How do you say cheers at a American wedding?

Cheers (cheers), meaning "Cheers." The toast to the couple is "To the happy couple!" (to the happy couple), which means "The usual toast, said with glasses raised."

Who gives speeches at a American wedding?

The father of the bride often opens as host, then the best man, then the maid of honor, with the couple sometimes closing with a thank-you. Parents of the groom traditionally speak at the rehearsal dinner the night before, which they host. Toasts happen after the main course and before dessert, announced by the DJ or band leader.

The Americas · English

American Wedding Toasts: Cheers, Speeches, and Customs

The best man and maid of honor each get four minutes, and the room expects a story.

Raise a glass

Cheers

cheers · Cheers

To the couple

To the happy couple!

to the happy couple · The usual toast, said with glasses raised

Who speaks, and when

The father of the bride often opens as host, then the best man, then the maid of honor, with the couple sometimes closing with a thank-you.
Parents of the groom traditionally speak at the rehearsal dinner the night before, which they host.
Toasts happen after the main course and before dessert, announced by the DJ or band leader.

How long

Three to five minutes each, with four as the target. The whole block is best kept under twenty minutes. The best man speech is the one most likely to run long.

What you’ll see

Glass clinking with cutlery to make the couple kiss, at many receptions, until the couple bans it.
The first dance, then the father-daughter and mother-son dances, usually right after dinner.
The bouquet toss to the unmarried women, and sometimes a garter toss, late in the evening.
A rehearsal dinner the night before, hosted by the groom's family, with its own toasts.
Cake cutting with the couple feeding each other a bite, sometimes gently and sometimes not.

If you’re the guest from somewhere else

If you are not in the lineup, you are not expected to speak. Save it for the rehearsal dinner if you are invited to that.
Four minutes. One story. Speak to the partner. End on the toast. The guides on this site are built for this tradition.
Stand when asked to raise a glass, and repeat the names back.

A toast you could give

Short, warm, specific to the couple, and ending on the phrase. Swap in your own names and your own detail; the shape is what matters.

I have known Sam for twenty years, and I have never seen him as steady as he has been since Priya. Priya, thank you. Everyone, please stand and raise a glass. To the happy couple!

Speaking at a American wedding?

Whatever the tradition, the speech that lands has the same bones: one story, a turn, a word to the partner, a toast. The guides have it for every role, and the free check reads your draft and tells you how it lands.

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