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doing a toast
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im doing a toast to the bride and groom at my mates wedding soon ,need some advice on the way to do it ,how do i start it? how do i finish it? i have a line or two worked out already but i really want to keep it a short as possible as ive never done any public speaking before so im quite nervous .i'd be really grateful for any advice .
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The trick is not what you say, it's how you say it. Say your short prepared bit, and then just tack on the end - 'Ladies and genglemen, please raise your glasses and drink a toast to --- and ---, The Bride and Groom' and lift your glass and drink, then sit down and breathe a sigh of relief! Before all that, have a few practice goes at it. Keep your head up, breathe deeply, make eye contact with a few people in the room, look at the B and G as you name them. Speak slowly, and clearly, and raise your voice without shouting, so the whole room can hear you. Keep it as brief as possible, and smile! You'll be fine. God luck.
As Andy says, at a wedding you can get away with almost anything EXCEPT mumbling, umm-ing and err-ing and going on too long. Rehearse what you are going to say, then "Stand up, speak up, shut up", but don;t forget to propose the toast in a fairly formal way (as Andy indicated will do very well) so that the guests are in no doubt when to stand up and what to do. It's a great moment when the ordeal is over!
Your instinct for 'short' is definitely a good one. I'm a wine waiter and deal with wedding breakfasts twice a weekend all summer. Obviously, I do get slightly more bored than most! But Keep it swift and sincere. A couple of jokes are nice, but remember it's their wedding and not your standup show (although thankfully you don't sound the type). Quotations from anyone makes you look like a divot. Lastly (and I'm sure unnecessarily) Make sure you don't get in a state where you end up saying things like 'ladies and genglemen' (sorry AH!) Be quick and heartfelt... the waiters will thank you at the very least!
The confetti.co.uk website gives some useful advice for wedding speeches - have a gander: http://www.confetti.co.uk/men/all/speeches.asp
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