Some Maids of Honor like to be spontaneous and not rehearse anything prior to making the toast while others (the majority) usually bring notes or a prepared speech.

Bridesmaid 101's words of advice are if you are a person who does not like to speak in front of others when making a speech, make sure to rehearse and bring a hard copy wedding speech.

Stories of what the bride used to share with you about the groom when she first met him.

Funny story while growing up How you and the bride met and how long

you both have known each other Most "appropriately" embarrassing

moment you shared with the bride How beautiful the bride and groom look

together

• http://www.bridesmaid101.com/maid_of_honor_speech.html

Talk about a funny habit of the bride that the groom will have to live with :)

A spiritual statement (if the bride and groom are spiritual people)

Words of advice to both the bride and groom

Wishes you have for the newlyweds (e.g., success, happiness, many babies)

In your wedding toast speech, DO NOT use any of the following trite quotes from About.com; however, they may inspire you to come up with your own text:

Here's to the prettiest, here's to the wittiest, Here's to the truest of all who are true, Here's to the neatest one, here's to the sweetest one, Here's to them, all in one - here's to you.

Here's to the groom, a man who keeps his head though he loses his heart.

A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Here's to these beautiful bridesmaids.

We admire them for their beauty, respect them for their intelligence, adore them for their virtues, and love them because we can't help it.

May she share everything with her husband, including the housework.

She knows all about me and loves me just the same.

It is written: when children find true love, parents find true joy. Here's to your joy and ours, from this day forward.

Let us toast the health of the bride; Let us toast the health of the groom, Let us toast the person that tied; Let us toast every guest in the room.

Look down you gods, and on this couple drop a blessed crown.

Remember that if you ever put your marital problems on the back burner they are sure to boil over.

Happy marriages beginwhen we marry the onewe love, and theyblossom when we lovethe one we married.

My greatest wish for the two of you is that through the years your love for each other will so deepen and grow, that years from now you will look back on this day, your wedding day, as the day you loved each other the least.

It don't matter where you get your appetite, as long as you eat at home!

May the best day of your past be the worst day of your future.

Marriage: A communityconsisting of a master,a mistress, and two slaves--making in all, two.

May the roof above you never fall in and may you both never fall out.

To the lamp of love - may it burn brightest in the darkest hours and never flicker in the winds of trial.

May 'for better or worse' be far better than worse.

The man or woman you really love will never grow old to you. Through the wrinkles of time, through the bowed frame of years, You will always see the dear face and feel The warm heart union of your eternal love.

May you have manychildren and may theygrow mature in tasteand healthy in colorand as sought afteras the contentsof the glass.

Your task is to write and deliver a mock Wedding Toast addressed to a sibling or a very close friend and his or her spouse.

Your audience should not know the newlywed’s spouse. Not knowing him or her will make your task much more

realistic because almost half of the guests at a wedding reception probably do not know both the bride and the groom personally.

Although creating and deliveringthis speech is always a lot of fun, please take the assignment seriously.

See the guidelines posted on theclass website for more details and for links to selected videos of good,bad, and terrible wedding toast speeches.