Father of the Bride Speeches

Among all wedding speeches and toasts, father of the bride speeches are usually the most emotional ones. The speech is a moment that both father and daughter will cherish for the rest of their lives. In fact, although most people don’t stop to think about it, the father of the bride is actually a central figure in the wedding, which is clearly demonstrated in the fact that he's the one who escorts his daughter down the aisle in what is one of the most symbolic moments in the whole ceremony.

It is originally a heavily patriarchal gesture, dating back from the time when women were their fathers’ "property" and were then passed on to their husbands upon marriage. That is obviously not the case anymore, at least in western societies, but the father-daughter walk to the aisle remains as a harmless and touching tradition that brings a tear to every father's eye. Walking the bride down the aisle nowadays is like bringing her from childhood to womanhood. Just yesterday she was daddy’s little girl, and now look at her, ready to start a family of her own.

The feelings of a dad towards the fact that his daughter has grown up have been heavily explored on tv and movies alike. And whenever there are weddings on the screen, the father of the bride speeches are always highly symbolic moments – just like in real life.

So it's obvious that no father wants his speech to be anything less than perfect. And the first rule for any public presentation (be it a speech or anything else) to be perfect is to be very well prepared. Write your speech a few days before the wedding, rehearse it several times and get some input from close friends and family. Being prepared is not only great in itself but also because the confidence that comes from knowing you’re prepared will help calm down any public speaking jitters.

An essential thing you have to remember while writing your father of the bride speech is you have to be very honest and sincere in what you write. If, for example, your thoughts on your daughter’s choice for a life partner aren’t exactly the most flattering, work your way around the issue. Don’t just say the exact opposite and pretend you mean it, because it may sound sarcastic and because it may discredit your whole touching and otherwise honest speech in the eyes of those who know the truth. Just put the emphasis on something that is actually true, like the fact that you wish them all the best.

Be careful when reminiscing; think long and hard about the things you’re bringing up and make sure that you’re not going to embarrass your daughter or anyone else by revealing something they didn’t want hundreds of people to know about. Ask your closest relatives if they think it’s ok to tell this or that story. This simple action might end up making the difference between a wonderful speech and a total disaster.

The father of the bride is also usually the host of the reception (or at least pays for part of it), so don’t forget to use your speech to thank everyone for coming.

Father of the bride speeches are usually one of the highlights in a weeding, and you have to be up to the task. If you feel you're unable to produce as good a speech as you'd like to, don’t hesitate to ask for help –and I mean professional help. Hiring someone to help you compose your speech might not be as expensive as you think – just Google it to find out. Another good (and probably cheaper) idea would be to get your hands in professionally written father of the bride speeches you could then mix, edit and adapt to fit your needs. It’s not important that you didn’t think of everything yourself; the important thing is that you end up with an honest, beautiful speech that makes your daughter happy and proud on her special day. So good luck!