A wedding day is a monumental one for the girl and her father too. When your daughter is getting married, she will ask you to give a father of the bride speech.
Father of the Bride Wedding Speech
Giving the speech is an honor, and traditionally your responsibility, but it can make you a little anxious if you are not well prepared. Figuring out what to say or how to present your wedding speech can be overwhelming, but as long as you are prepared, you have nothing to worry about.
The father of the bride’s speech is closely followed by the best man’s and groom’s, making it an endurance rather than enjoyment for most guests. However, you can put a little effort to ensure people remember your five minutes in the spotlight for the right reasons.
The importance of the speech
As the bride’s father, you have a big role besides walking your darling daughter down the aisle. You have to give a toast to the new couple to set the tone of the reception. The father of the bride’s speech is meant to floor the bride.
As the father, you have the most insight into the woman getting married. You raised her, so your unique perspective is what matters because everyone else might not know her that well. The moment can be very daunting, especially with all eyes in you, but you need to make the moment blissful and a real highlight to her day.
When talking about her earlier years, you can toast her a bit, make some light fun of her but do not embarrass her. The speech should not involve any pointless stories about the bride’s childhood but only those relevant to the occasion.
This speech is for the new couple, so it should focus on them, not on the person delivering it. The bride’s father welcomes and thanks the wedding attendees and acknowledges the new in-laws in the speech. As such, the speech should be heart-warming, and funny.
Who should the speech focus on?
Traditionally, the bride’s father is the host of the wedding, so the responsibility to perform host-like functions is on him. The speech involves welcoming the guests to the wedding and thanking them for their gifts and presence, among other things.
The highlight of any father of the bride’s speech is when the focus is on the bride. Remember, as the closest person to the bride, everyone is waiting to hear what you have to say about your daughter, and so is she.
This speech is a chance for you to publicly talk about your daughter’s qualities and achievements so, make the most of it. Indulge yourself and let her know you are proud of her, and tell stories from her earlier years to reminisce.
You can also talk about when she met her new husband as you welcome him to the family. As much as you are the one giving the speech, remember that it isn’t about you; the stars of the day are your daughter and her new husband.
You can praise the couple while making little jabs at them as you guide them in their new chapter.
How long should the speech last?
One of the most common mistakes people make when delivering wedding speeches is making them long. Traditionally, the father of the bride’s speech is the first to be delivered, usually just before the main meal ends.
Naturally, you will have a lot to say about your daughter and the new life she is beginning, but remember that more people are waiting to give their speeches.
The father of the bride’s speech is usually the first to be delivered, so keep it short but sweet. The speech shouldn’t be too long, so focus on keeping it around five minutes. People at weddings get impatient quickly, and you don’t want them getting antsy and moving around with you on stage.
An overlong oration dampens the wedding proceedings and limits other speakers’ time on the mic.
Sometimes the speech is delivered before breakfast, so stick to five to seven minutes to avoid people becoming fidgety. Naturally, you will want to give the best speech to make your daughter’s day memorable, but don’t overstay your welcome.
In most cases, this speech is usually a warm-up act to other speeches, so keep it short but meaningful. You can practice ahead and time yourself beforehand to ensure your timing is perfect after writing it on paper.
Is it okay to read it from notes?
With your little girl getting married, you might want to step up to give her a speech worthy of all your love for her. Inevitably, you will have many mixed emotions on this day, mostly because you are giving your daughter away.
If you are not used to public speaking, it might be challenging to just get up and start talking to a room full of guests without guidance or preparation. You will be called up first to warm up for the other speakers, so if need be, use notes to ensure your speech is orderly.
Sometimes it ok to search for father of the bride speeches from the internet, but most of the material online may need to be put in your own word to make it your own. As such, write a speech making it as personal as possible using your feelings and words.
Your daughter will appreciate a more original and genuine speech rather than a copycat effort.
When writing your father of the bride speech, cut out all clichés to make it original. Remember; you are not a stand-up comedian, and you are not there to idealize her more.
No one want to hear her educational qualifications or how much money you gave to the wedding so, do not talk about it. It is vital to be as entertaining as possible, but don’t rush to find funny wedding gags on the internet. Find the right non-offensive things to tease your little girl about, and make it short.
The important thing is to practice beforehand and be your self. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to be funny; but if you are comfortable employing old classics for comedy effects, then go ahead. But if you need help. Here is a great resource where you can find wedding speeches for the father of the bride. Check out http://www.bestfatherofthebridespeeches.com for sample wedding speeches, toasts, guide to write your own father of the bride speech, love and wedding quotations, hilarious one-liners and tips on confident public speaking
