Delivering a Wedding Toast

Add to Favorite

A classic way to salute the bride and groom and get the party started, toasting is a ritual that is easy to master and fun to do (once you've conquered those butterflies!).

What’s a wedding without a few toasts? Wishes are formally expressed, honored guests are saluted and, hopefully, someone adds a little humor to break the ice. Suddenly everyone is relaxing and the party can really begin.

Keep in mind that you don’t have to serve champagne for your toasts. Toasts can be sealed with a sip of wine, a mixed drink, champagne, or nonalcoholic punch, though, according to formal etiquette, never with tea, coffee, or water. Whatever the beverage chosen, at the head table, it should be served to the bride first, then the groom, the maid of honor, the parents, and lastly the best man.

The modern order of wedding toasts

Once upon a time, the guys did all the talking. Nowadays, the bride and her maid of honor, among others, will likely want to join in. Feel free to include other toasts or to change the order to suit the occasion.

Toast No. 1
The MC stands and proposes a toast to the newly married couple.

Toast No. 2
The groom stands, thanks the MC and the guests, then proposes a toast to his bride.

Toast No. 3
The bride stands, thanks the groom and the guests, then proposes a toast to her parents and her new in-laws or offer special toasts for each set of parents.

Toast No. 4
The father of the bride thanks the bride for the toast, thanks everyone for attending, and announces that the festivities may now begin or….

Toast No. 5
The MC proposes a toast to the bridesmaids.

Toast No. 6
The Maid of Honor replies with thanks or another toast.

Then the MC introduces any guests who wish to propose their own toasts. This works best if guests wanting to make a toast have alerted the MC before the reception.

Finally, the MC announces the start of the party. This is always a great cue for the band or DJ to strike up a good, take-to-the-floor tune.

Toast points

• If you are the recipient of a toast, don’t stand, raise your glass, or take a sip of your drink. Do thank the toasters or at least smile and graciously nod. Remember that you are not obliged to propose a toast in return.

• A toast should always end with a formal indication to the guests that alerts them to the appropriate response. For example, the toaster can say, “Please join in a toast to the happiness of Jack and Jill. Jack and Jill!”