NATHAN PHILLIPS: You're about to give a speech at a wedding.
ANJA WINIKKA: It can be very stressful.
NATHAN: The stakes are very high.
DION FLYNN: You can do a lot of damage with it, and you can do a lot of good with it.
ANJA: There are definitely tips you can follow to make sure the toast goes as planned.
[ MUSIC ]
ANJA: Some toasters will think that it's a great idea to use props.
You know, play music, have an act, breathe fire.
But unless it relates to the couple, it's not special to them.
And at the end of the day, it's their wedding not yours.
DION: But if you do a musical theatre piece and you toured on musical theatre with this
woman, that's great!
Because it has to do with her.
[ MAN SINGING ]
DION: Here's where people get caught up in giving toasts, they're worried about being
perfect.
NATHAN: Best men a lot of the time go up there, and they want to succeed so much that they'll
stumble on something, and then they'll be like, "oh sorry!"
you know, and go back and fix it.
MAN [ TO WEDDING GUESTS ]: Other than your eternal gratitude oh - uh sorry, my eternal
gratitude.
[ LAUGHING ]
NATHAN: You know what, George W. Bush it.
Make a mistake and just ignore the fact that you made a mistake.
And by the time we're done, if you're friendly enough, we're with you.
[ MUSIC ]
VICTORIA WELLMAN: Familiarity, great.
But you don't have to memorize it, and that just takes so much pressure off.
MAN [ TO WEDDING GUESTS ]: I get a little nervous for these things so I'm going to read
my speech.
I hope that's ok.
[ LAUGHING ]
NATHAN: We really encourage people just to focus on the text, hold the paper, and just
make sure that it's from the heart.
[ MUSIC ]
VICTORIA: Practice in front of someone else who knows the couple well.
That way that person can make sure that everything in that speech is good to go.
Another way is to simply practice in front of the mirror.
[ MUSIC ]
NATHAN: Victoria does a really good exercise where she makes people whisper their speeches.
VICTORIA: When you whisper, you emphasize words that you wouldn't necessarily have thought
to emphasize because it's so important that you get someone to hear it.
[ MUSIC ]
ANJA: Don't chug some hard liquor before you get up there and toast.
If you're slurring your words, that is going to be way more memorable than any good story
you had to tell.
DION: I was best man at a wedding, but I don't remember giving it.
I don't know what I said.
I hope it never emerges!
[ MUSIC ]
ANJA: One of the biggest parts of doing your toast is identifying yourself.
You'd be surprised how many people don't tell the group who they are.
MAN [ TO WEDDING GUESTS ]: I'm George's younger brother.
WOMAN [ TO WEDDING GUESTS ]: I'm Kate's older sister.
DIFFERENT WOMAN [ TO WEDDING GUESTS]: I'm Andrea's stylist, personal shopper, best friend,
and maid of honor.
[ MUSIC ]
BOB LEHRMAN: Voice is really important.
If you are a radio announcer, you learn to exaggerate, you say, "the weather today is
sunny."
If you spoke like that, you'd sound like an idiot.
But if you go about half way towards that, you become a very good speaker to listen to.
[ MUSIC ]
NATHAN: What anyone can do when they deliver a wedding speech is be the best version of
themself.
Then they are an expert speaker, because everybody can be an expert at being themselves.
MAN [ TO WEDDING GUESTS ]: There is nobody else in the world that I would rather have
marry my father today than you.
[ CLAPPING ]
NATHAN: When you just go out there, and you're like, "Hey, I'm Greg, talking to Steve my
best friend," everyone's like oh, I'm glad this marriage is happening.
I'm going to get drunk now.
[ MUSIC ]
ANJA: Finally, you don't just want to sit down at the end of the toast.
You should congratulate the couple, don't forget to say cheers.
MAN [ TO WEDDING GUESTS ]: I kind of forgot about that part, I'm sorry.
DIFFERENT MAN [ TO WEDDING GUESTS ]: I'm going to ask you all to raise your glasses.
WOMAN [ TO WEDDING GUESTS ]: In a toast
MAN [ TO WEDDING GUESTS ]: To Ronnie and Denise.
DIFFERENT MAN [ TO WEDDING GUESTS ]: To George and Nicole.
DIFFERENT MAN [ TO WEDDING GUESTS ]: To a long and happy future.
WOMAN [ TO WEDDING GUESTS ]: Congratulations, and I love you both.
[ CHEERS ]
[ MUSIC ]
DION: Hey, speech coach Dion Flynn here.
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