Father of the Bride Speech

The father of the bride speech is among the most important toasts given during a traditional wedding celebration. If you are the father of the bride, it is only natural to be a little nervous when it comes to giving the speech. The father of the bride speech should be short, simple, and sweet. Avoid droning on for over five minutes. Keep the father of the bride speech precise, on message and endearing and you'll be fine.

The father of the bride will often open his speech with a quotation by someone famous. The quote usually has something to do with marriage or weddings.

The father of the bride may also wish to invoke other important historical events that have occurred on the day of the wedding.

It is then a good idea to mention your daughter at the beginning of the father of the bride speech and talk about how happy you are to be "giving her away" to such a nice, appropriate partner. You can speak about the groom in general, how you have gotten to know him over the months or years, and mention all the qualities you like about him.

In the speech, you also talk about his relationship with your daughter, and how you have seen it evolve in to a real eternal bond over time. In the father of the bride speech, be sure to mention your new in-laws and welcome them in to your family's circle of trust.

In the speech it is also wise to mention your wife, the bride's mother, and talk about her happiness on this very special day.

Next, if you have other children, it is a thoughtful idea in the father of the bride speech to talk about your daughter's relationship with them over the years. Highlight the positive aspects including the way in which she has served as a role model for them or vice versa. Mention all your kids by name. Give them credit in this special day, too.

As the most important focus of the father of the bride speech, though, you need to talk about your daughter, who is the real subject of the speech and the wedding. Talk about her interests and personality and your memories of her as a child. During this part of the speech is the appropriate time to tell cute, anecdotal stories about her growing up in to the young woman she is today.

It is generally customary for the father of the bride in the speech to offer the newlyweds some pertinent piece of advice about marriage. This is also a good way to mention your wife once again in to the speech, referring to the happiness and longevity of your own marriage in hopes that your daughter and her new husband will know the same.

If you happen to be divorced, then you can simply mention the hope and desire you have that your daughter's marriage works out better than yours did. Keep this part short and simple and keep your own personal issues in check as it is bad form to devolve into anything that will take the focus off the bride.

Finally, the father of the bride speech is traditionally a toast, so you'll want to end the speech by toasting the new union of the newlyweds.

Be careful how much alcohol you consume before you give the speech. No one wants to witness a drunken father of the bride speech. This toast is supposed to be one of the highlights of the wedding, and you can really embarrass your daughter and all the other relatives by speaking intoxicated in an incoherent or inappropriate manner.

Write out your speech beforehand and practice several times. If you have difficulty with public speaking them join Toastmasters several months before the wedding date so that you can practice becoming relaxed before an audience. Relax, breathe deeply and speak from the heart and your father of the bride speech will be a positive memory for all to take home.