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Toasting Etiquette
The wedding toast is the one essential ingredient for any wedding reception. The etiquette of toasting is as follows:Toasts are offered once all the guests have been served drinks, whether with a meal, or, if no meal is served, with the wedding cake.
The toasting drink is poured in this order: the bride; the groom; the maid or matron of honor; all the other guests at the head table; with the best man being the last to receive his beverage.
If you’re the one being toasted, never raise your glass or drink from it during the toast itself. It is safe to take a sip, however, once everyone else has done so.
Always stand when offering a toast.
If you’re the one being toasted, never raise your glass or drink from it during the toast itself. It is safe to take a sip, however, once everyone else has done so.
Always stand when offering a toast.
The traditional order of the toasts and speeches at the reception is normally co-ordinated by the Master of Ceremonies.
Toasts
History
Toasting began in the times of the ancient Greeks as a gesture of good faith when the host took the first sip of drink, thus assuring the guests that the drink wasn’t spiked with poison, a commonplace occurrence in those days. This is why a host will toast his guests with the words: “To your health.”
It was the Romans who later discovered that a small piece of charred bread, known as a piece of toast, mellowed the flavor of the wine. However, it was only in the seventeenth century that champagne (invented by the monk Dom Perignon) became the preferred drink to be served when toasting the bride. Champagne is still the most popular beverage served at weddings today, although it is perfectly proper to toast the couple with sparkling wine or non-alcoholic drink.
Toasts & Speeches
