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The Wedding Speech or A Toast to the Newlyweds

Posted March 21st, 2007 by BrideFu Team
Filed Under: Wedding Tools and Resources, Wedding Customs and Traditions, Wedding Etiquette, What's New at BrideFu

It may seem daunting but writing a wedding toast to the newlyweds is simple! We understand that there may be a bit of writer’s block where you just need a bit of inspiration. Or there are too many things to say but maybe you’re unsure about the appropriateness of your ideas.

In either of those situations and more, our simple guidelines for a wedding toast will make your creative writing adventure a successful breeze!

Structure
Consider your wedding toast a written work of art, just shorter. Why? Well it will share a similar trait with all written classics: a well-defined structure - beginning, middle, end. This is important to keep in mind when writing your speech. A well-defined structure keeps you from being all over the place, much like the lines drawn on roads.Many toast-ers begin their speeches with a classic literary or movie quote or maybe an amusing anecdote. For quotes, here are some sites to consider: Funny Quotes on Love, Philosophical Quotes on Love, Inspirational Quotes on Love, Quotes on Marriage. For anecdotes, look through photo albums for inspiration (remember to keep it clean if there are kids around!). Once you’ve finished with your starter, move on to the bulk of your speech, the sentimental, inspirational, advisory section…or just whatever spin you’d like to give.The ending? Give your toast a real uplifting clincher, a nice positive summing up of all your thoughts. When planning out your speech, test it out a few times to make sure you have enough time and you sound smooth and relaxed but not to the point of rambling.

Structure

Consider your wedding toast a written work of art, just shorter. Why? Well it will share a similar trait with all written classics: a well-defined structure - beginning, middle, end. This is important to keep in mind when writing your speech. A well-defined structure keeps you from being all over the place, much like the lines drawn on roads.Many toast-ers begin their speeches with a classic literary or movie quote or maybe an amusing anecdote. For quotes, here are some sites to consider: Funny Quotes on Love, Philosophical Quotes on Love, Inspirational Quotes on Love, Quotes on Marriage.

For anecdotes, look through photo albums for inspiration (remember to keep it clean if there are kids around!). Once you’ve finished with your starter, move on to the bulk of your speech, the sentimental, inspirational, advisory section…or just whatever spin you’d like to give.The ending? Give your toast a real uplifting clincher, a nice positive summing up of all your thoughts. When planning out your speech, test it out a few times to make sure you have enough time and you sound smooth and relaxed but not to the point of rambling.

Content
Where to start? Well, who are you? That’s the perfect place to start! Tell everyone who you are, what your role is in the wedding, and how you know the bridal couple. Little anecdotes or personal stories about the couple are so awesome to incorporate! Everyone loves to hear heartwarming, walks-down-memory-lane, see-how-far-they-came stories. But, keep it clean! Personal is good, too personal is not!

Content

Where to start? Well, who are you? That’s the perfect place to start! Tell everyone who you are, what your role is in the wedding, and how you know the bridal couple. Little anecdotes or personal stories about the couple are so awesome to incorporate! Everyone loves to hear heartwarming, walks-down-memory-lane, see-how-far-they-came stories. But, keep it clean! Personal is good, too personal is not!

Writer’s Block
Okay so you have your structure and a general sense of content. Where do you get your content? Well inspiration can come from anywhere. Check out the sites listed above for possible quotations to use. Or take a moment (or hour) to sit and ruffle through old photo albums to bring back fond memories. Think about the couple. Are there special traits about them that really stand out? If you’re really stuck, ask for ideas from friends, family, even the bride and groom themselves.

Writer’s Block

Okay so you have your structure and a general sense of content. Where do you get your content? Well inspiration can come from anywhere. Check out the sites listed above for possible quotations to use. Or take a moment (or hour) to sit and ruffle through old photo albums to bring back fond memories. Think about the couple. Are there special traits about them that really stand out? If you’re really stuck, ask for ideas from friends, family, even the bride and groom themselves.

Show Time
So you’ve prepared for this moment and here it is! But before you stand to make your awesome speech, check yourself out in the mirror and remain calm. Remember to end the speech with something like “Please join me in a toast to [insert name of bride and groom here]” or “To the Bride and Groom”.

Some Tips on Speeches:
	Go over it before you give your speech. You don’t have to memorize it completely but get comfortable with the speech so it becomes natural. Make sure the speech is written out legibly or printed large enough so you can see it. This is a great backup plan in case you blank while you’re at the mic. Keep it clean, no dirty jokes or extremely embarrassing stories to avoid offending anyone.