Wedding Toasts to the Newly Weds

Posted on September 7, 2007 in Real Wedding

The origins of the Best man’s toast started with the French, who placed a piece of bread in the bottom of a glass, then drank down “to the toast”. No wedding function can be complete without a wedding toast to the newly weds. Toasts are an essential ingredient of any wedding.

A very lovely English toast goes like this:

Love, be true to her, Life, be dear to her, Health, stay close to her, Joy, draw near to her, Fortune, find what you can do for her, Search your treasure house through for her Follow her footsteps the wide world over And keep her husband always her lover.

Toast with love

Poeple just love the idea of free wedding toasts. They enable some of the principals at the wedding with an opportunity to put their feelings into words and to express the collective feelings of everyone there. The toasts are also the first chance to introduce another essential ingredient: humor. As the toasts end, the newly weds and the friends and relatives who have contributed to the day’s success can relax and enjoy themselves.
However in order to ensure that the wedding toasts are done perfectly, it is better to learn the toasts and their intricate details beforehand. Before proposing a toast, ensure that everyones glass is filled.

How to toast

It is up to you to choose whether you say a traditional wedding toast or be creative and compose an original toast. Either way, raise your glass with your right hand straight ahead from the shoulder.

The clinking of glasses is a tradition rooted in earliest human history: people have always made a noise, like ringing a bell or clinking a glass, in order to ward off evil spirits. Toasts are always offered with a sip of champagne, wine, a mixed drink or non-alcoholic punch, but never with tea, coffee or water. Whatever the beverage, it is served first to the bride, then the groom, then the maid of honor, then the parents and lastly the best man.

A note to remember

Any wedding toast should always end with a formal indication to the guests to alert them and tell them what to say; for example, “Please join in a toast to the happiness of Joe and Jane. Jane and Joe!” The recipient of a toast, does not stand, or raise your glass, or take a sip of your drink, but will thank the toasters or give a smile and graciously nod. There is no need for a return toast.

Various ways of toasting

All the traditional toasts and the order in which they are to be made are listed below:

The best man proposes a toast to the bride. A recent modification is the toast to the bride and groom. Groom responds with a few words to the bride, the toaster/s and thanks both sets of parents.

The best man thanks the groom on behalf of the bridesmaids. This followed by a few words from an uncle, aunt or a particularly close friend. Free wedding toast is proposed by the father of the bride, thanking everyone for attending and announces the festivities to begin.

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