MOH Toast

by Meredith

This weekend I'm the Maid of Honor in my best friend Sarah's wedding.  I'm so honored and happy to be part of her big day.  I've been feeling quite prepared with all of the duties, until I realized I had to write a toast to read at the reception.

I'm not really afraid to speak in front of people.  I've spent a lot of my life on a stage: piano recitals, dance recitals, band concerts and speaking at my high school graduation to name some.  However, this seems different.  It's not about me.  It's about them.  Plus, it needs to relate to the crowd, be meaningful, maybe a little funny and be short.  It seems like a really tough puzzle. 

A lot of websites offer great tips and I've watched a number of YouTube video examples.  However, I don't want to copy exactly what someone else did.  So, I've resorted to creating a draft and adding to it over the past couple of weeks.

For those of you who have created toasts or stood up at someone's wedding, what are your suggestions?  Any are appreciated.

Oh Farve...

In the two to three months since Brett Favre has decided to play another season on the Vikings, he has gone from hero to zero, making the PR buzz Minnesota football and the NFL had going become a PR nightmare. The word going around now is that Favre's devotion to his self-glorifying consecutive games-played streak is stronger than his devotion to this teammates and to winning a game - that he is keeping the Vikings back from their full potential.

Many football fanatics will still argue that Brett Favre is one of the best QBs in history, but I hope for his sake this isn't the way he goes into retirement. Who wants to be remembered for leaving their all-star athlete career by being hauled off the field, having a broken ankle, throwing numerous interceptions and just being looked at as the 'old' guy on the field?

From a PR standpoint, it's hard to say what should be done or said. I don't want Favre to play because he looks like he is in so much pain and I feel like he could get hurt severely at any time. However, the entire idea of his coming back has been blown so out of proportion that I feel he must play for the rest of the season and just keep saying he's giving it all he's got.

I'm sad to say I don't like to watch Vikings games anymore - they're too painful. I really like the team overall, even Favre, but they aren't playing well together. After yesterday's loss, putting them at 2-5, I'm not sure if they're even eligible to be in the playoffs. Every week it's a back and forth debate whether or not Favre will play the following week. I feel like this summer never ended because all we heard on the news in sports was whether or not Favre was coming back for another season. Don't worry though - next weekend's status is already clear because Favre made a statement, he'll be back next week to play against the cardinals. "I'm ready for next week's game, no body knows my body like I do. I think I'll be alright, ready to play next week. I'm shocked I was able to play and move around the way I was. ...my prayers were answered I expect to play (all season). I made my decision to come back, and I feel like this team is close."

Get Your Point Across

This political season I've been watching some of the debates and speeches from the candidates and it's fun to see how they handle themselves in front of reporters - especially during the question and answer session. It's got me to thinking after the 'song and dance' is over, what do I remember about what the candidates said? Some are really good at it. Others are terrible and when they go off script, their words get taken and spun into something they didn't even want to be remembered for.

When we're trying to get a point across to someone else we often think long and hard about what we want to say. That is the wrong way to do it though. Instead of focusing on what you want to say to get your point across, you should focus on what you want the other person to hear.

What do I want to say?
Really think about what you want to say before you say it. Practice it if you have to or write it down. Remember, it is important to be concise, precise and specific in choosing your words, regardless of whether you write them or speak them.

Who is my audience?
Your audience matters a lot. The better you know your audience, the easier it will be to tailor your message to them.

How do I reach them?
In the political debates, the candidates have been using all ways of communication. However, if you are trying to reach a particular audience, study what they use most and communicate to them through that. For example, you wouldn't use a computer to target a senior citizen group. You would most likely use the newspaper or radio.

Manage this issue
Again, don't forget your main purpose. Increase your chances of getting your point across by focusing more on the receiver than the sender. Tailor your message to your audience and don't worry so much about what you want to say. Say what you want them to hear and understand.

Tip: Write down your key points and keep the number of points to a minimum. Practice fitting those key messages into what your saying and stick to them. Don't stray far from your main key messages or they will get lost.