7 Tips for Writing a Great Tahoe Wedding Toast
Write the speech in pieces For many-, if not most people, writing a toast for a wedding is a stressful endeavor. A large percentage of people feel uncomfortable speaking in front of others, and even the thought of it can be nerve-racking, so instead of overwhelming yourself, start writing several weeks in advance and write one small section at a time.
Include an introduction Who are you? How do you know the happy couple? How long have you been part of their lives? Not everyone will know you, so it is nice to include this in your speech.
Say a few words of congratulations. Make sure you mention what makes their love so special or say something sweet about the moment that you realized that they should be together.
Tell a story… humorous, happy, or heartfelt, the greatest toasts include a story of the bride, groom, or both.
Practice, but don’t memorize. You should practice saying your speech out loud, but you shouldn’t memorize it, as that could make your toast feel robotic rather than natural and from the heart.
Hold a drink during the speech. Why? If you feel yourself getting too nervous or too emotional, taking a quick sip can slow the moment, allow you to regain your focus, and ease some of the tension.
Don’t write it out verbatim. Instead, practice ahead of time, until you have the general gist of the message down, and then create a notecard of bullet points that will help you move from one section to the next. This will prevent you from staring at the piece of paper throughout the whole speech instead of making eye contact. It will also reduce the chances that you speed talk through the whole thing.