What your guests want to hear in a wedding toast

A Reddit wedding toast thread offered some constructive insights for couples planning their wedding.

Your guests really like the wedding toast feature of an event. It can be totally unique, because each couple is different. If someone comes as the date of a guest, it makes the occasion all the more interesting for them, as it helps them get to know the wedding couple a little better. As one Reddit responder put it,

“I love most toasts. They are sweet and hilarious and help me understand the couple and those that love them.”

Responders offered some suggestions:

“What makes them interesting/fun is them (sic) being well-planned, well-timed, and presented well. No inside jokes, nothing inappropriate, and a tight focus!”

Another said she likes them if they’re short, around two minutes, and if they say “some nice things about the bride and groom, no making fun of anyone, and no inside jokes people won’t get.”

Another amplified this point: “Whatever your people do, they need to keep it short, have it pre-written, and PRACTICE.”

Someone else added that she prefers it when the toaster “has actually put effort into memorizing it and not just staring at a phone.”

Finally, wedding guests always love a toast that is both funny and sentimental. In other words, toasters want to make the guests laugh and cry in a well-rehearsed, concise toast.

One way is to find a decent joke online and relate it to the wedding couple. For example, here’s a joke we found online on another Reddit wedding toast thread. We adapted it to a best man toast:

Sample wedding toast

“Jim (the groom) and I walked into a McDonald’s the other day.

I saw a little old man order a hamburger, fries, and a drink.

With walking stick in one hand and his dinner in the other, he carried it over to his table and presented it to his sweet, little wife who carefully unwrapped it.

She gingerly cut it in half, placing one half in front of her husband.

She meticulously counted out the french fries one at a time, dividing them into two piles, one for him, one for her.

He took a sip of his drink and set it down. And then she did the same.

He began to nibble on his portion of burger and fries while she just watched.

People around them began to murmur. Jim and I were thinking the same thing. “This poor, old couple can only afford a single meal.”

Jim couldn’t take it anymore. He approached them and asked if he could buy them another meal.

The old man said they were just fine, that they were used to sharing everything. 

Jim said okay and came back and joined me at our table. But he couldn’t take his eyes off of this old couple.

You see, the wife just sat there watching her husband eat without taking a bite herself.

Again, Jim got up and begged them to let him buy them another meal.

Again, he was gently rebuffed. This time, the wife said, 

‘No, thank you, we are used to sharing everything.’ 

Finally, as the old man finished and was wiping his face neatly with the napkin, Jim couldn’t take it anymore. 

He again came over to the little old lady who had yet to eat a single bite of food and asked, ‘what is it you are waiting for?’ 

She answered, ‘the teeth.’

This little story makes me think of Jim and Sarah (the bride). For starters, Sarah is a dentist, so they won’t have to worry about the teeth thing!

But it reflects the kindness and generous spirit I’ve observed and experienced in the many years I’ve known Jim. And Sarah, I haven’t known you as long, but I can see you’re cut from the same mold as Jim. 

You’re both givers. You put yourselves out for others, like they way you both took that mission trip together last year. You made a real difference in the lives of those you served.

You’re a match made in heaven. Sarah, you’ve got yourself a real catch with this guy.

And Jim, what can I say? You’re marrying up, my friend! After all, when you’re old and gray, Sarah will be able to get you your dentures at a steep discount!

Ladies and gentlemen, raise your glasses and join me in toasting two of the kindest people I’ve ever met, Jim and Sarah!

See how easy that is?

This sample toast clocks in at about two and a half minutes. That’s all you need.

We simply adapted a Reddit wedding toast thread into a toast you can customize to your situation.

To summarize what people look for in a toast:

1. Make them laugh and cry.
2. Be concise.
3. Rehearse so you know the toast well enough to minimize your need for notes.
4. Make sure everything is appropriate. You’ll be toasting before an audience that appreciates (and expects) a G-rated wedding toast.

What else do guests look for at a Ohio wedding? Fun! That’s where we come in. Columbus Pro DJs offers dance-floor-packing music and entertainment that appeals to all ages. How do we do it? We customize the fun to your tastes and your guests. 

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