Tips for Composing and Delivering Birthday Toasts
At adult parties, birthday toasts give guests a chance to express their heart-felt appreciation and regard to the guest of honor. It can be funny, serious, or a mixture of the two. However, it can often be difficult to put the right words together. Here are some tips to make writing a personal birthday toast a bit less stressful.
Think of a funny anecdote shared with the guest of honor. Sometimes, a funny story is like a perfect snapshot of a friendship. It can show a small part of the relationship that is warm and light-hearted. Just be sure that the story is family friendly! While a recollection about an exploding pie or getting lost together can be fun, retelling the tale of your mutual arrest is bad form.
Simply express emotions. If these is no suitable story, just talk about how you feel about the honoree. Whether it’s admiration, sibling-like affection, or a mentoring relationship, speak honestly about how you feel. Fancy words and poetry aren’t required, so don’t feel overwhelmed by sentiment. Stick with the truth and it will be fine.
Keep it light and short. Even those who are accustomed to speaking in front of a group may become tongue-tied when all eyes are on them at the birthday party. There is no need to write a toast that goes on for longer than a minute or so. It’s best if it comes off as sentiments you didn’t spend hours writing, as if the thoughts came to you naturally.
Don’t be afraid to write it down. Should there be a concern that the toast will be forgotten as soon as everyone’s attention is focused on the speaker, writing the toast down is a good idea. Reading slowly and clearly from an index card is much better than hurrying through a poorly memorized toast.
Establish and maintain eye contact. The worst thing to do when making a toast is to stare at the floor or at the notes. Take time to speak slowly and look up at those assembled. Remember that the audience is hoping the speaker will do well! Many people, when making a toast, imagine that others will point and laugh if they make a mistake. This is simply not true. Relax and don’t forget to make eye contact.
Writing and delivering a birthday toast should be a fairly simple process if these tips are kept in mind. While any sort of public speaking may be cause for anxiety, there is no reason to be apprehensive. The honoree will feel special that time was taken to acknowledge them, so don’t forgo the toast!
