Question: do wedding guests like speeches or dancing the most? It all depends on balance. No one likes endless wedding toasts when they could be dancing up a storm to some great wedding entertainment (provided by us!).
We’re reacting to a piece at BuzzFeed on tacky weddings people had attended. One person wrote:
“I recently attended a wedding where it felt like the guests were held hostage during endless speeches and toasts. We heard from the father of the groom, the best man, the maid of honor, an aunt, two friends, a sister, and the mother of the bride.
Then, when I finally thought we were done, the bride took the mic and went through each table to individually thank each 100+ guest by name, sang happy birthday to her grandma, etc. Then the groom did the same thing! People were talking over them at that point, or got up and went out to the bar. It was never-ending and took up half the reception.”
That famous arbiter of wedding etiquette, Miss Manners, recommends four MAX. They include:
- Best man, who traditionally delivers a formal toast.
- The maid/matron of honor is increasingly part of the toasting line-up.
- One or two parents.
Here’s the thing: many, many people lose track of time when someone sticks a mic in their hands. That’s time your guests could be having fun on the dance floor and at the photo booth. A half a dozen toasters can easily soak up an hour that could’ve been spent on the dance floor.
Wedding toasts ARE a wonderful tradition. If you are planning a wedding, consider carefully how many people you actually want to give toasts at your wedding. We think two or three is just fine. Relegate others to the rehearsal dinner when time is a little more flexible.
At your wedding, impress upon toasters to LIMIT their toast to three minutes. That’s plenty of time, because no one likes endless wedding toasts. However, guests DO like endless fun. That’s where we come in. We know how to maximize your guests’ fun while MCing wedding toasts with impeccable flair. Check us out.
