In real life, however, no couple wants their wedding to be remembered for a botched wedding toast, so it is important that the best man, and anyone else who is asked to give a toast at the reception, plan their words carefully, well in advance of the reception. Typically, the best man’s speech for the wedding toast is the first speech of the wedding reception, and it sets the tone for the rest of the event. Even if the best man has not been asked to give a wedding toast, he should be prepared to do so. The best wedding toasts include several important elements.

Introduction

Wedding guests, especially at a large wedding, may not know the wedding party. First, the best man should begin by getting the crowd’s attention, introducing himself, explaining his relationship to the couple, and warning the guests that a wedding toast is coming, so they can fill their glasses and be ready for the toast.

Congratulations to the Happy Couple

Next, the best man should congratulate the couple on their marriage. They have just survived perhaps the most important and momentous event in their lives so far, and they deserve to be congratulated. It is also appropriate at this time for the best man to comment on how beautiful the bride looks, and how she is the “perfect girl” for the groom to marry. If the best man doesn’t know the bride well, the wedding toast can also include remarks about how much the best man looks forward to getting to know the bride in the coming months and years.

Personalize the Wedding Toast

The best wedding toasts include a personal touch. The best man should tell a funny story about his experiences with the groom before the bride came along, or an anecdote from the bachelor party. This story should not embarrass the groom in any way, and it should not mention old girlfriends or former marriages. The best man should share a brief reminiscence that is appropriate for all ages – nothing that will cause the couple or their parents or grandparents to cringe.

Go for the Emotion

A wedding is an emotional experience, and the best man should not be afraid to pull out the stops and be more emotional than he ordinarily would be in a speech. Appropriate emotional remarks might include a comment about how the couple inspires him to find his true love, or how he hopes that his marriage will be as happy as theirs.

Whatever the speech, it is vital that the best man write down the wedding toast and rehearse it beforehand. If the toast goes well, when it is over, the bride and groom and their guests will go on to enjoy the rest of the reception.

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The traditional best man’s toast is a verbal speech that is given early in the reception.  Although it is unoriginal, this type of toast is widely accepted and popular.  If the best man is married himself, he may want to take this opportunity to offer the couple some sage advice for enjoying a happy and peaceful marriage.  He may also wish to simply state why he admires the bride and the groom and offer his best wishes.  Still another popular option for this traditional version of a best man’s toast is to regale the guests with a slew of stories from the groom’s wilder days.  This, however, is not recommended at a wedding attended by mostly conservative guests as this can be embarrassing to both the couple and the guests. 

A slideshow is on increasingly popular way for the best man to toast the new couple.  You could take the opportunity to display various pictures of the bride and groom separately and as a couple.  One option is to interview both parents prior to the wedding and ask them to contribute pictures of their child from when they were a baby until now.  You would ask the parents a series of questions about the bride or grooms childhood, adolescence and adult life.  Then you could take the pictures and arrange them in a slideshow presentation that you could narrate with information gleaned from your interviews.  This type of toast is especially popular with the older generation in attendance at the wedding because many of them knew the bride or groom as children and will enjoy reminiscing about those times through the pictures and stories.

If the best man is linguistically inclined he may also wish to write a short poem or song about the couple.  This poem or song could either be sweet and sentimental or funny and potentially embarrassing to the couple.  Although the best man may be making the same points that he would in giving a traditional speech, the use of a poem or song to convey the sentiment makes it more original and amusing for the guests.

A video presentation is another unique way to make the best man’s toast.  One way to do this is to arrange meetings with close friends and family members and ask them a series of questions about love and relationships and videotape their answers.  You could then videotape yourself giving a short toast and introducing the other members on the tape.  This is an excellent idea for the best man who is afraid that he will forget what he wants to say on the wedding day.  The video allows him to practice his speech and record it over and over again until it is perfect.

Another original toast idea is the idea of memory boxes.  The best man could talk to the parents of the bride and groom ahead of time and obtain a few objects from their pasts such a photos, childhood security blankets and special gifts from loved ones.  The bet man would put each of these items into one of the boxes and leave the other one empty.  When it comes time for the toast the best man could present the couple with the filled box.  He would then open the box and explain the story behind each of the memory items.  When he is done with the first box, he could present the couple with the second box and explain that this box is for the couple to fill up with keepsakes of the memories that they will share together. 

There are a variety of toasting options available to the best man.  Whether he chooses to speak from the heart with an unprepared speech or invest time prior to the wedding to put together an elaborate presentation, the toast is sure to be appreciated as long as the best man is speaking from his heart. 

 

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1. Give the Best Wedding Toast Ever
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3. Gift Ideas for the Bride to Give to the Groom