Here's the ultimate guide to writing a flawless father of the bride speech for your daughter on her wedding day, complete with speech examples, tips, and advice.
What should be included in a father of the bride speech?
Welcome the guests, tales, and praises about your daughter, a welcome to your new son-in-law or daughter-in-law, words of advice, and a toast to the new pair are all part of a typical father of the bride speech.
What is a good way to end a father of the bride speech?
Ending a father of the bride speech with a few words of advice for the newlywed couple is always a good idea, followed by a strong passionate toast that you invite all of the guests to end in.
Father of the Bride's Speeches Guide 2022
The bride's father typically delivers his speech first at the wedding reception, followed by the groom's speech and the best man's speech. The father of the bride's speech is typically seen as the warm-up act in this order.
The father of the bride's speech typically begins by thanking the wedding guests for attending and recognizing his daughter's new in-laws, as well as welcoming his new son or daughter-in-law into the family.
See also: 10 Touching Father-Daughter Wedding Moments
It's customarily a more heartfelt speech than hilarious, similar to the best man speech. With a little planning, though, you can ensure that your father of the bride's speech and moment in the spotlight is memorable.
1. Introduce yourself
You should introduce yourself and welcome all the guests coming to the special day with you (ask the bride for any special mentions she might want to include here, like friends who have traveled from overseas).
2. Welcome the guests
The next step is to welcome the guests. You can skip this step if you're not giving the first speech and the guests have already been welcomed. The couple's parents are typically the first to speak at either the rehearsal dinner or the wedding reception, but this isn't always the case. To welcome all of your guests at the reception or whatever event you are giving a speech at, you would say something like, “Welcome to the reception.”
3. Thank everyone
Don't forget to say thank you because you have a microphone, so don't forget. During the wedding, thank everyone who came. Also, thank the parents of your daughter's new husband for everything that they did for her and her husband.
See also: 18 Must Have Getting Ready Wedding Photo Ideas for Groom and Groomsmen
Nothing makes people cry more than hearing heartfelt stories about the bride's life through the eyes of their dad. Choose some memories from your little girl's childhood that you always stick or some funny (but not embarrassing) things that happened to her when she was a mind. If one of those memories is with their partner, be sure to share the guests.
To be the father of the bride, you should be very proud. Mention sure to talk about how proud you are of your daughter and how much you cherish her pride. Make sure you don't think this is an excuse for them to show off their résumé, though. Only choose a few things that really show off their personality.
5. Talk about the present
Dad, don't live your whole life in the past. Discuss important things that are happening right now, as this important day is unfolding. Everyone sees the events from their own point of view, but your unique point of view gives you a new way of looking at the event's significance.
6. Welcome your son-in-law.
Make sure to talk about the bride and talk about their new partner. Take this time to welcome them into your family and share with them how it makes you feel. You can also tell some stories about how they were together and what made you most happy.
7. Express your love
Your baby is right there. This is the moment to tell them how much they mean to you. You should tell your daughter how much you love and cherish her. Tell them how much you love your relationship with them and how you think it will change or stay the same in the relationship.
You've talked about the past and the present in the past and now. Now talk about the future together as a married couple, and you'll be done. As long as you don't go too crazy with the flow of the speech, breaking things down in a simple chronological order is always easy for the guests to follow.
People who are getting married should get some wise advice from their friends and couple. This is the best time to talk to your dad, so make the most of it. It's not just you and your daughter there. There are other people there, too.
7 Tips for the Father of the Bride's Speech
There you go, dads. Here are some important tips on how to give the best father of the bride speech anyone has ever heard.
- Think about a theme. Make sure you have a main point from the start. This will help set the tone for your whole speech. This should make it easier for you to quickly organise your thoughts and choose examples that are relevant to showcase off. People who use this type of framework will write coherent and meaningful content that will sound like it was written by an inspired person and keep the audience interested.
