The time has finally arrived. You’re baby-girl is on her way to get married and you now need to sit down and compile a unique, supportive and yet moving Father of the bride speech.
How fast has time flown by…
When she was born and first placed into your hands, she was your most prized accomplishment. You looked after, protected her and guided her to the best of your abilities- through thick and thin.
You watched over her social life and ensured that any boys hanging around knew about you! Perhaps you weren’t easily impressed by who she initially brought home.
You’ve shielded her from boys which looked like they had impure intentions- after all, as her father, you could see these things clearer than she ever could.
But now she has found the perfect guy for her. He loves her so much that he will give his life for her- just as you probably would.
And, she has said yes to a new chapter in her life, and sometimes letting go may affect what you would really want to say.
So, how do you put together the perfect father of the bride speech that is heart warming, flows well and maybe injects a little humor too?
Don’t worry- we will show you exactly how and help you craft the best speech!
How To Begin Your Father Of The Bride Speech
Step 1: Introduction To Your Father Of Bride Speech
Beginning is actually the easiest part. In fact, if you’ve listened to a couple of father of the bride speeches before, you’ll notice they generally follow this same trend…
Just a simple greeting to start- maybe a one-liner funny line or a nice welcoming quote about weddings in general.
But this is the part about getting the nerves and emotions out of the way for you. So where do you begin? A shot (if you will) and a deep breath and you’re best smile can muster.
Then, it would be nice to start with words of gratitude and say it aloud. A strong suggestion to begin with “I would like to thank everyone for”. It is inclusive, and sends a positive note to all in the room. You start with thanks as your closing later will be covering something else…
Step 2: 3 Steps For The Body Of Your Father Of The Bride Speech
So, let’s go through the steps that you will need to cover that will make up the majority of your speech.
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List down memories that highlight your love for your daughter.
This needs to ring clear as a bell. Write it down so you can rank and choose later. But you don’t want to cover them all, just choose one or two that is really close to both your hearts and one you feel everyone else will also appreciate.
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List down qualities your daughter has valued in her adult life, this will guide you in further clarifying which memories to use
Once you have the list too you’ll know which memory or two links best to the qualities of your daughter that you’d like to highlight.
It’ll allow you to take this moment to show how much you value her and how proud you are of her.
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How well do you know the groom and his family? Getting a good backgrounder will be very useful now.
This is important as it will allow you to connect with the groom’s side of the family too. It will give you the chance to show that you recognize them and welcome them as your families unite through this union. (Wow that sounded almost medieval prince & princesses)
If you don’t know a whole lot about the grooms family, be sure to get in contact with your daughter to find out. Don’t be lazy and skip this! This family will become a big part of your life after the big day passes.
Knowing these steps above as accurately as possible will provide you with a clear direction on how to create the body of your speech and whether you need to present yourself as a more formal Father of the Bride
Critical Things To Remember/Avoid From The Perfect Father Of The Bride Speech…
Now that you’ve had some tips on how to start it off, it is very important to avoid the following.
- Crass and coarse humor. Even in an intimate family gathering. You are the father of the bride (I’ll keep saying it), and the smart money says bet on mild humor in these situations.
- In cases where there is a bad breakup in the family history, do not go there.
- This is your daughter’s wedding and it is a happy day. Keep the subject matter positive
- Being sensitive to these will prevent you from making a speech that may embarrass any of the parties present
- Check your notes on the guest list.
Multi-cultural? Multi denominational?
If so, review your references to make sure none of the guests are offended
- Don’t give in to the thought of “winging” a part of the speech.
Complete it, and stick to it. It will help you keep control if some untoward thing happens during the wedding or when you are in the middle of the speech.
It is critical to come across with your message, and that your message is clear. You love your daughter, and wish her all the happiness in the world.
And she will surely remember this special day for her for a long time, and will definitely keep close to heart what you have to say to her on this day… So make it a fond memory for her, one that she will be proud of and thankful for.
Step 3: Finding the Right Way to Conclude Your Speech
For this speech and for that day, you have to come out as who you exactly were in your daughter’s life.
You most likely were the Wall and the Moat, the Bear, the Dragon, the owner of unbelievably large hands and arms that can toss a person to the sky and catch with ease.
You had been Merlin, Arthur, Kal-El, Galahad, Dragon slayer, and sometimes a tea party guest.
Now you are giving her hand away, and a strong positive speech ensures that everyone present understands that.
- Work the end of the speech as a welcome to the start of a new adventure for your daughter and the notes you have about your son in law will help you make it an inclusive one.
- A lot of Father of the Bride speeches fail in this area, focusing only on the daughter as she is better known
- Making it something that covers the couple will send a very strong message of support
- Tell your daughter one more time that you love her, and by extension, you’ve gained a son.
- As you started with words of gratitude, close with a request for support for the newly wedded couple. Ask for a round of applause or clinking of glasses for the guests to show their agreement.
The points above should allow you to craft a strong and positively worded speech one that fits the occasion where a great Dad consents to the man her daughter has agreed to wed. Good luck and have fun writing your father of the bride speech.
Want To Guarantee An Amazing Speech For Your Little Girls Big Day?
If you want to ensure that you absolutely ‘nail’ your speech and really impress all those in attendance, I recommend that you check out the follow resource to help further:
(Note: When you click the link, you’ll need to select “Father Of The Bride” for the appropriate resource.)