SEATTLE, WA, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ --
1. Keep it short & simple. If you are uncomfortable before an audience, feel free to simply congratulate the couple and offer your best wishes. Otherwise, plan to deliver your toast in three to five minutes. 2. Know your audience. A wedding typically draws together a diverse range of people - so if you are planning use humor in your toast, make it Family or PG-rated rather than Restricted Adult. 3. Pretend it's your wedding. What would you want people to say about you and your new spouse if this were your wedding? This is perhaps the best barometer of good taste for you to consider if you are planning to take a humorous approach with your toast. 4. Personalize your toast. Wedding guests love to hear anecdotal stories about people in the wedding party - from how the couple met to your experience growing up with them. But again, err on the side of good judgment in telling those stories. 5. Close with class. If you decide to gently tease the new couple and have a bit of fun with your toast, remember to end your toast on an upbeat note with a sincere tribute to them and their future together. 6. Call to action. Once you have delivered your talk, ask people to rise. Then look directly at the wedding couple, smile, raise your glass and state: "Ladies and gentlemen, to the bride and groom!" 7. Use point form notes. Never write out your toast and then try to deliver it word for word. Instead, use 5 x 7 index cards to summarize your key points and refer to them as you deliver your toast. 8. Limit your alcohol intake. "Liquid courage" is a bad idea. Even a few drinks can make some people flushed and unsteady - and slurred, drunken diatribes are inexcusable. 9. Rehearse in the room where you will make the toast. Studies have shown that students who study in the room where they will take an exam actually get better grades. If you can rehearse your toast in the room where you will deliver it, you will be far more confident when you "go live" at the wedding. 10. Do it now. One of the worst mistakes you can make is to try to write and rehearse your toast on the day of the wedding - it's a surefire recipe for high stress and ultimate disaster. Start preparing your toast at least a few weeks prior to the wedding, and allow yourself time to practice and perfect it.
Tom Haibeck is the author of the bestselling book, "Wedding Toasts Made Easy!" (featured last year on "Live with Regis & Kelly). It is available at major bookstores or online at WeddingToasts.com.
Wedding Toasts Made Easy!
