wedding toasts and speeches: how to plan them so you can hear every word

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toasts are some of the most meaningful words of your whole day, and they are also where the audio most often goes wrong. a little planning means you can hear every word years from now. here is how to set it up.

why the audio goes wrong

most toasts are given in a loud room, by someone who is nervous and talking fast, without a good microphone. all of that adds up to words that are hard to hear in the room and on the recording.

four easy fixes

1. use a real microphone. even in a small room.
2. hold it close and speak slowly. remind each speaker before they start.
3. keep it under five minutes. shorter lands better.
4. tell your videographer who is speaking and when. so they are set up near the mic before it starts.

who speaks and when

decide who is speaking and in what order ahead of time, and tell your dj or emcee so they can cue each person. if you are looking at your overall reception order, our reception order guide shows where toasts fit.

you will want to rewatch these later, so ten minutes of planning is worth it.

questions we get a lot

do we really need a microphone?

yes, even in a small room. it keeps every word clear for guests and for the recording.

how long should a toast be?

under five minutes.

how do we help speakers who are nervous?

remind them to hold the mic close and slow down. most of the problems come from speaking too fast.

what should we tell our videographer?

who is speaking, in what order, and roughly when, so they can be near the mic before it starts.