- Keep it short. Keep your toast short and sweet, even though you've been waiting years for this day to come. The best length for a speech is about five or six minutes, with the three-minute mark being your lowest point for a good one. Before the wedding, write down some of the things you want to say and give them to your daughter in a card that she can read on her own the morning of the wedding.
- Don't be too weird. Skip the stories that might make your daughter feel bad or the memories that they want you to forget. Remember that the speech is a toast, not a roast. With their new spouse there will also be a whole new family of in-laws and maybe even some coworkers. It's also a good idea to think about whether your in-laws and coworkers would be happy to learn about you in this way.
- Don't talk about your ex. If you want to talk about how bad some ex-boyfriends or girlfriends were in the past, don't do it. Keep it to yourself. When you name-drop old lovers at your daughter's wedding, no matter how much you hated old what's-their-name, there's no good that comes from it. Stick to stories and memories that showcase your daughter's good side, not her mistakes.
- Don't try to make people laugh. Often, you'll get laughs even if you don't try very hard. It might look like you're trying too hard if you're not the jokester in the group. Don't feel like you have to add joke lines to your toast all at once. When your daughter sees you not being yourself, she'll know right away. All they really need is their dad, not a stand-up comic.
- Accept your feelings. It's a given that this is going to be a very emotional day for you, so don't try to be stoic and put on a front. Stay real and say that it's difficult to let your child go. They make for a heartfelt moment, and we're sure there won't be a dry eye in the place. Also, pops. To shed a tear or two: Today is the day.
- Practice, practice and Practice. Then, practice some more, as well as some more. Try to remember your speech or write down what you want to say. If you can't remember the whole speech in a short amount of time, be sure to practice enough so that you can look at the couple and the other guests.
Let your imagination run wild!
If you're still stuck, here are some questions to ask yourself to get your creative juices flowing. Before or after me, who is speaking directly? (You might want to introduce the next speaker or make a reference to the previous speaker.)
- What feelings do I have when I think about releasing my daughter?
- What do I want for their marriage and future together, and how can I wish them to prepare for it?
- Is there anything I'd like to say to their newly acquired family or in-laws?
- Is there anything the audience needs to know, prepare for, or be aware of in the sequencing of events? (Be aware that your function may also include that of master of ceremonies, so be aware of the flow of upcoming events and whether you need to notify the visitors.)
The Do's and Don'ts of Giving a Good Father-of-the-Bride Speech
1. Get some help
Seek help before you think about writing your first draft, a brainstorming session with a few key people might be really beneficial. Invite the bride's mother, siblings, or other close relatives to reminisce about the bride, as they may remember some humorous or key stories that you've forgotten.
You may refer back to this family group while writing for further details and clarity on facts, and it will relieve a lot of the pressure you would feel if you were working alone.
2. Give a simple introduction
Think of a more heartfelt approach to introduce yourself as her father. It's vital to introduce the speeches segment of the wedding by introducing yourself rather than launching into your speech at full speed. While the majority of the individuals in the room will recognize you, there may be a few who do not.
You may also put your wedding guests at ease fast by having them giggle. It doesn't have to be a funny joke or a ridiculous gag, but something nice and unusual about the bride or an observation about the day can really help get the party started.
It's also a simple and effective approach to ease yourself into public speaking. Just sound your name and that you're the bride's father to avoid seeming robotic!
3. Do not waste time thanking guests
The father of the groom speech is not the time to thank everyone who deserves it – this is something that frequently happens during the groom's speech, and you can bet that if you do this, you'll throw the groom off and make his speech impossible to deliver without substantial repetition.
Thank everyone for attending the wedding and witnessing the proudest moment of your life as your daughter marries.
4. Use one of your witty quotes
You can use renowned quotes to get your message through and lend a bit of pace to your delivery if it feels appropriate for your speech. Some fathers like to begin with a famous quote and use it to introduce an overall theme that will run throughout the speech.
A powerfully delivered quote can get the guests laughing right away if you're renowned for being a showman or a bit of a character. If you can't quite get the sentiment perfect, find a quote that sums up exactly how you feel about the bride and uses it instead of your own words.
