How To Crush Your Wedding Toast

How to Get Ready for Your Wedding Toast

Know Your Audience: Understand the tone of the event and what the couple expects. If unsure, ask them directly. You were chosen to give a speech, which means that you are one of the couple’s favorite people, do not hesitate to ask them about your speech if you have trouble speaking in front of large crowds. By knowing what type of room you are walking into, it can help calm your nerves. At DJ MN Events, we can help you read the room and set you up for success.
Plan Ahead and Be Yourself: Outline your speech and rehearse it multiple times. Aim for a balance of sentimentality, humor, and brevity. If humor is not your strong suit, stick to the sentiments, the couple is just happy you are there to be apart of one of the biggest days of their lives. Don’t try to be overly formal or overly comedic if it’s not your style. Authenticity will resonate with the audience.

Speak from the heart using your own voice. Avoid generic templates or quotes unless they genuinely resonate with the couple. We love to hear specific stories about the couple, how you met the bride, how she met the love of her life, as the Best Man and Maid of Honor you know the couple best, you know the ups, the downs, the paths they walked to get to one another. We love to hear personal stories that they will cherish forever.

Include a mix of heartfelt moments, fun memories from your childhood, your college days, anything that is light humor. Share meaningful anecdotes but avoid making it overly serious or dull.

Keep your toast under 5 minutes, aiming for 3 minutes if possible. Be concise while leaving room for other speakers. Wedding days tend to be long, keeping your wedding toast short and sweet will have the rest of the evening running smoothly.

Rehearse your toast aloud to refine your delivery and timing. Practice in front of a trusted friend for feedback. If you’re nervous about public speaking here are some tips you can use to prepare.

Engage the Audience: Make eye contact and project your voice. At DJ MN Events we provide state of the art sound systems so the entire room will be able to hear your speech, we will provide a microphone for you.
Raise a Glass: End your toast with a celebratory gesture to honor the couple.

Avoid inside jokes or overly personal stories that most guests won’t understand.
Do not bring up ex-partners, past conflicts, or anything embarrassing.
Steer clear of overly long or rambling speeches think under 5 minutes, ideally 3!
Avoid inappropriate humor or language—keep it family-friendly.

Best Man: Often shares humorous stories about the groom, highlighting their bond and celebrating the couple. Do you have a treasure trove of stories from your childhood? Let it flow and you were invited to be yourself, no need to put on a performance.
Maid of Honor: Shares a speech focusing on the bride, with anecdotes about their friendship, their memories together and her journey towards meeting the love of her life.
Parents of the Couple: Express gratitude to guests, share wisdom about marriage, and toast to the newlyweds.
The Couple: Optionally thank everyone for attending and express excitement about their future together.

May include personal stories or readings from the officiant, family members, or close friends.

Best Man: Typically gives the first toast, offering humorous and heartfelt reflections.
Maid of Honor: Follows with a speech focused on the bride and her journey with the groom.
Parents of the Couple: Share a brief toast welcoming guests and celebrating the couple.
The Couple: Optionally thank everyone for their support and presence.

With thoughtful preparation, your wedding toast will be a memorable highlight of the celebration!