A few weeks ago, we posted 4 Tips for An Awesome Wedding Toast. We were thinking a little further about it, and thought we should probably add a few items that you might want to leave out of your big speech…
Jokes at the Mother of the Bride’s Expense
Just some good advice for life in general, but especially when giving a wedding toast. Often, the bride’s mother is the one paying for the whole shindig, so it’s best not to risk upsetting or offending her. (Or whoever is paying for the wedding, if it’s not the bride’s mother.) So, thinking of telling a roast joke that could be very funny, or very unfunny? Play it safe and don’t risk it. You want her to have nothing but happy memories on her daughter’s special day. (This advice goes double if you’re the bride’s father!)
Maybe now it now the best time for drunk stories…
A lot of people giving wedding toasts have known the bride or groom since high school or college. So the first instinct might be to tell an embarrassing story from when you two were intoxicated at a party. While it might seem funny, this is often not the best idea. The crowd will probably be family for the most part, and you don’t want to cause any discomfort. (No one wants to explain what “Edward Fortyhands” means to their great-grandma.) Keep the vibe business-casual, and save the more boisterous material for the bachelor/bachelorette party. Speaking of…
What happens at the Bachelor(ette) Party stays at the Bachelor(ette) Party!
Please, there are children present!
Maybe try to keep it under a half hour…
Our current record is a 45 minute Father of the Bride Speech. Does it count as a “speech” at 45 min? Is it more of a “lecture” at that point? Uncertain. All we know is people want to eat, so keep it brief.
It’s difficult work, but the art of the wedding speech is distilling years’ worth of memories and feelings into a tight 3-4 minutes. But if you do it right, it will pack a huge punch! Good luck!