Advice from Prosperity Mansion & Farm an outdoor, Maryland wedding venue located in Frederick County Maryland and near Westminster.
At a wedding reception, it’s tradition for the Best Man and Maid of Honor to toast to the bride and groom with a short speech. It’s a sentimental way to honor the couple and help them kick off their lives together. However, if you’re the Best Man or Maid of Honor, you might be hit with writer’s block as you figure out what you want to say. We here at Prosperity Mansion & Farm have a few pointers for you to keep in mind as you write your toast speech.
Keep it Positive
This is something meant to honor the bride and groom, not tear them down. Your speech shouldn’t include anything negative about the happy couple. Even if you meant it as a joke, there’s always a chance it could be taken seriously and could offend the bride and groom or their family and friends. It’s best to just keep it positive and happy to celebrate the new marriage.
Be Inclusive
Even if you’re only close with one half of the happy couple, it’s best to talk to and about both of them during your speech. Plus, if you only speak about one person, you’re unintentionally excluding guests who know the other person better. Remember, you’re celebrating the newly married couple and their lives together, not your relationship with them.
Don’t Mention Exes or Past Marriages
Again, this is a toast about the newly married couple to celebrate them and their future. It shouldn’t dwell on love from the past or mention any previous marriages either member of the happy couple might have had. It should focus on their love and new marriage.
Add a Little Humor
A serious toast is a boring toast. It’s good to throw in some jokes here or there so you can keep everyone entertained and attentive while you speak and keep smiles on the happy couple’s faces. Of course, it’s best to try not to ruffle any feathers with your jokes.
Try Not to Embarrass Anyone
The last thing anybody wants is to be embarrassed at a wedding, especially during a moment when all of the focus and attention is on one person giving a speech. If you think there’s a possibility of somebody being embarrassed by something you’re thinking about including, it’s probably best to just leave it out.
Try Not to Offend Anyone
Just like being embarrassed, being offended by a wedding speech isn’t something people want to happen. You never know what the guests’ opinions are, so it’s best to keep dirty jokes and references to religion or politics out of the speech.
Keep it Clean
Many people have their family members in attendance at their weddings, and it can be quite shocking for relatives to hear about anything related to sex or anything else explicit. There’s also a possibility of children being at the wedding or even in the wedding party. A good rule of thumb is to keep the speech at a “PG” or “PG-13” level.
Look Toward the Future
Because their lives together are just beginning, a good way to honor the bride and groom is to mention how long and happy their lives will be together. This is a good place to throw in a few exaggerating jokes, like the couple having a hundred kids or being married until they’re both about one thousand years old. You can also include serious predictions about their love and prosperity as a couple.
Don’t Wing It
We’ve all seen those cringe-filled scenes in movies where the Best Man is standing their awkwardly because he forgot to write a speech. It’s better for you to take the time to write your speech before the wedding. You don’t have to memorize it and perform it like a dramatic monologue, but having pre-made index cards with your speech on it will help it flow easier and you won’t have to worry about having nothing to say during the reception.
Coordinate with Each Other
Nothing is more awkward than not having anything to say because someone else has already said it. It’s a good idea for the Maid of Honor and the Best Man to sit down with each other and discuss who is saying what in their speech. That way, neither of your speeches are redundant and you don’t have to worry about the other person saying what you’ve wanted to say.
The Drinks Can Wait
The one thing that’s worse than having nothing to say is being unable to say what you want. You know you’re giving a speech at the reception, so it’s a good idea to hold back on the drinks until after you’ve spoken. Having a clear mind during your speech will let you deliver it in a fun and enjoyable way, whereas speaking while drunk might make it hard for everyone to understand, let alone enjoy, your speech through your slurred words.
Don’t Drone On
Speeches are meant to be heartfelt and entertaining, but there’s always a point where guests can start to get bored. A good rule of thumb to a wedding speech is to keep it under five minutes so you don’t reach the point of boredom. If you’re worried you might be going on too long, don’t be afraid to practice and see how long you’re going!
Don’t Let Your Nerves Keep You Down
Let’s face it—public speaking isn’t easy. It’s perfectly normal, and even expected, for you to have some nervous energy as you get up there and deliver your speech. If that’s the case for you, don’t let it limit you! In fact, nerves can be a great way to motivate you and keep your energy up while you’re speaking.
If you’re giving your toast at our Maryland Wedding Venue, we want you to feel confident in what you say so you can honor the happy couple and help them kickstart their marriage. We hope this guide can help you write the best toast speech you can!
Prosperity Mansion & Farm proudly serves:
Frederick Maryland
Carroll County Maryland
Westminster Maryland
Baltimore Maryland
Montgomery County Maryland
Anne Arundel County Maryland
Gettysburg Pennsylvania
Hanover Pennsylvania
Littlestown Pennsylvania
Loudoun County Virginia and more
Contact us at: 443-350-8100
prosperity_mansion@yahoo.com
www.prosperitymansion.com