Father of the Bride Speech

Traditionally it is the bride's father who gives the first speech at a wedding, which is followed by the groom then the best man. It is like the warm-up act for the speeches to follow. Generally, the father's speech has a more serious and sentimental tone than that of the best man, who would tend to make jokes at the groom's expense. The speech often includes affectionate words about the daughter and new son-in-law and the promising future they have together. Other important parts of the speech are thanking people and giving a toast to the newlyweds.

Here is a guideline on how to structure your speech.

(1) Begin with an introduction/opening line

This can either be serious or funny. You could make a gag about your nerves to help get some laughs early on and help your feel more confident. Some examples are:

'This has been such a great day and I've really enjoyed watching (bride) and (groom) wedding celebration - well, that is until they passed me this microphone anyway'

'Welcome everyone, I know many of you have traveled from afar to be here today which shows how important (bride) and (groom) are to you. Either that or you just came for the free meal. But that actually comes at a cost, because you now have to listen to me'

(2) Give thanks

You should thank everyone for attending the wedding, anyone who helped contribute towards the cost of the wedding (if appropriate) and all those who were involved with the planning and organization of the wedding. Try to group people together when thanking them, rather than having a long list of individual names, otherwise you will quickly lose the interest of your guests.

(3) Affectionate words about your daughter

When talking about your daughter you may want to include a funny story from her childhood or teenage years. Otherwise you may just want to talk about her personal qualities and how proud you are of her.

(4) Affectionate words about the groom

You may want to say a few words about your first impression of the groom, share any stories of when he was dating your daughter or just welcome him to the family.

(5) Words about the happy couple's future

This is a good way to bring your speech to the end, with positive words about the promising future the couple have together. You can talk happiness, success and future grandchildren!

(6) End with a closing line or toast

Like the introduction, you can end with a serious or funny line. But it is important that you give a toast to the bride and groom. Some examples are:

'As a father who has been happily married for more than three decades, I would like to offer the bride and groom the advice of an old man: "Never go to sleep on a quarrel, never try and whistle with jelly in your mouth and never eat yellow snow." Now on that note I will end my speech today. Would you all please join me in wishing (bride) and (groom) all the best.To (bride) and (groom)!'

'Before we raise our glasses, (groom), I'd like you to take (bride's) hand and place your own over it. Now remember and cherish this special moment, because believe me, if I know my daughter, this is the last time you'll have the upper hand. To (bride) and (groom)!'

Other things you could include in your speech are comments about the wedding ceremony itself and how wonderful it was and how happy the couple looked. You may want to mention the lead up to the wedding if there are any memorable stories. Another topic is talking about your role as father of the bride and how it was giving your daughter away and of the duties you have had on the wedding day.

In the above guideline it covers both the bride and groom and their future together, but you may also want to add any stories about their relationship together, such as how they met, their engagement or any funny stories during their relationship.

You may want to add in some words of wisdom for the newlyweds. This could be general advice on love and marriage or could be from your own experience of being married. You could either have some humorous words of wisdom or keep it thoughtful and heartfelt.