The truth about giving the perfect toast – no matter the occasion – is that it does not come easily to most people.  And, while your wedding may feel magical to you – there is no amount of magic that can save a bad wedding toast.

Wedding Toast Reality:

1) The wedding toast is a part of the reception to be considered when planning, just as you take into consideration plans for your first dance together, your entrance to the reception together, and so on…

2) Just because others are toasting you – this does not make it wrong for you to plan for it, around it, or offer your assistance when it is needed.

Planning the Perfect Toast

For the Bride:

• Decide how many toasts you want, and how much time you want to leave open for them in the reception schedule.  You can then schedule other events around this time frame, such as cutting the cake, first dance, etc.
• Choose your “toasters” and confirm with them (far in advance) that they would like to give a toast.  Give the toasts an order, and make sure that somebody is in charge of keeping the toasts going – in order – during the reception.  This will eliminate confusion for the toasters, the guests, and will also prevent random guests form getting up to give toasts.  The whole point of scheduling the toasts is to keep a good flow going, and to prevent random toasts that could last for hours on end.
• Be sure to check in with your toasters leading up to the wedding: offer your assistance when needed, and remind them that they need to be prepared, etc.
• Be realistic about the number of toasts scheduled… planning anywhere between one and four is reasonable in terms of time.  Think about your guests, and how long they will have to sit before they can eat, dance, talk, etc. (depending upon your specific schedule.)  You do not want your guests to be bored and “antsy!”
• Be realistic about when to schedule the toasts: schedule them at a time when guests are already seated (like after dinner is served, etc.)  Scheduling earlier may also prevent the “drunk toast” – remember this one from The Wedding Singer?)

For those giving the toast:

• Be prepared, be prepared, be prepared…
• Listen Here – it is a great podcast with some basic pointers for preparing a wedding toast.  In fact, it pretty much covers everything that I would have written any further. 
  (Podcast site link here.)

♥ Enjoy the podcast, and good luck! ♥

Here is my ping contribution for today… I came across this find by Classic Bride and I think that it is a fantastic, low budget idea for reception tables…

These are from Ikea, reportedly for about $1.99 a pop! These would be so great and affordable to grace the tables at your reception, and hold those pricey petals that will be hauled in for the fete…. jolie!