Advice sought - giving a toast at a wedding

[jakefrep]

I found out last night that one of my best friends is now engaged to his longtime girlfriend. In the event that I am called upon to offer a toast at the wedding, what's the best course of action for addressing a multi-lingual crowd?

His fiancee is German; she speaks excellent English, her family, not so much. I speak German at a reasonable level, though I am a little out of practice. Since there would likely be a large contingent of German people with a sketchy grasp of English, would a toast in German, followed by an English translation, be appropriate?

[flamingyouth]

1. I think that sounds lovely

And very considerate as well. :)

[MissMillie]

3. agreed

I think it will make the German-speaking guests feel very welcome.

[shoelace414]

2. Do it in French

so nobody is offended, since you left everyone out.

[jakefrep]

6. No parler francais!

[AngryAmish]

4. Do not bring up the war

[ewagner]

5. Very considerate IMO

btw: My favorite toast attributed to Winston Churchill was:

To the Ladies!
May God grant that we fall into their arms,
as easily as we fall into their hands.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

7. Extremely considerate of you

[Patiod]

8. Not lang. related--but before you tell the story on how they met

Be sure that's how he met his new bride, and not how he met the previous girlfriend

Someone in our social circle pulled that one - told the story of how she fell out of her canoe and how Peter helped her out of the water and how they fell immediately in love, and the toast-giver couldn't understand why Peter's new wife was looking more and more pissed as the story went on....

[jakefrep]

9. LOL...

...though I probably won't go the route of telling how they met. In deference to my ability to speak German, I would be inclined to keep it simple.

[Ready4Change]

10. In my experience...

Germans are often wonderful in social occasions. Very outgoing and participatory. I'd guess they'll be hopping in with toasts of their own before everything is said and done.

I'd address everyone, first in english and then in some german, toast in english and then translate.

Unless I were specifically asked to do the toast because I could do it in german.

But you're in for a good time. Germans are fun people.