For example: have you ever wondered whether a toast should be made standing up or while seated? What does wine etiquette suggest?

In our article, we’ll guide you through this often overlooked but essential detail for making the perfect toast. You’ll find out if and when it’s proper to stand up, when it’s okay to stay seated and how to handle a toast without making any mistakes.

Do you stand up or stay seated when toasting?

What do you usually do during a toast? Think about it for a moment: do you stay seated or stand up? Try to remember what you instinctively do in those moments. Now, compare what you do with what wine etiquette suggests.

We’ll tell you right away:

according to traditional wine etiquette, a toast should be made standing up.

This is the general rule, but, as often happens with wine etiquette, there are exceptions. So, standing up isn’t always mandatory and staying seated isn’t always wrong. It all depends on the context, the event and the company.

Below, we’ll guide you step by step to understand:

• when it’s appropriate to stand up to toast

• when it’s acceptable to stay seated

Standing up to toast: when is it mandatory according to wine etiquette

Standing up to toast is always the right choice. If you do it, you can never go wrong. It’s an elegant gesture of respect and attention towards others.

There are situations where it’s necessary. In certain contexts, not standing up during a toast is considered a mistake that can show disinterest or poor manners. Specifically, you should always stand up to toast in formal occasions.

These are the situations where you must stand up to toast:

• weddings

• official and institutional ceremonies

• gala dinners

• corporate dinners

• dinners with prominent guests

• diplomatic events

• dinners during conferences, congressesor, conventions

• events for the awarding of prizes or recognitions

In short, if you find yourself in any of these situations, know that standing up during the toast is mandatory.

When to stand up for a toast: the correct order according to wine etiquette

While standing up to toast is never wrong, in this paragraph we want to explain the exact moment to do it: who should stand up first, when he/she should stand up and when the other guests should follow.

Wine etiquette requires a very specific order to be followed when toasting:

• the person who proposes the toast stands up first

It’s always the person making the toast who starts the ritual by standing up with a glass in hand.

• then, the person to whom the toast is addressed stands up

If the toast is directed to a specific person, that person also stands up as a gesture of thanks and acknowledgment. If the toast is collective and not aimed at a single individual, this step can be skipped.

• finally, all the other guests stand up

Once the person proposing the toast and the one receiving it have stood up, all the other guests also stand up, raise their glasses and get ready to listen to the speech or wishes from the person who proposed the toast.

To complete the ritual, once all the guests are standing, the person who proposed the toast can make a short speech or simply say a few words of well-wishing. After the speech ends, all the guests can raise their glasses, turn them towards others as a sign of sharing, and take a small sip. At that point, it’s okay to sit down again.

Staying seated to toast: when is it acceptable according to wine etiquette

Toasting while staying seated is not always a mistake. There are situations where this gesture is completely acceptable and is not seen as a lack of elegance or respect.

Let’s look at the main cases where toasting while seated is allowed:

• informal lunches or dinners

• when the space is limited and crowded, which could cause discomfort and chaos

• presence of elderly people or those with mobility issues or health problems

To clarify, by informal lunches or dinners we mean:

• meals with friends

• family lunches or dinners

• private parties without formal guests

In these contexts, the familiarity and simplicity of the situation allow you to toast while seated, without any risk of appearing rude or impolite.

In short, now you know exactly what to do during a toast. You know that, according to wine etiquette, standing up is the rule, but, in some more informal settings, staying seated is perfectly acceptable. Follow our guide to avoid mistakes.