At some point during the wedding there is a round of toasts. These toast may be given by the Maid of Honor, Best Man, Father of the Bride or the Bride and Groom themselves. After hearing many speeches over the years and giving my first Maid of Honor speech this summer here are a few tips…

A toast basically consists of five sections: background, an anecdote, comic relief, a turning point and a conclusion.

First things first, introduce yourself! Everyone will know you are the maid of honor or best man by the time speech time comes around but people want to know why you were chosen for this honorable position! Clarify your relationship to the bride and groom in the beginning. Guests will want to hear why you were chosen to be in a position of honor.

Think about who you are toasting since the majority of the speech will be directed towards them. Think about how the bride and groom met. Did you met your best friends significant other and instantly knew it was magic? The day is about sharing the love the bride and groom have for each other, and guests will love to hear their love story.

Not a comic? Don’t fret about making the speech funny, sometimes it’s just not your personality. If a sentimental speech is more your style stay true to yourself, you’ll only be more nervous when you hear crickets after what you thought was an a great joke. But on the flip side if your joke does tank, own it. At least you’ll get the sympathy laugh right?

Length. Short and sweet is a good rule of thumb but be sure to not make it too short. A 45-second job won’t sound heartfelt and 45 minutes will be painful. Try to stay within the five-ten minute time frame.

If the thought of speaking in front of a large group of people terrifies you practice in front of friends and family! Practice makes perfect, along with a little liquid courage, just be sure not to overdo it!