by Umique Artison

Created on: January 19, 2009

StrippersCheckRingCheckNow what?

No, the job of the Best Man is not over yet. Although we know it was a challenge to coordinate the tequila shots with the arrival of the strippers before every man passed out at the Bachelor's Party and how heartbreakingly painful it must have been to stand proudly aside his soon to be ex-partner in crime as he sealed the deal of matrimony. We empathize, but there is one more role that this key wedding party figure has to play. It is not until the Reception that all will witness the Best Man play his most important role of the entire wedding, the presenting of the first toast.

Traditionally, the first toast at the Reception is always made by the best man, although in modern times, tradition has seemed to have taken somewhat of a back seat in wedding planning. With a higher focus on personalization and customization, the evolution of weddings has come full circle so this role could come in many forms. However, proper etiquette holds its own in the nuptial chaos. No matter how extravagant or unique a wedding may be, the rules of engagement are never to be broken.

After the wedding party has been seated at the head or bridal table and all of the guests have been served a glass of bubbly, the best man rises to the occasion and wishes the newly married couple a happy life. As trivial as toasting may seem, it should still be well prepared and rehearsed just so that it can sound unprepared and spontaneous. It is certainly acceptable for the verbiage to be written on index cards, but only to be used as a reference in the case of a stumble.

The most challenging part of the Best Man's toast is to make sure that he keeps the attention focused on the couple. To ensure that the toast accomplishes this, here are some helpful guidelines

Open the toast by mentioning the names of the bride and groom
State the direct relationship to the couple
A brief outline of a personal story involving the couple
A wish of good luck to their future
Keep the toast under three minutes

Also, the toaster should not use inappropriate language, even after a few glasses of bubbly. He should state something purposeful, meaningful, and appropriate to the occasion.

The groom then thanks the best man with follow-up toast, followed by the bride (optional) and then parents, relatives, members of the wedding party, and friends-in this exact order.

The guests also have rules to follow. It is proper for every guest to stand and drink to every toast.

Happy Toasting!

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