By Greg Savoie

So, do you know what a wedding toast is? Contrary to popular belief is more than a piece of overcooked bread. The tradition of wedding toasts is an old one, passed down from one generation to another. Wedding toasts is done for various reasons but 90 per cent of the time it’s done to wish the couple getting married the best of health and good fortunes in their future.

In other words, a wedding toast can be considered a socially acceptable way to indulge a bit more that usual and at the same time express good will.

Who’s eligible to give a wedding toast?

An Impromptu wedding toast maybe generally welcome but it’s also done in an order. The initial evening wedding toast is given by the best man and directed towards the newlyweds. It’s then followed by the groom, who toasts his bride and her family, then the fathers will toast the bride and groom and finally then bride and groom will toast each other. At this point everyone in the room will have consumed alcohol sufficient for their appetite inclusive of the 350 pound bridesmaid seated in the corner.

Who’s not eligible to give a toast

It’s not appropriate for a hired help, a jilted ex-lover or a drunken uncle to make an impromptu wedding toast.

How and when to make an impromptu wedding toast

The first thing to do is to make sure to get the attention of your fellow wedding guests by gently tapping the side of your glass with a fork.

Under no circumstances whatsoever should you try to beat your utensil to the tune of the Macarena or anything similar. Next, raise your glass with your right hand, holding it straight from the shoulder, and propose your toast, making sure to address the recipient or recipients of your speech directly.

Time to make an impromptu wedding toast

There are no set rules for when to make an impromptu wedding toast, but you at least want to make sure that your glass and the glasses of those around you (or at least at your table) are full. In the case of an Irish wedding you might want to act fast. You also want to make your impromptu wedding toast after the required toasts and before people start mingling and dancing.

The duration of an impromptu wedding toast

Here Mark Twain popular statement comes to mind ” toast should be like a woman’s dress: long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to be interesting” making a toast is not about giving a full speech and should be at most four lines.

What to drink

The only beverages not used in wedding toasts since time immemorial is tea, coffee, and water because they were considered an insult to most people and bad luck. Champagne and sparkling ciders are now preferable.

About The Author

Greg Savoie in fashion and men’s accessories. If you’d like to know more about our products, please visit our animal themed cufflinks and our wonderful personalized cufflinks.

Tags: For Weddings