How to Write a Great Toast

Public speaking can feel terrifying, especially if it’s for an important event or in front of a large group of people. For most of us, public speaking isn’t something we have to regularly do, but at least once in your life, you’ll probably be asked to give a toast. Writing a toast doesn’t have to be panic inducing, for there are many ways to collect your thoughts and convey your message with heart and confidence. Read on to learn about the ins and outs of writing a toast.

The Art of Writing a Toast

It’s easy to get lost in thought, especially if a lot of people are watching us speak. That’s why it’s important to follow the 3 p’s when it comes to writing a toast—prepare, practice, and perform.

Before you get started, think about who and what you’re being asked to toast. Are you tasked with creating a best man speech or a maid of honor speech? Are you tasked with an anniversary toast, or are you supposed to toast the speaker at a business function? Whether you want to wow the family at a holiday meal or support your best friend at their wedding, think about the purpose of your toast. From there, you can start preparing.

Prepare

When it comes to preparing a toast, take time to write down your thoughts. A great starting point is creating an outline of the major points you wish to touch upon. With any writing project, I usually start here and then “word vomit” everything out my mind into what I’ll call a really ugly rough draft. Then, I can start cutting, pasting, deleting, and organizing.

When it comes to content, especially if you are writing a maid of honor speech or best man speech, it’s important to figure out what needs to be said. Will you open with the story of how you met or a funny experience? Will you quote The Princess Bride and talk about “MAWAGE?” A great toast will have a beginning--an intro that connects you to the event, a middle—a main idea or significant story, and an ending that concludes your thoughts and asks everyone to raise their glasses.

But let’s get one thing clear because I know someone needs to hear it: nobody wants to hear a 45-minute story about the time you went on that golf trip, vacationed in Greece, or that memorable drunk night out in college. You’re there to support your friend/colleague; this day isn’t about you! And nobody wants to get completely embarrassed in front of their family members or coworkers. Remember your audience and try to keep your toast’s length at the 3-minute mark or less!

A few good rules of thumb:

1. Introduction: Who are you, and what is your relationship to the person you are toasting?

2. Middle: What main event or theme will your toast be about? Work with one main story and focus on key details that the audience can connect with.

4. Conclusion: Close with something heartfelt about the person/couple/marriage/theme of your message and give people a reason to raise their glasses.

It’s easy to get lost in a story, so it’s a good idea to focus on one major event or theme in your toast. Figure out your opening, hit one main point, and close with loving words that everyone will be happy to toast to. If you start to veer off course, scrap it and start over.

Practice

Once you get your written draft to a place that feels like it’s complete, start practicing. Practicing out loud by yourself is a great way to hear grammar/syntax errors and work on your timing, tone, and overall presentation. After a few practices, go back and see if there are any spots you need to cut, especially if you have a time constraint. You could also record yourself and see what it looks like from the audience’s point of view!

Before your big performance, you may want to practice in front of others. It’s one thing to practice alone in front of the mirror; it’s another beast entirely when it comes to an audience. You can shake off those jitters in front of people you know, and they might also have feedback that you didn’t personally think of.

It really is true what they say: practice makes perfect. Take the time to perfect your toast, so you can wow that crowd and feel good about your performance.

Perform

Are you ready to give your toast? You prepared your speech, you practiced it, and now you are ready to perform! No one expects you to be perfect up there. You were chosen out of love and confidence. Use note cards or simply read from your final draft. And if all else fails, just remember to smile and have fun.

Writing eloquent and effective content for your business or website is vital. If you don’t have the time, reach out to The Storyteller Agency. Let us help you tell your story and reach those who need it most.