Whether you’ve been asked weeks in advance or a few days before a big event to prepare a toast, speaking in front of a crowd can give even the most confident public speakers a few jitters. Dardis is here to help with answers to common toasting questions.
This part’s easy. Welcome your audience, introduce yourself and explain why you’re speaking. This adds purpose to your toast and gives you a few seconds to get everyone’s attention.
Think about why you’re toasting—are you honoring someone? Celebrating a team’s accomplishment? Try one of these prompts to get you started:
Not unless it feels natural. Trying too hard to make people laugh can end badly (think: inside jokes or unintentionally hurtful comments). If unsure, skip the jokes. No one will mind a simple, heartfelt speech.
Not very—keep in mind that five minutes feels a lot longer than it actually is and to the audience it can seem like an eternity. Run through what you’ll say beforehand a few times with a stopwatch. Best aim to go no longer than 1-2 minutes, especially if you’re not the only person speaking.