How to Make a Toast

Posted on April 20th, 2009 by Marck

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Whether it’s a wedding, a graduation, a promotion, or any other celebration, a toast is the perfect way to give tribute to a friend or a family member for an important milestone in his or her life. The toast is a formal and elegant gesture where you dedicate a drink to the man or woman of the hour. If you’re assigned to propose a toast to congratulate the host or a guest, here are some ways to make it memorable and important.

Be Polite

For informal settings, it’s OK to toast even without proposing it to guests and other diners. In formal settings like dinners, though, you need to be polite and announce your intention to offer a toast:

Look around to see if anyone’s eating or anyone’s engaged in a very engaging conversation with another guest. It’s very impolite to disturb people while they’re eating or talking to propose a toast.
Slowly stand up and offer to make a toast. For small settings, people will notice your gesture, so you don’t have to tap the side of your wine glass with a fork or a spoon. For larger settings, gently tap the glass with a fork; the sound of tapped glass should be enough for the rest of the diners to hear.

Keep It Short and Simple

toast Some people prefer to use a prepared speech for a toast, while experienced speakers can deliver a speech spontaneously. Regardless of how you read your toast, here are important tips to remember:

When using prepared speeches, avoid reading the speech word-for-word, to the point that it sounds so artificial and insincere. Try to memorize your speech beforehand to avoid having to read it during the toast.
When using extemporaneous speeches, avoid rambling and ranting. Remember that the focus of the toast is your guest, and it’s impolite to ramble on about personal stories that have little to do with why you’re celebrating the accomplishment in the first place.

Toast With a Smile

An insincere or artificial-sounding toast can be detected from tables away. It sometimes happens that you’re jealous of the person, or that you wish that you were being given the toast instead of you having to give it. Remember that raising and proposing the toast itself is a very important and a very significant honor in celebrations and gatherings. Wish the cause for celebration well, be sincere, and share a few simple but meaningful words that will make the honored guest feel really special.

Toastmasters and honored guests agree that a fine toast marks the highlight of the perfect celebration. With these tips, even your simple toast will be something worth the drink and the celebration.