Everything You Need to Know About Wedding Champagne Toasts

From the engagement through the honeymoon, a wedding typically involves a lot of champagne. Think about it: When someone gets engaged to the love of their life, they likely pop some bubbly to celebrate the occasion. What's more, if you've ever attended a bachelor or bachelorette party (including your own), we're sure you lost count of how many corks got popped. While this sparkling wine plays a leading role in many major events, there's one ultimate moment where it usually gets its time to shine—that is, during the wedding champagne toast. 

As tradition dictates, the champagne toast provides an opportunity for the best man to gently roast the groom, for the maid of honor to get nostalgic over old memories, or for the parents of the newlyweds to shower the children with heartfelt sentiments. And though these toasts generally come with a bit of history and established customs, they do require proper planning, specifically as it relates to timing and certain etiquette practices to follow.

In an effort to let yourc champagne toast feel more like a pleasant buzz rather than a drunken mistake, we asked celebrity event planner Mindy Weiss to share her best tips for executing this age-old tradition. Ahead, read on for everything you need to know.

The Tradition  

While the exact origin of the champagne toast is unknown, this particular wedding tradition has been around for decades and serves as a way for loved ones to honor the newlyweds. It's generally a moment during the reception where either the best man, maid of honor, parents, or couple stand up to give a speech, followed by guests raising a glass of champagne to toast the marriage and offer their well wishes. However, as with most customs today, couples are finding new ways to incorporate toasts into their celebrations, with champagne becoming less of a requirement for wedding day speeches.

“I love that there is the tradition of a toast, but I don’t think that it has to be with champagne,” shares Weiss. “And opting out of passing champagne does save money in the budget. Instead, we have a toast where the guests raise the glass of what they are already drinking. [The champagne itself] is never mentioned or missed.” Regardless of what guests are toasting with, though, “All glasses should be filled before the toast begins,” Weiss adds.

The Timing 

If planning a champagne toast, it's important to know the suggested timeline of when guests should raise their glasses. To start, a champagne toast is typically the first toast given during the reception, with Weiss noting that this speech should be "a welcome, usually by the father of the bride or groom, or a chosen host or close family member, before the first course is served,” she shares. “This way, the host can tell their guests to enjoy the food, dance, and send good wishes to the couple. I have had some clients that want to wait until after the entire meal for the first toast, but I feel the guests are more attentive at the beginning of the evening.”

Ultimately, couples do have the choice to opt for multiple champagne toasts or one final speech at the end, depending on their preferences. What's more, another important timing factor to consider is the length of each speech. No matter who's giving the toast, that person should be brief, and their speech should fall within the three- to five-minute range.

The Etiquette 

As with all wedding speeches, it's best to avoid any X-rated stories and inappropriate jokes when giving a champagne toast. “Don’t make the speech too long or too embarrassing,” Weiss adds. “My ingredients for success are to introduce yourself, make a comment about how beautiful the ceremony was, and tell a story about the bride or groom—preferably a sweet and fun story." In a nutshell, Weiss says, “Leave the guests with a smile.”

The Inspiration 

For those who have been tasked with giving a champagne toast, writing a lighthearted, three- to five-minute speech—one that will make people laugh and not embarrass the couple—may likely be a huge challenge. So, if you're stuck on what to say, Weiss has an easy trick to help get your creative juices flowing. “Look to the internet for lovely examples that can be personalized or seek out song lyrics that have special meaning,” she suggests. In the end, what's most important is that you write a toast that's sweet and sentimental, one that guests will remember for years following the big day.

Champagne Alternatives

As mentioned above, not everyone is a fan of the sparkling stuff, and many couples are now opting to serve drinks other than champagne. If this sounds like you, consider these four alternatives to spice up your toast.

Go With a Shot

Instead of pouring champagne into flutes for each individual guest, chat with the caterer beforehand and get them to prepare mini-shots of your favorite liquor or mixed drink. While not everyone may be excited to take the shot, if it's something you prefer over champagne, don't feel weird about doing it. People can just have a tiny taste if they'd like.

Opt for a Signature Cocktail

If you're going to have a signature cocktail at your wedding, you can replace the champagne toast with this specific drink. Arrange to have pitchers of this beverage available and poured in glasses when guests sit down.

Choose Your Favorite Wine

For those looking to keep the toast classy, switch out the champagne for your favorite wine instead. You can even offer a choice of white or red wine to better accommodate your guests. The best part? This will give you and your fiancé a fun activity to do before the wedding, as you can pick a weekend to dedicate to wine tasting.

Let Guests Pick and Choose

Instead of designating one specific beverage, allow guests to toast with what they like to drink rather than champagne. This is a great way to keep it personal, while also inviting your guests to join in and participate in this celebratory moment.