5. Be honest and meaningful
Between a hilarious and sweet anecdote and one that will make your guests grimace, there's a narrow line to walk. Stick to stories that are heartfelt and meaningful rather than excessively detailed if you don't want to make anyone, especially the bride, feel uncomfortable. Nobody wants to hear that she didn't wet the bed till she was 11 years old!
You can still make fun of her, but this time in a much more pleasant way. Select stories that are relevant to her current today. Perhaps she's been preoccupied with animals since she was able to speak, bringing all kinds of nasty pests into your home – now that she's a vet, it all makes sense.
It's unbelievable that she's now a successful dancer after being the clumsiest tiny girl you've ever known. She may have had a wild imagination that got her into all kinds of problems (insert amusing anecdotes here), but she's turned it into a lucrative author career.
6. Be unique in your delivery
It's vital to avoid clichés and words that may apply to any bride while talking about your daughter and how much you love her. We're talking about words like “beautiful,” “wonderful,” and “kind.” Think about what makes her unique and praise those characteristics.
Remember that no one is perfect, and you don't have to make her sound like the perfect woman just because it's her wedding day. The guests want to hear about all of the nice things as well as the little less so since it makes the person they know and love seem more real.
7. Forget about your exes
DO NOT MENTION ANY EXES. This is a key rule that should not be disregarded. No one wants to remember a time when the happy couple wasn't together or image the bride with another partner, so don't bring it up, even if it's an amusing story! It's the quickest method to make the family hate the new in-law.
8. Talk about her new husband (or wife)
Not mentioning your new son-in-law or daughter-in-law in your wedding speech, on the other hand, is nearly as awful as the groom forgetting to mention his new wife in his wedding speech. While your daughter is the focus of your father of the bride's speech, you must dedicate at least a phrase or two to her chosen partner.
Make a point of expressing how delighted you are that the bride met her partner and how much joy he or she provides to her life. You might discuss your first impressions of him/her and how your relationship has progressed, as well as share amusing stories from their early years together.
9. Mention the bride's mother as well as the bride's new in-laws.
It's critical not to take sole credit for your wonderful daughter in your speech (unless of course, you raised her all alone). Spend time discussing any positive attributes she acquired from her mother as well as how unique their relationship is. Even if you and her mother are divorced, a line or two noting her role in her life will be very appreciated.
When you've exhausted your anecdotes and stated all the lovely words you want to say about how you feel, it's time to impart some advice. Perhaps you've had a long and happy marriage, and you can draw inspiration from both the good and bad times to pass some key advice. You can make this portion hilarious by telling the pair not to do what you did if you're renowned for being a bit haphazard when it comes to marriages and relationships.
If this is the case, you can always impart advice from other successful married couples among the guests before the big day and then pass it on. Your daughter will appreciate the time and work you put in to make sure you left her with something meaningful at such a pivotal point in her life.
11. Don't make the speech about you
Keep in mind that this speech is about your daughter and the person she is marrying today. If you find yourself saying “I” or “me” more than “she” or “her” more than “she” or “her” after you've written the speech and are reading it, you've made it too much about you.
Yes, the anecdotes are your stories to share, but they should focus on your daughter and why they are relevant to who she is today, rather than how they made you feel or how they affected you.
12. It's time for a toast
A strong end is key to the speech's overall success and helps to draw a line between your words and the start of the next speech. As a result, make sure you end with a strong line, followed by a clear invitation to the guests to stand and toast. You must make that the guests understand exactly what you want them to do, otherwise, you will end up with a half-hearted conclusion, with some guests standing and others not, and a mishmash of words. To ensure a booming toast, clearly explain the words you want them to toast with and urge the guests to stand.
You can't just walk away as the first speaker.
All that's left is to practice reading your father of the bride's speech confidently – and slowly – while smiling.
It's also a good idea to have your wife or partner read over the draft speech with you. Just to double-check that you make remembered the anecdotes correctly (we're all prone to embellishment!) Also, make sure you're not going off on an embarrassing tangent.
Good luck, father!
