It is a bittersweet day for the father of the bride. Your little girl is all grown up and you are no longer the number one man in her life. Your job as protector and provider has been taken over by the groom. You are happy for the couple but there is a small part of you that wants your baby girl to be your baby forever. While this is not possible, there is an upside to this situation. You can use all these emotions to render a powerful speech at the wedding. Your daughter will always remember that she will always be your little girl even though now she is a grown up woman who is somebody’s wife. When it comes to wedding speeches father of the bride has the honor of raising a toast to the newlyweds early in the order.
In wedding speeches father of the bride has the liberty to be a bit more emotional and sentimental. Talk about the early days when your daughter was an adorable child. Childhood stories are always a pleasant addition to the speech. Add a few notes about her achievements, goals, and dreams. Her hobbies and interests are also good areas to broach. Add a funny anecdote but be careful not to humiliate the bride. These stories further help in building the complete image of your daughter especially to her in-laws. Talk about how she enriched your life and the pleasure you derived just by being her father. Telling your daughter how proud of her you are will be very meaningful and touching.
Compliment her on how beautiful she looks and how she has grown. Talk about your wife’s and your feeling as you watched her grow up. Make her feel delighted about how she fulfilled your dreams as parents. You can even mention some of her failures preferably in her career. Just make sure to talk about them in a positive light and the resilience with which she coped with the tough times got back on the saddle without giving up on her goals. Don’t talk about her previous relationships, as the wedding and the current relationship should be the total focus of the day. Add your feelings about the wedding day, how you felt when you gave her away and when she officially became the groom’s bride.
Reminisce a bit about her before she met her husband and after. This will give you a chance to talk about them as a couple. Talk about how they are made for each other focusing more on how your daughter has grown and changed. Tell their story through your eyes. This is a definite crowd pleaser.
In wedding speeches father of bride ought to add a few points about the groom. Talk about your first impression of him and his good points. You can also explain why you feel comfortable in handing your daughter over to him. If you have any funny incidents regarding them as a couple then that can be added as well. This will please both the couple and the in-laws. To add a bit of humor give them some advice on surviving married life. Make sure the joke is tasteful and will not end up embarrassing anybody especially your own wife. Talk about your own wedding experience. Adding a bit of humor give the guests a few light-hearted moments and set the groom at ease as well.
Lastly, conclude by talking about your bittersweet feelings but focusing more on your happiness at your daughter embarking on a new journey with a worthy partner. Give a toast to the family to the groom and end by giving the couple your blessing.
