AMERICAN MORNING WITH PAULA ZAHN
"Buying the Perfect Toast"
Excerpts: Aired June 3, 2002 - 09:39 ET
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR:
"When it comes to wedding toasts, we've all heard the advice - keep it short, keep it sweet and from the heart. Good advice for someone giving a wedding toast, right? But that moment can be a best man's worst nightmare. That is where the Internet toast providers come in. For a fee, they will try to deliver a pinch of humor, a dash of wisdom and make your moment memorable. Why pay for a toast?
DAVID PITLIK, ThePerfectToast.com:
People don't hesitate to get the very best photographer for the wedding, the best caterer, the best makeup artist. Why not have the best toast writer to make sure that your wedding speech is going to be memorable for the bride and the groom, as well as for the wedding video?
"Best Men of Few Words, Get Them On the Internet"
By Rachel Emma Silverman
Excerpts from: June 19, 2002
Philip Bianca, the 44-year old head of a Chicago commercial-finance and leasing company, recalls attending weddings where "the best men are a little lightheaded, saying things that they shouldn't be, making the bride and the groom cringe." Tapped to be best man at his brother's wedding later this month, Mr. Bianca spent about $130 for a ghost-written speech from ThePerfectToast.com, customized with his own stories. "If I've had a few drinks, I want to make sure I deliver an excellent toast without any chance for error," he says.
...Speechwriters acknowledge their work isn't for everyone. "Some people feel in some ways that it's not appropriate to hire a speechwriter, David Pitlik, 43, a TV comedy writer who founded ThePerfectToast.com five years ago. "But you wouldn't hesitate to hire the best caterer, you wouldn't hesitate to pay for the best photography," he adds. "This is perhaps the most important speech that you'll give in you life."
"A Toast From Your Heart, Written By Someone Else"
By Eilene Zimmerman
Excerpts from: Boston — Friday May 31, 2002
...To read the words written by ThePerfectToast.com for best man, Ty Chivers — including a story about the time his brother, at the urging of their father, punched the neighborhood bully in the nose — almost suggests the ghostwriter has done something illicit, like rummaging through Chivers' drawers, reading private letters and personal scrapbooks. But, says Chivers, it didn't feel strange speaking sincere, sentimental words about his family that were written by a total stranger...
...This toast includes all the feelings I have for my brother that I didn't know how to put down on paper. It was great...
Wedding Words
Tuxes and tulle leave you tongue-tied? The Web can help
By Andrea Coombes
CBS.MarketWatch.com
May 13, 2004
There's nothing quite as painful as a wedding toast gone bad. Even if you think you'll be the best toast-writer ever, consider doing some online investigation before the big speech. The words, after all, are what make the wedding unique...
If doing it yourself is out of the question, consider paying a professional writer to create a unique toast. That's where a site such as ThePerfectToast.com comes in.
Here's to Us
How to (subtly) make sure your toasters don't get tongue-tied
By Jennifer White Karp
Elegant Bride
June 21, 2004
If you as the bride are worried what the toast-maker will say, should you speak up? David Pitlik, founder of ThePerfectToast.com — a custom speechwriting business says yes. "I don't think a bride who expresses concern is being pushy so long as she is tactful. Many people who have to give a speech are panicked and would probably appreciate some input," he says.
It's a Toast
Wedding speech not the time for off-color joking
By Sarah Owen
The Northwestern
July 17, 2005
Intoxicated rambling makes morons of the most eloquent speakers. And when their judgment is impaired, people tend to forget about the countless blinking lights from video cameras or how important their speech really was to the bride and groom.... And If someone is known for getting pre-speech jitters, it is essential to pre-write and rehearse. Men can run their toast ideas by their wife or girlfriend to get their reaction first. An alternative to writing a speech, though, is a new online service. Certain Web sites, such as ThePerfectToast.com, will write custom wedding toasts to take off the pressure.
By Virginia Sole-Smith
Modern Bride
April-May 2006
More and more brides are choosing to give their own toast in addition to the traditional speeches. "We've seen a big increase in interest from brides," says David Pitlick, founder and senior toast writer for ThePerfectToast.com. "I think it's because brides don't always trust the best man to say all the right things, and they want to make sure the proper feelings are expressed." Use your speech to thank your guests and give special words of appreciation to your bridesmaids, mom, dad, hubby (of course), and anyone else who helped with the preparations. Whatever you do, advises Pitlick, "Don't bring up old boyfriends, and don't mention problems with your new in-laws!" Enough said.