Wedding toasts: A simple guide to a happy and healthy future, yours that is

Whether pronounced by your drunken uncle with his tie wrapped around his head or by your well-meaning, but stuttering best friend, wedding toasts bring out the worst in human suffering, both for speakers and listeners.

Madrid (PRWEB) July 4, 2004 -- Whether pronounced by your drunken uncle with his tie wrapped around his head or by your well-meaning, but stuttering best friend, wedding toasts bring out the worst in human suffering, both for speakers and listeners.

How do you sum up your best wishes for lifelong happiness and prosperity when your minds gone blank and the ring bearer is wailing in the background? It is not an easy task. Wedding toasts are public speeches ugly cousin. Too many glasses of wine, your one size too small cummerbund and the judgemental stare of the brides father can capsize all your hopeful toast plans.

A wedding toast should leave the newlyweds and guests with a warm and blissful feeling. As etiquette expert Jacqueline Whitmore warns, Don't confuse a toast with a 'roast." Therefore, a short and sweet speech works better than say a 20-minute soliloquy on what the groom did at the bachelor party.        

The best way to accomplish the task at hand is to avoid long-winded introductions regarding where you first met the bride and groom. No one will be interested in the trip you took to Tahoe together or that time at college when you killed-a-keg. Simply saying who you are and stating your relation to the couple is sufficient.

Secondly, as the essence of the toast, a simple anecdote concerning the bride and grooms story of love and triumph will do. No one needs to be embarrassed by your sharp wit, least of all you. Also the sooner you wrap it up the better for all those involved.

Finally, the perfect way to recap your feelings of goodwill is with a simple well-chosen quote. Try to steer clear of worldly scholars, such as Rodney Dangerfield or Joan Rivers, and concentrate on selecting a timeless gem that will surely endear you to the wedding party and guarantee your invitation to similar events.

Sites such as ThinkExist.com, which offers a wealth of quotations, and EmilyPost.com, the timeless etiquette guru, will help you create a simple and thoughtful wedding toast and avoid social alienation.    

by Mark Lugris