When to do toasts and make sure my photographer friend gets to enjoy his dinner?

I'd just as soon bunch all the toasts and speechifying together, but that's just me (and I suppose it depends on how much you can impart to your toasters that brevity is the soul of wit).

I've always liked the toasts after dinner has been cleared, but before cake or dessert is served. Everyone wants a chance to sit right after a big meal anyways, so it's a bit kinder than making them wait before a meal. It also gives everyone a chance to get food out of their teeth and spiffy themselves up for pictures.

Toasts during dinner always feel awkward to me. People don't want to make too much noise during speeches, so you can see them sort of creeping food into their mouths. Plus, you always catch people eating in the background of pictures. You get a wonderful picture of your parent looking loving and beautiful during their toast, but there's your old aunt so and so just behind them, with her neck outstretched and her eyes half-closed as she forks a giant salad leaf into her mouth.

Is this dinner after a cocktail hour, or is there no cocktail hour? If there is no cocktail hour I would do the toasts while the apps are being served. and I would do all of them at once. People can be served food while the toasts are happening, usually they don't take very long. This way filming/videoing can take place all at once, then your friends can work and then sit and enjoy their food without having to get up and get set up between each course.

Do toasts after dinner?

You could also put some speeches between courses. So people aren't eating yet because they haven't brought the next plate out but then they're not just sitting around.

I'm not a big fan of bunching every speech together. Though it depends on how long they are. It just feels like a lot to sit through in a row

As a wedding photographer, the best time for me to eat is when the bride and groom eat. And quickly! Guests don't want to see a camera out while they dine! Breaking up courses is slightly complicated and can drag dinner service out too long. My tried and true schedule for a shorter cocktail hour (you don't want guests to wait too long for dinner. If they do you should go straight for food upon entering your reception. If not you can start with dances). 1. Introduction. 2. First Dance 3. Bride and groom open buffet (photographer and bridal party follow). 4. Bride and groom travel to tables according to who hit buffet first (usually the first tables are completely done eating before the last table is served). 5. Father daughter dance, mother son dance as soon as last people are seated with food. 6. Toasts (short and sweet and ending with someone saying "let's eat cake!" 7. Cut cake. This order may seem odd breaking up dances but leads to all eyes on the dance floor for the toasts and then right into cake. I can't even explain how annoyed I get at weddings because usually people talk and don't care about the cake cutting or just won't shut up when speeches are to start! PS- DON'T PUT THE CAKE AGAINST A WALL! Your backs will be to guests and there's no way they're going to stop talking and care if they can't watch!