If you’ve been tapped with the task of giving a toast at an upcoming wedding, you may find yourself with a sudden case of writer’s block, unsure of where to start and what to include in your speech. In order to give a memorable and laugh out loud worthy toast, it’s best to remember to keep it short and simple and to try and avoid these 7 common wedding toast mistakes.
- Making it Multiple Pages Long
Keep your toast short and sweet. If you see that your speech is more than one page, shave off as much as you can to get rid of those additional pages. The shorter you make it, the more engaging it will be.
- Doing it Improv
You might have the idea to just wing your speech and speak from the heart, but the problem with this route is that when nerves, and a few glass of champagnes come into play, you may forget what you want to say and end up in front of a room filled with people and have nothing to say. Instead of doing improve, write down bullet points that you can speak off of if you forget what you want to say.
- Not Making Eye Contact
It’s OK if you don’t memorize your speech, but if you’re reading off the paper be sure to take breaks to make eye contact with the bride and groom.
- Going With a Blast from the Past
Dig deep to find funny stories to color your toast with, but don’t fill your speech with a handful of inside jokes that only you and the bride will find funny.
- Making the Bride Flush Red
When you’re choosing the best blast from the past memories to add to the toast, leave off any that may make the bride feel embarrassed or uncomfortable.
- Forgetting Your Audience
Remember that you’re not giving this toast to the bride and the bride only, you have a room filled with guests to entertain as well. So keep them hooked with anecdotes, open body language, and laugh lines that they can appreciate.
- Talking too Fast
The key to giving a memorable speech is giving one that people can understand. So remember to speak slowly and practice your tone and pace before the wedding day.
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