Photo: J Cogliandro Photography
As the maid of honor or best man, one of your tasks is to give a toast or speech to the bride and groom at the rehearsal dinner, and/or at the wedding reception. If you’;re not used to speaking in front of crowds, it may be a bit nerve-wracking, especially given the formality of the setting…and the emotionally charged expectations of the crowd of loved ones (no biggie, right?). But don’;t worry, darling. Follow these simple guidelines and your rehearsal dinner speech or wedding reception toast will go off without a hitch!
Do:
- Write down your wedding speech or toast and have a note card with you. Although you shouldn’;t read directly from the card while giving the speech, it’;ll help to have in case you lose your train of thought.
- Practice, practice, practice. This may include reciting your speech in front of the mirror, or recording yourself, and making adjustments based on what you hear.
- Share anecdotes of experiences you have shared with either the bride or groom. These real-life stories make the toast way more personal and engaging for other wedding guests.
- Be original, and avoid cliches. Sentimental cliches make for a boring speech; avoiding them will show the couple how much effort you have put into your rehearsal dinner speech or wedding toast, and how much you care.
Don’;t:
- Don’;t go for the liquid courage. No matter how nervous you may be, excessive alcohol is not the answer. Avoid drinking too much to prevent embarrassing yourself, or, worse, the wedding couple.
- Don’;t go over 5 minutes. Keep it short or you’;ll risk guests losing interest and reaching for their phones.
- When making jokes, don’;t be crass or use inside jokes only you and the couple would be familiar with. Guests will enjoy neither.
- Don’;t try too hard to be funny. It’;s OK to go for one or two laughs, but let it happen naturally, and pay attention to your audience’;s response. Sometimes what they find funny is different from what you might have anticipated would get a laugh.
The post Do’;s & Don’;ts for the Rehearsal Dinner Speech or Wedding Toast appeared first on Houston Wedding Blog.
