How To Give A Memorable Engagement Toast
So, you’ve just got engaged; congratulations, when’s the party ? An engagement party is a great way to share your happy news with your loved ones and, part and parcel of the occasion is the engagement toasts. In this article, we’re sharing tips and examples on how to give a memorable engagement toast.
What is an engagement toast ?
This is, essentially, a speech made at an engagement party in which the speaker honours the newly betrothed couple – or in which one half of the couple praises the other.
Who gives an engagement toast ?
This is really up to the engaged couple however, traditionally, toasts are made by the groom-to-be and both fathers of the couple. Some couples choose to have toasts by other people including friends, however, particularly if one or both no longer have their parents.
Whichever format you choose, it’s a good idea to stick to a certain number of toasts by elected people to avoid the evening descending into chaos with numerous tipsy guests grabbing the microphone.
How to give a memorable toast
A good engagement toast is well thought out, engaging and, most importantly, short and sweet. To be successful, the toast should contain heartfelt best wishes for the couple with an anecdote or two or just a light sprinkle of humour. In this section, we’re sharing tips and examples for making a great engagement toast and ensuring that your speech – and the champagne – doesn’t fall flat!
See how to take engagement photos and explore the charm of the cocktail hour as well!
The groom
In most cases the groom (or one party from a same sex couple) will kick off the speeches and getting this one right is imperative if he or she wants the actual marriage to go ahead (only kidding) !
The groom’s engagement toast should begin with thanking the guests for attending the party. He can then share an anecdote about how the couple met – for this, a little humour and a dash of self-deprecation will go a long way. He should then follow this by singing the praises of his fiance – note; this is not a time for jokes. Finally, the groom should wrap up his speech by expressing his excitement about his forthcoming wedding and about the merging of the two families. Last, but not least, he should propose a toast to his bride-to-be.
An example of the perfect groom engagement toast would be:
“First of all, my fiance and I would like to thank you all for being here tonight, it means an awful lot to us. As some of you will know, Jenny and I met two years ago when her car broke down. As it turned out, my mechanic skills weren’t up to much but it seems that I managed to get her engine running as three months ago she agreed to do me the honour of becoming my wife. To be honest, I still can’t quite believe that this beautiful, clever, funny and kind woman has agreed to marry me and I can’t wait to start our new life together with our newly extended family by our side. Ladies and gentlemen, would you please raise your glasses to my wife-to-be, Jenny?
See? short, heartfelt and sweet
Father of the bride
When your little girl is suddenly grown up and engaged to be married it can be an extremely emotional time and you may be tempted to recount every little thing she did from the moment she could crawl. Don’t. As with the groom’s speech, the idea is to express yourself engagingly and succinctly – not cause the guests to fall asleep in their hors d’oeuvres ! A little emotion and a little humour is fine but try to focus on the couple. A good example of a father of the bride-to-be toast would be:
“Myself and my wife were delighted when Jenny told us that she planned to marry Tom – but then she always has made good decisions (I think she gets it from me). From when she was a little girl, Jenny has known what she wants and has gone for it with passion and determination and we couldn’t be prouder of the young lady she’s become. I’m delighted to be able to welcome Tom into our family and look forward to getting to know his own family during what is, I am convinced, this match made in Heaven. Ladies and gentlemen, please charge your glasses and toast to the happy couple; Jenny and Tom !
Again, heartfelt with a little history and praise for both Tom and Jenny – without getting too maudlin or rambling on.
Father of the groom
Emotion is not just reserved for the father of the bride and, in fact, the groom’s dad will also usually experience a little lump-in-the-throat moment. As with the bride-to-be’s father, this speech should be sincere but lighthearted (and with, of course, more than a touch of pride) and a perfect example would be:
“As a father, I’ve always done my best to encourage Tom to seize life with both hands and the way he has done this so far has far exceeded my expectations; including his degree from Cambridge and his new career as a lawyer. When Tom told me that he intended to propose to Jenny, I immediately gave him my blessing as my wife and I feel that we have, indeed, been blessed to have her in our lives. I hope to see all of you at the wedding which, I’m sure, will be a joyous occasion and, in the meantime, please join me in a toast to this wonderful couple – Tom and Jenny!
Engagement toast Dos and Don’ts
It’s important to properly think through your toast and, in this section, we’re sharing some essential Dos and Don’ts:
Dos
- Plan the speeches for within the first two hours of the party while people are still fresh
- Do your research on the families in order to avoid any faux pas
- Keep it short and sweet
- Speak slowly and clearly
Don’ts
- Plan the speeches for the end of the evening when the guests will have had a lot to drink and may be rowdy
- Attempt any jokes which involve dubious behaviour on the part of anybody present
- Make it all about you (you’d be surprised)
- Turn it into a performance
Using your words – and your wine – carefully
An engagement toast should form part of all of the excitement and happy memories which are part and parcel of an engagement and wedding and, therefore, if you are called on for this important job, it shouldn’t be dashed together in five minutes or downloaded from the internet. Do your research and think hard about the couple / person’s best qualities and mention these in your speech.
Finally, don’t be tempted to indulge in a bit of Dutch courage before making your toast as you really don’t want your speech to be remembered for all the wrong reasons!