Engagement Party Speeches and Toasts

Successful engagement party speeches or toasts are all about being prepared. That is the most important piece of advice that we can give you.

From the moment you're asked to give a speech or make an engagement toast, the pressure is on...

We know, we've been there. We know what you're thinking.

You want to make it memorable, touching, wise and perhaps even funny. Most of all you want it to be personal. Ooh, the pressure!

No worries, we're here to help.

If it's an impromptu toast, there isn't much that you can do to prepare but checking out the guidelines below before you hit the engagement party isn't a bad idea.

And, for the rest of you who know that you are going to give a speech or formal toast, read on...

Guidelines for Engagement Speeches

When writing your engagement party speech or toast, give yourself some time. Don't wait until the last minute to write up what you're going to say.

In terms of length, a short speech may seem a little rude and a long speech can cause guests to fall asleep. If you aren't sure, a few minutes is generally a proper amount of time although more formal parties generally require a longer speech.

Toasts on the other hand can be very short and sweet but if you are a good speaker and have something clever to stay there isn't any reason not to turn your toast into a mini-speech.

Gather information... By speaking to family and friends of the newly engaged couple you might discover interesting information about them, their relationship, their childhood and family heritage. Write down the information so you'll be able to refer to your notes when you sit down to write your speech.

Compose your speech . Organize your notes and thoughts and look for a couple of interesting engagement quotes or engagement poems that you can include.

What are the main points you are trying to get across?

Is it simply an offering of engagement congratulations? Is it about how they are meant for one another? Is it about their love and companionship? Perhaps you want to focus on their team work and how they overcame major struggles together.

What ever the case may be, direct the information you gathered to help you with getting your point across. Remember this is an engagement party speech and not a valedictorian address, make it personal!

Practice it aloud. Especially if you're not comfortable with public speaking! The more you practice, the more comfortable you'll be and the more natural your speech will sound. Practice in front of people that are not invited to the wedding. Their reaction will help you 'feel' the text. Is it too much on the funny side?

Improving your speech. Based on the comments from friends and your own gut feelings, you can improve your speech by paraphrasing and avoiding repetition of the same words.

Last but not least and to help you stay calm, find out when you're supposed to give your speech (during cocktails, after a meal, etc...)

Delivering Your Engagement Party Speech or Toast

Ok, party time and you have the perfect speech in your pocket. You put lots of time and effort into writing it and you want to deliver it in the best possible way.

Simply remember the four Rs: Relax, Raise your voice, Rhythm, Rise above...

Relax: Take a few deep breathes and stay calm. This will really help with your nerves. Find a position that's comfortable for you to be in while delivering the speech or toast. The first few seconds standing there are the toughest. Once you get some form of reaction from your audience you'll immediately calm down so keep in mind that you just need to be really calm until then.

Raise your voice: You want to be heard. Use your judgment for loudness and if you're at a very large gathering, they've hopefully provide you with a microphone. If not, make a joke about your screaming the speech.

Rhythm: Pace yourself. You don't want to rush or be too slow. Don't swallow your words. If you make people laugh, give them a couple of seconds to settle down again. You don't want them to miss a word!

Rise above: Stand up tall and be confident. Your confidence will attract your audience to listen to you.

We hope you found these tips on engagement party speeches and toasts helpful. We know that we did when we first discovered them

Learn more about how to craft your own engagement party speech based on what you know about the couple.

You can also check out our sample engagement party speeches page and review  examples of speeches and toasts from a father or parent.