Who should make a toast for wedding events? When? How long? These are common wedding toasting protocol questions every couple has. Here are quick answers.
When should wedding toasts be made?
- Engagement Parties
- Rehearsal Dinners
- Wedding Receptions
Who should make the wedding toast?
- Father of the bride at engagement parties. This is less of a formal toast than an official announcement of the engagement. A toast from the groom’s father is also appropriate at engagement parties.
- In the case of rehearsal dinners, it is the groom’s father who takes the lead with the first toast. It is perfectly okay for the bride’s father to make a return toast. Since this is a smaller more intimate affair, toasts can be longer and include more spontaneous toasts from your guests.
- Traditionally, the best man makes the first toast at wedding receptions, followed by one made by the maid of honor. Increasingly, fathers and mothers make toasts. The key: the couple calls the shots on who makes toasts, with an emphasis on keeping them brief: 2 to 3 minutes max.
You can see how your wedding reception can go off the rails if toasts run 5 to 10 minutes each. Your guests will begin to lose interest and long for the music to start!
We recommend you use notes and even script your toast in advance, as long as you rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.
Toasters can hit a home run with a toast that is even as brief as 20 to 30 seconds, perhaps something like this:
“I’m [bride’s name] mom. The best move of my life was marrying a good man. That is my legacy to [bride’s name], as she is following in my footsteps by marrying another good man, [groom’s name]. Will you raise your glass and join me in toasting a good man and a good woman who make a beautiful couple!”
Wedding toasting protocol is certainly more flexible these days compared to years and decades past. The guidelines above get you pointed in the right direction.
To reiterate our most important advice: emphasize to your toasters at the reception itself to keep them brief so you have more time for dance-floor-packing wedding entertainment! Learn more today about the top wedding DJs in Columbus.
