One thing you need to nail down before the wedding is an exceptional wedding timeline. Your wedding planner can assist with this, identifying the exact things what need to happen, when, and with whom. These can include things such as the cake cutting, the Father/Daughter dance, or the bouquet toss, just to name a few. Many couples wonder, when do wedding speeches happen? Let’s discuss it!
Make sure you have a great pair of toasting flutes, btw! These are an amazing find by PopFizzBlush, $20.
Although your itinerary can differ, we’ve identified the best time for wedding speeches at your reception.
When Do You Give Wedding Speeches?
Have you ever been to a wedding where the toasts took forever? Everyone is sitting there, just waiting for dinner to start?
Yikes! Don’t let that happen to you.
You can prevent guests from getting over-hungry by making sure the wedding toasts happen AFTER guests have been served the main course (first course for a family-style dinner, main course for a buffet) and take their seats.
As a guest, listening to a great wedding speech while enjoying dinner is preferred highly over the alternative: hearing your stomach rumbling while you fish around for a candy in your pocket. :)
As a bonus, the person giving the speech, like the The Best Man, The Maid of Honor, or The Father of the Bride, will also benefit from waiting until this perfect time to do wedding speeches. After all, having a little food in one’s stomach after having a few toasts ahead of time is always preferable before delivering a speech in front of a crowd. :)
We always recommend the wedding toasts happen at this perfect time to ensure everyone is happy, fed, and ready to listen to and enjoy the wedding speeches.
What If Wedding Speeches Happen At A Different Time?
Always err on the side of what is recommended by your venue and/or wedding coordinator. If the wedding toasts happen at another time, as recommended by your venue, that’s OK. This is typically due to having an extended cocktail hour with passed hors d’oeuvres.
How Long Should Wedding Speeches Be?
Keep it short and simple! There’s no formula for the perfect speech, but a few minutes will do. If you need help, read: How to Give a Great Wedding Speech in 8 Steps.
We hope it helps!
Up Next: Who Gives Speeches at a Wedding?
Happy Planning!
xo
Emma
