Wedding Toasts
Let’s Talk About Wedding Toasts (And How to Avoid a Mic Drop Fail)
Picture this: a dreamy venue, maybe a rustic barn just outside Winnipeg or a sleek rooftop spot in downtown Calgary. The champagne is flowing, the fairy lights are twinkling, and it's time for the speeches. You brace yourself. The father of the bride takes the mic and starts strong... but then? He goes rogue. He rambles. He drops a line about always wanting a son but settling for a sporty daughter. Yikes.
We’re all for heartfelt moments during your wedding day—especially at the reception, when emotions (and wine) are running high. But when it comes to wedding speech advice, let’s be real: a little editing could save everyone a lot of secondhand embarrassment.
Here’s the truth: couples spend months agonizing over table linens, signature cocktails, and which local wedding photographer best captures that golden-hour glow. Yet somehow, the toasts? Total afterthought. It’s like planning an entire Saskatchewan wedding and forgetting to book the officiant.
If you were throwing a corporate event, you’d never let a keynote speaker wing it with “a few words from the heart.” So why are we letting drunk uncles and overconfident best men loose with a microphone at our most meaningful life event?
Enter: The Toast Wishperer
No, it’s not a fancy title we made up after a third mimosa (well, kind of). The Toast Whisperer is your behind-the-scenes speech whisperer. They’re not writing every word, but they are making sure no one includes a roast of the groom’s ex-girlfriend or a poem that sounds like it was plagiarized from Dr. Seuss. 🙈
Think of the Toast Whisperer as your wedding sanity check—someone who gently nudges speakers toward sentiment, love, and a few well-earned tears, and away from inside jokes no one understands or cringe-worthy stories about grade 10 gym class. Honestly, your guests will thank you.
And no, it doesn’t need to be a budget line item. We’re not suggesting you hire a pro (although hey, if you’re having a luxury wedding in Edmonton and want to add it to your vendor list, go off). It can be a trusted friend—the one who always knows how to edit an Instagram caption and can tell your dad maybe don’t mention your honeymoon night.
At the end of the day, your wedding speeches should add joy, not awkwardness. They should reflect your love story, not leave people wondering if the open bar was a mistake. So add “toast editing” to your wedding checklist, especially if you're tying the knot in Calgary, Manitoba, or anywhere the mics are hot and the stories run wild.
Because your guests came to cry happy tears, not cringe into their napkins.
photographer - Marissa Naylor Photography / Wedding - Breanne & Chandler, Manitoba
