It’s Wednesday, Dreamcicle Brides! The holidays were a whirlwind of activity for us here at the studio, and we are happy to be back on the blog! I hope you had an amazing holiday season, and received many blessings. This week, we’re going to explore the toast – the do’s and don’ts. While we often think of the toast as something others give to the bride and groom, there are toasts for you to give as well!

Do’s and Don’ts of Wedding Toasting

We really do love weddings, and one of the best parts is the wedding toast. Here is where friends and family can share special moments and memories with the guests. When you are called upon to give a wedding toast, it can be awkward if you’re not prepared. You may not know in advance and have to fly by the seat of your pants, but if you keep these few points in mind, you’ll do just fine.

1. Know who you are toasting!

While you can toast anyone you want, there are some conventional rules for more traditional weddings toasts. Here are a few:

• best man toasts to the bride
• maid/matron of honor toasts to the groom
• father of the bride toasts to the couple
• bride and groom toast to their parents and the guests

2. Make the Wedding Toast Personal!

Include a little about how you met or how you know the couple, but don’t make it about you. People don’t want to hear a long story about your college days with the groom. Short and sweet is much better here. Take some time before writing your toast to jot down a few anecdotes about the who you are toasting. Use these to build your toast, keeping it about them.

3. Know your audience!

If the room is full of family and kids, you’ll definitely want to keep it PG. Regardless, keep in mind the bride is not going to take kindly to a lot of embarrassing stories about her or her groom. Keep your anecdotes tasteful – stay away from jokes about physical attributes, sex, and other inappropriate subjects. In other words – keep the embarrassing stories to yourself.

4. During the Wedding Toast be sure to thank the host!

It’s always appropriate to add a quick thank you to whomever is hosting the wedding, whether it’s the bride and groom themselves or her parents.

5. Keep it short!

Keep in mind there are others who will be giving a wedding toast as well. Nobody wants to listen to you telling lengthy stories. A few short, fun bits are fine, but be mindful that others are waiting their turn as well. While it’s a good idea to write it out, try to not read your wedding toast. Writing it before hand will help you be prepared and keep from sounding over rehearsed.

6. Wrap it up! Don’t leave the guests hanging when you finish delivering your wedding toast. Let them know you are done. A good way to wrap it up is a short phrase for the audience to repeat. For example, “Let’s raise our glasses to Tina and John. To Tina and John!”

Even if you’re giving as wedding toast on the fly, take a few moments to gather your thoughts and touch on these points and your toast will be fun for all!

Until next time, have a Dreamcicle Day!

Kristi xoxo

About Dreamcicle Studios Photography: We’re a madly in love husband and wife photography team in the Phoenix-Scottsdale area that loves capturing love more than anything! We photograph new beginnings and completed souls; faces of anticipation, happiness, love. It’s wedding photography designed uniquely for you. We’d love to speak to you about photographing your dream wedding day! Contact us by clicking here.