Wedding Toastmasters
Toastmasters always bring a smile to my face when I see them at a wedding. They are a very handy person to have around to ensure the wedding goes according to plan and time. I do wonder sometimes when I see them seated at the wedding breakfast, napkin tucked in their shirt to stop food spilling onto their red jacket. How do they manage to get a private table at the wedding breakfast?
Anyhow. Ian Low is a brilliant toastmaster and I asked him to write an article for our blog.
Imagine your wedding day, you and your new husband/wife have just arrived at the reception venue from the church. You are in company with your guests, say 120 of your closest family and friends. You all stand in awe looking at the venue and you hear your guests commenting on what a fantastic sight it is, a beautiful building, grounds and gardens. You all stand there waiting for something to happen.
So what happens next?
No one is quite sure and eventually one of the ushers or the best man or perhaps the father of the bride will suggest making your way through to a place where reception drinks are being served, not sure where that is, so everybody ambles along.
Eventually the photographer tries to take some pictures but people are ignoring him. The reception drags on, people are late into dinner and the speeches are a mess, with no one knowing who says what and when. After the speeches have finished, the guests sit around not knowing what happens next.
Now imagine your wedding day, you and your new husband/wife have just arrived at the reception venue from the church.
You are in company with your closest family and friends. A toastmaster appears from the building and greets you all with a great big cheery smile and immediately takes control of the day.
He will invite your guests to make their way through to where reception drinks are being held, to give the bride and bridegroom a short time together.
Once all the guests have gone through, he will bring the happy couple through and very informally announce them to their guests and invite the couple to enjoy their guests for a short while until he has liaised with the photographer.
He will then assist the photographer in assembling the guests for the group shots and other photographs that have been missed at the church.
He will be aware of the time the wedding breakfast is due to start and he will organise a receiving line of the bridal party.
He will announce the start of the wedding breakfast and invite guests to take their seats, and as they enter the banqueting hall, they will be announced to the bridal party.
When everybody is seated, he will announce the grand entry of the bride and bridegroom who will be lead to the top table to thunderous applause from the guests.
If required, he will say the grace before the meal, he will take care of the guest-book and pen and ensure the guests sign it. He will announce the ceremony of the cutting of the wedding cake.
He will announce the toasts and speeches, correctly and in the correct order.
He will take care of the gifts and bouquets that will be presented during the speech by the bridegroom.
When the speeches are over, he will lead the top table from the room whilst it is prepared for the opening dances and when the room is ready, he will lead the happy couple back on to the dance floor for the opening dance.
Throughout the meal he will be in constant liaison with all suppliers i.e the videographer, musicians, caterers etc to ensure everybody plays their role in accordance with the wishes of the couple. He will add colour, order and professionalism to the event. In short, he will give you a day to remember for all the right reasons.
Your guests will depart at the end of the function and you will hear them commenting, “what a fantastic day”.
Advice
When booking a toastmaster, always ascertain where he completed his training and his experience and the different types of events at which he has officiated. Remember, anyone can buy a red coat and call himself a toastmaster without any training whatsoever and can ruin a function through lack of training and ignorance.
A professionally trained toastmaster is proud of his background and will willingly present to you evidence of his training and any toastmaster association he belongs to. These associations should be affiliated to the Toastmaster General Council of Great Britain. He should also carry public liability insurance.
He should be correctly dressed in the traditional regalia of an English Toastmaster. There are various ways of booking a toastmaster, but to ensure you engage one of quality and experience, always check the associations that are listed on the Toastmaster General Council website at www.anglia-region.co.uk/toast which will provide you with a list of its members.
The oldest established professional body is the National Association of Toastmasters www.natuk.com which has been in existence for over fifty years and has a list of members that scans the country. Prices can vary according to the region, so be prepared to discuss the fee with the toastmaster of your choice. Most toastmasters can now be booked online and will prefer to discuss your requirements on the phone prior to booking. Remember, a toastmaster is there to make your day special and do his utmost to see that happens. Good luck, and enjoy your day.
