1. The first speech is made by the father of the Bride or the person giving her away. This usualy follows a thumbnail sketch of her life to date, with a few amusing anecdotes thrown in. After which he will ask all the guests to rise and to drink the health of the "Bride and Groom."
2. The response to the toast is made by the Groom. He will make up his speech with thanks to the Bride's parents and to his own father and mother, at which time a bouquet of flowers is given to each mother. The Bride presents to her new mother-in-law and the Groom to his. A very sincere thank you is then given to the Maid or Matron of Honour, the Best Man, the Bridesmaids, Pages and Ushers. At this point it is usual to present each of the people mentioned with their gifts for the parts they have taken. The Groom then wraps up his speech with a toast to the "Maid of Honour, Bridesmaids and Pages."
3. The response to this toast is made by the Best Man. After his thanks, he then goes through a list of duties. The first duty being to read belated congratulatory messages in last-minute cards and e-mails.(A word to the Best Man: Make sure that you get and practice this list early so as not to misread or pronounce names wrongly.) At this point you may continue with your speech and a friendly roasting of the Groom. In winding up your speech do not make the all-too-often mistake of proposing the health of the Bride and Groom. That toast has already been made and it is seen as poor etiquette to repeat toasts. The toast in this case should be made to the parents of the Bride and Groom. This then gives an opportunity for the Groom's father to say a few words if he should so choose.
This concludes the formal speech making and toasts. If there is a requirement for a toast to absent friends then this can be slipped into the Best Man's speech after he has read the cards and e-mails.
