Traditional Weddings
Joy, laughter and happy memories...
These are the words which constantly recur when reminiscing with the many
couples at whose wedding celebrations I have had the privilege to officiate over
the last twenty nine years as a professional Toastmaster, and this year as the
President of my Society.
The Role of the Wedding Toastmaster
 Apart
from the ceremony itself, the most socially significant and usually the
most expensive part of the wedding is the reception. In most cases for couples
organising weddings it is the first time they have done so and although there is
a lot of material and books to help prepare for the big day its is difficult for
a couple to navigate and plan the celebrations without good professional advice.
One effective way to ensure your celebrations go according to plan is to use
the services of an experienced Toastmaster who will be available to ensure that
leading up to and on the actual day of your celebration the wedding breakfast is
managed effectively and efficiently allowing you, the new couple, to focus on
your guests and enjoy the day.
By engaging an experienced Toastmaster he will ensure that the occasion is
friendly, informal and relaxed, yet no guest or detail is overlooked and
everything occurs in the correct order and time.
Before the day he will be available to help you plan and prepare for the
celebrations giving you access to his knowledge and experience. He can advise on
preparing the speeches for the Best Man, Groom and Brides Father, help them
prepare for their role so that on the day everything will run smoothly. He can
give advice on the scheduling of the day and on the etiquette and manners that
will make your event both individual and memorable.
On the day itself the Toastmaster in his formal scarlet tail coat will keep
the wedding on schedule from when you arrive at the venue, during the
photographs and then on through the wedding breakfast, cutting the cake and
speeches. With his gavel in hand and his clear voice he will, without
ostentation, and keeping the formalities light hearted and joyful, lead the
celebrations, make the introductions to the speeches, "call" the toasts and
round off the days formal celebrations in a most memorable way.
Characteristics of a Toastmaster
 The Toastmaster should form a backdrop to an event, giving it dignity and
formality, whilst being able to inject levity and humour and make the event
memorable. When a Toastmaster stands and bangs his gavel all eyes will turn,
voices will hush and fall quiet at this a call for attention. When his voice
carries over the assembled guests his instructions or introductions will be
clearly heard and understood. When the speaker rises to make the speech he
should already have the attention of all those present.
The wedding breakfast is a time of celebration; however how many of us have
been to weddings where indifferent speeches and poorly managed time can lead it
from being a memorable celebration in to a long drawn out event where the end is
signified by a gallop for the bar. Your Toastmaster will make sure that this
does not happen, his gavel will keep things moving along in a timely fashion and
his introductions and closing of the event will ensure that any indifferent
speeches are rapidly forgotten and the guests will stay on hand to congratulate
the newly married couple as they make their way out. The couple and their guests should
leave happy and smiling having had the most memorable day of their lives.
Tales of the Unexpected at Weddings
 Experience is a great teacher, and being able to respond and deal with the
unexpected and unplanned can save a wedding from turning from a wonderful day in
to a disaster.
What do you when faced with the Brides Father who has fallen into a dead
faint when rising to give his speech? How do you cope with a Best Man and Groom
who tell you at the last minute that they can’t in fact read their carefully
prepared speeches? How about the occasion when the bride and groom are drenched
to the skin during a summer downpour when driving from the church to the
reception in an open top vintage car? Finally how do you manage the wedding
where the fire alarms are set off on several occasions by a guest smoking near a
sensitive smoke detector and the fire brigade suddenly become uninvited guests?
Its not only dealing with the usual occurrences in a wedding that your
appointed Toastmaster will demonstrate his professional abilities. It is by
being able to accommodate those last minute and unplanned occurrences, keep the
wedding on track and to ensure that despite hitches, for the bride and groom and
their families and friends it remains a memorable day for the best reasons.
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