Article written by: Gerry Rhodes Toastmaster & M C a Woodhall Manor recommended supplier.
At a wedding reception, or indeed at any other formal occasion, the Toastmaster is conspicuous in his bright red tailcoat, banging his gavel to get silence, welcoming special guests and introducing the speeches and toasts. His sheer presence commands respect, and you feel they are a person you can trust and can approach for information or advice. They are well versed in all aspects of etiquette and know who should sit where, how people should be addressed and introduced, and in what order things should happen. The Toastmaster adds a certain je ne sais quois to the proceedings, and certainly looks good on the photographs!
But in these straitened times, when everyone is trying to cut back and save money, isn’t the Toastmaster just another add-on that would be nice to have, but can easily be done without? Not when you consider the main duty of the Toastmaster, the one that the guests never see; the ‘stage managing’ of the day.
You have spent a lot of time, effort and money in planning and preparing all the little things you want to happen on your special day. From the moment you and your new husband arrive at the reception venue, the clock starts ticking and the day will go by in a blur. Suddenly it is 7.15, the disco starts in 15 minutes and you have not yet done half the things you planned to do. Your venue wants to know in what order you want things done, and you will constantly be asked to make decisions. You have made one very important decision that day when you decided to say ‘yes’. You don’t want to have to make any more decisions that day!
Your Toastmaster will meet with you and your partner three or four weeks before the Big Day to discuss details and any special requests you may have. They will use his experience and knowledge to guide you through the formalities and make suggestions as to how the day might best proceed. They are mindful that it is your special day and your wishes will be paramount. They will come away from that meeting with a timetable which they will work to during the celebrations. They will liaise with the photographer and assist them in assembling the formal groups so that all your shots are in the can and the guests are back in the dining room at the right time for Chef to put the meal on the table in peak condition. Your Toastmaster will organise the receiving line, announce the Bride and Bridegroom into the room, introduce the speeches, announce the toasts and supervise the formal cutting of the wedding cake. They will make sure that all of that is completed before the evening guests arrive and the disco is due to start.
Even at the most informal weddings certain formalities need to be observed and your Toastmaster will see that they are carried out to your wishes. Just because you have a Toastmaster doesn’t mean the day will be formal and stuffy. They know that it is a joyous occasion and will use their expertise to pass that on to all the guests.
Your Toastmaster will be by your side during the reception, making sure that all your wishes happen without you having to be constantly bombarded with questions, or having constantly to worry that something you wanted to happen won’t happen. You can sit back, sip the wine, smell the roses and enjoy the day, confident that all will go smoothly.
On your very special day you deserve to be treated like a queen. Your Toastmaster is there to make your day simply perfect – perfectly simple.
Article written by: Gerry Rhodes Toastmaster & M C a Woodhall Manor recommended supplier.
