Rehearsal Dinner Toast Etiquettes

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A rehearsal dinner provides the perfect platform for both your families to have intimate conversations. It also permits the couple and the invitees to relax and recuperate prior to the main event, since any kind of celebration involves a lot of hectic activity and tension. Above all, the pleasant ambience makes it possible to offer spontaneous and memorable rehearsal dinner toasts to the ‘young couple.’

Who Should Toast at the Rehearsal Dinner?

The best part about rehearsal dinner toasts is that unlike wedding reception toasts, they require no advance planning. You are just expected to speak straight from the heart!

  • Ideally, the host/hostess of the evening, that is, the father/mother of the groom is unofficially invited to make the first toast. If this is you, you can take the opportunity to extend a warm welcome to all the guests present at the event, when the main course is being served.

  • Next, it is the turn of the bride’s father to make a return toast. If this is you, it is your duty to thank the host of the evening and wish the couple-to-be a happy married life.

  • If you are the best man or maid of honor, you will be given the role of the third speaker. Do entertain the guests with wonderfully humorous tales about the groom or bride!

  • Finally, the wedding attendants and other guests are welcome to take over, albeit in no specific order. Each of you just waits for your turn to speak. People adore sharing their favorite memories or humorous stories surrounding their own marriages, and older couples love to offer advice on ‘ideal’ marriages.

What Should I Toast?

If you are struggling with the wording of rehearsal dinner toasts, we got some useful advice for you.

Father/Mother of the Groom or Bride

Instead of throwing out a casual “Hi” or “Hello,” go in for warm and friendly phrases like “Good evening” or “Welcome, everyone.” After thanking the guests for making time to attend the rehearsal dinner, state how honored you are to be making the first toast. Next, introduce yourself and explain your relationship with the young couple. Conclude your introductory paragraph with, “I hope all of you are as excited as I am to be part of such a splendid occasion.”

It is time to relate a short story or anecdote, which may be humorous, romantic, interesting or cute in nature.

Towards the end, you may express your joy at the thought of two such amazing people bonding in marriage.

 “Ladies and Gentlemen, please raise your glasses in honor of _______ and _____________. It is hoped that they will always have a blissful life.”

Father of the Bride

Your introduction should follow the same pattern as the one outlined above, although your choice of words may be completely different.

Ensure that you can come up with an equally captivating recital related to your daughter and her husband-to-be. For instance, you might let your listeners know about the unusual reactions or unique first impressions exhibited by the parents or siblings to the news about the bride and groom deciding to get married. Then again, if you have known the groom and bride all your life, you should not be running short of sentimental and touching stories involving their childhood and adolescence. Alternatively, you may reminiscence about your first meeting with your spouse.

Prior to raising your glass for the toast, thank your hosts for their graciousness and for welcoming your daughter into their wonderful family.

Best Man or Maid of Honor

After introducing yourself to the invitees, go in for interesting tales related to the groom or bride. For instance, do you know how the couple met? Even their engagement might have had its funny moments. Turn this first date into an entrancing story. Keep your audience in splits with a vivid description of the event. Touching memories related to your childhood days or friendships are also welcome. Conclude your toast with a heartfelt blessing that the couple’s marital journey be a glorious one.

Guests

The pattern of the rehearsal dinner toasts remains the same. It is entirely up to you to decide what you wish to tell the audience. Keep your toast brief and remember it’s all about the soon-to-be newly weds.

Tips

Probably, you have never taken the stage before in your entire life. If so, you might commit errors while making the rehearsal dinner toasts. The following tips, therefore, may prove handy.

  • At the outset, do not drone unnecessarily, believing that this is your first and last chance to occupy center stage. It is possible to convey quite a lot even with a short speech. Just ensure that you use witty, relevant and meaningful vocabulary. You do not have to be an Oxford graduate for this!

  • Then again, this celebration is in honor of a couple about to be wedded. Do not turn your speech into a personal biography, wherein the emphasis is on your personality and your life alone. A short introduction should suffice.

  • True, rehearsal dinner toasts are meant to stress on the personal. Nevertheless, be sensitive to the occasion and your audience. Do not inject anecdotes that are rather risque in nature or bound to hurt someone’s sentiments. Instead, emphasize on how well the bride and groom suit one another. You believe that their love is strong enough to withstand the worst of storms. There are plenty of nice and romantic wedding quotes, use them.