Make a Wedding Toast

I still have my toast written somewhere… I believe a few people cried… I threw in a quote from “When Harry Met Sally” too. Good times!

but my brother got married this past weekend. His daughter and his new bride’s daughter were “Best Girls” in place of your standard wedding party. Thus – I was asked to give the toast. I think I was the only sibling he trusted to give a NICE toast. My other brothers were pretty brutal at his 50th birthday.

I started writing the toast two weeks before, but only had swirling ideas – not really any words. The whole week I was in CT I worked on it – throwing out lots and lots of material. Procrastinator that I am (I thrive on panic and large amounts of adrenaline) – I got up early Saturday am and tied all of the pieces together.

At the reception I was a wee bit nervous ahead of time – steeled my nerves with a half glass of wine. It went off beautifully and got tears flowing and hugs at just the right moments.

If you ever have to do this – brainstorm for ideas about the two people, write fragments, think of nice things to say, and run things by someone else – then edit, edit, edit.

Don’t do it off the cuff – I’ve witnessed too many really bad toasts/speeches by those who did that.