Congratulations your little girl is getting married and it’s your time to speak on her special day. Below is how you can craft an amazing Father of the Bride Speech. Traditionally the father of the bride is the first one to kick off the speeches. This is then followed by the best man speech then groom speech.
Being the first speech, it sets the tone for the other speeches. Unlike the groom or best man it is one of the more heartfelt speeches. This is in contrast to the best man speech which is more of a comedic grilling at the expense of the groom.
Just like all other speeches on the wedding day, if you have not spoken before or in a while it may be a good idea to brush up on our general wedding speech guide. It contains handy hints for anyone speaking on the day (Link below).
Father Of The Bride Speech Guide
Below is a basic construct of what the Father of the Bride speech should look like. Please remember all speeches as a rule of thumb are between 4-6 minutes. Remember this is a general guide and if you need to say more then do so:
Introduction
Introduce yourself and say who you are. Of course, the bride’s side will obviously know who you are but maybe not all the groom’s side. So say something short and sweet.
It’s always important to make a good first impression when speaking in front of a group of people, especially on such a special occasion as a wedding. A simple introduction will not only help break the ice but also set the tone for the rest of your speech.
Consider including a brief personal anecdote or a lighthearted joke to help connect with the audience and put them at ease.
Welcome & Thank Everyone
Welcome and thank everyone for attending to celebrate the day of your daughter’s wedding. You should specifically mention and thank the mother of the bride and also the groom’s parents.
Expressing gratitude is an important aspect of any speech, and thanking your guests for their presence and support is no exception. Take a moment to acknowledge and thank all the guests who have taken the time to attend and share on this special day.
A heartfelt thank you can go a long way in making everyone feel valued and appreciated.
Talk About Your Daughter
This is the part of the Father of the Bride speech which is supposed to be touching. It is also to be heartwarming with a little laughter thrown in. Talk about your daughter and who she is as a person.
You can talk about the kind of person she was growing up and her personality. Do this in a positive way and maybe who she gets it from ;). It is good to mention a story or 2 that give a rounding as to who she is and also a funny story for a bit of a laugh.
Your Future Son In Law
Welcome your new son-in-law into the family and to make him feel welcome. As a father of the bride can talk about how you first met him and/or first impressions. You can also talk about how he has grown on you. You can mention how you feel that he is a good fit for your daughter and that she chose well.
Words Of Advice
Here is an excellent part of the Father of the Bride speech to bestow some worldly wisdom to the happy couple. This is to help them grow together and to have a long and happy life together.
You are more than welcome to make this part light-hearted and tell some funny jokes about marriage, wives (be careful here… very careful) and general life.
Toasting The Happy Couple
The last thing to do is to toast the bride and groom. Tell people to raise their glasses and toast to the bride and groom.
As a side note, others who are doing a speech on the night will ask to toast to the happy couple. Traditionally this is how the father of the bride is supposed to close off his speech. This is different from others who just wish to make a toast.
One final note (this also applies to the father of the groom speech), it is perfectly fine for the mother of the bride to step in should the father be unable to. For various reasons such as medical conditions, passed on and so on the mother can sub in and read the speech or even have their own speech should the situation arise.
Grandchildren (you want some) – (optional)
As time goes on I often hear either father of the bride or groom very freely express they would like to have grandchildren. This is a perfectly fine thing to mention and can be done in a joking/serious way. Many classic examples are “I am ready and waiting for grandchildren” or “You have free daycare lined up, what are you waiting for” are popular options.
Plus if the couple has been dated for a very long time and has no children, it is perfectly fine to say “Hurry up and have some grandchildren already… your mother and I have been waiting many years and are not getting any younger!”. This paragraph is where you can let your most excellent “dad jokes” come out but not go overboard.
Pro Tips Specifically For The Father Of The Bride Speech
Below are a collection of tips specifically for the father of the bride speech.
- Some fathers are jokers and while it’s perfectly fine to have humour in your speech do not go over the top. The father of the bride speech is about your daughter, and sometimes a father can go from funny to “Super Dad Joke Mode”.
- You are allowed to show emotion. I am not saying to be all blubbery, but sometimes a father can be a little reserved in their approach, so it’s fine if you wish to be a little sentimental and show some emotion.
- There are some cases where the father of the bride is unable to speak. This can be for many reasons which can include medical, estranged, passed on or just a complete fear of public speaking. It is perfectly acceptable to have the mother of the bride to speak on behalf of him or even with him.
Below is an example of a Father Of The Bride Speech taken from one of our weddings (or click here). Please note that this is an example and feel free to take elements from it for your speech. Feel free to add your own spin and style to make it your own.
The Father Of The Bride Speech – Done!
Sit back and relax the rest of the night, hoping your little girl chose wisely and that you have done an excellent Father Of The Bride Speech:).
As you are the first speech of the night, you set the benchmark for others to follow. Let’s hope they are as good as yours or yours inspires them to do a quick edit on the night to improve theirs.
Other Wedding Speech Guides
Feel free to check out our other wedding speech guides down below. Here we give you guides for the perfect speech on your wedding day (or anyone else speaking).
- Wedding Speech Handy Hints – A great straightforward guide for all wedding speeches
- Groom’s Speech
- Best Man Speech
- Father Of The Bride Speech – You Are Here 🙂
- Father Of The Groom Speech
- Bride Speech
- Maid Of Honour Speech
- Bridesmaid Speech
- Groomsmen Speech
- Wedding Guest Speech
- Cringy And Worst Wedding Speech Guide – A basic guide of what NOT to do
Let us know if this guide helped you with writing your father of the bride speech. Have you been to a wedding and heard a great father of the bride speech? Or did you hear one that could have been better? Any tips you have when you did your father of the bride speech? Let us know and join the discussion below 🙂
Dimitri Cassimatis is the Marketing Manager at Pink Caviar Events, a corporate event management and styling company based in Sydney, Australia. With a background in marketing and communications, Dimitri brings a wealth of expertise to his role, including strategic planning, branding, and digital marketing. He is passionate about creating engaging content that resonates with Pink Caviar’s target audience and helps to drive the company’s growth. Dimitri is also committed to staying up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in marketing, and regularly attends industry events and conferences.
