R

aising a glass of bubbly, along with an 

offering of the very best of wishes for the 

future ahead, has long been a traditional part 

of wedding ceremonies all over the world, 

dating back centuries enough to toe the line at being 

qualified as ancient. But as time 

so often tends to do to so many 

longstanding customs, the true 

history behind the wedding toast 

has become buried under so much 

tulle and French buttercream that 

no one gives much thought to the 

origins of the celebratory practice, 

merely going through the motions 

as thousands of tiny bubbles 

sparkle and pop while everyone 

looks on with a smile.  

As we all know, in modern times, 

the wedding toast is a happy 

tradition, and certainly one done 

out of love and joy for the blissful 

couple being feted. And as so many 

recorded and oft-revisited play-

by-plays of the reception will show 

for time everlasting, those toasts 

are also frequently the source of moments of slightly 

uncomfortable laughter as someone who might have 

had more than their share of happy juice offers up their 

unfiltered sentiments before raising a less-than-stable 

glass toward the objects of their affections.

story by

 

Liesel Schmidt 

Cheers to You

 

37-38 Swizzle Toast.indd   1

12/26/17   4:27 PM