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Father of the Bride Speech Template
You will certainly be feeling nervous about giving the father of the bride speech and maybe more so because you are the first speaker. But this does have its advantages. If the best man oozes charm and wit, this won’t do any good for your nerves if you speak after him. Once you have given your father of the bride speech you can sit back and enjoy the rest of the wedding speeches.
Just as the father of the bride speech is traditionally the first speech given, there is an accepted structure to the father of the bride speech. There are certain people to thank, a toast to propose and other formalities. This actually makes it to write your speech because there is a formalities pad out your speech and writing them requires less imagination than the rest of your father of the bride speech. The rest of your father of the bride speech is a bit more difficult and one you definitely want to get right.
Funny or Heartfelt Father of the Bride Speech?
Some father of the bride speeches are full of funny stories and jokes (be they funny or your more typical ‘Dad jokes’).Others are heartfelt and sentimental to the point of nausea. Midway between these two extremes is an excellent basis for an entertaining and heart warming father of the bride speech.
You will know instinctively what sort of humour will be appreciated in your father of the bride speech. A few gentle jokes about the bride are alright (after all, the groom will have it a lot worse in the upcoming best man speech) but don’t embarrass her too much or you may feel the wrath of an angry bride and it can be painful.
The Template...
We have created a father of the bride speech template. It outlines what you need to say in your father of the bride speech and when. The actual words are up to you. You could take inspiration from classic father of the bride speech jokes and tried and tested father of the bride speech opening lines. Make sure you have read our guide to writing a wedding speech before you start writing your father of the bride speech.
A few words before you begin
Unless there is a master of ceremonies at the wedding, you could tell the audience who else will be making a speech after you. As well as the best man speech, there may be a bride speech, mother of the groom speech, father of the groom, you get the picture. This is a good way to introduce your father of the bride speech if you expect to feel quite nervous. By drawing attention to the other speeches (particularly the best man speech) you can the spotlight off yourself a bit. On the other hand, you may not want to do this so you could save the introductions until the end of your speech.
Welcome!
Whether you have mentioned the other speakers or not, welcoming the guests is a natural next step in your father of the bride speech. Ensure you tell the audience you are speaking on behalf of the bride’s mother also. Welcome the groom’s parents and any significant others. If there are any guests who have made a special effort or come a long way to attend, thank them at this point too. They will very much appreciate it. Thank the guests for being there and say what a fantastic occasion it has been (so long as everything has so far gone to plan).
Icebreaker
You could talk about something neutral like the weather. The weather is always a talking point at weddings as it impacts on the proceedings quite significantly so talking about it should evoke a response from your audience. This is a good way to engage your audience if you’re a bit apprehensive about making jokes. If you are keen to start rolling out the one liners and funny stories now the formalities are over, you could take inspiration from classic father of the bride speech jokes and father of the bride speech openers.
A bit about the bride
You probably know the bride better than most of the audience. You have most likely known her longer than the groom has. Give your audience an insight on the bride that you know, before she became the stunning bride she is today. You could recount a story from her childhood, perhaps something that indicated what sort of person she would become, or early signs of her distinctive, and lovable, character traits. Humour in this part of your speech is to be used at your discretion. You know the bride and you know what will be appreciated. The golden rule when writing wedding speeches is if in doubt, leave it out!
The Groom
One of the functions of the father of the bride speech is to welcome the groom into your family. What you say here really depends on how well you know the groom. If you know him well this part of your speech will be easier to write. Use humour here at your discretion. If you know the groom, you’ll know what you can get away with. If you don’t really know the groom very well you could concentrate on welcoming him into the family and express your wish to get to know him and his family.
A few words about marriage
This part of the speech should be positive and optimistic about marriage (even if that’s not exactly how you feel). As the one giving the father of the bride speech, you can impart some of your wisdom on to the newly weds. This part of your father of the bride speech can be humorous or heartfelt. A mixture of the two is a winning formula for this part of your speech. Take inspiration from classic father of the bride speech jokes.
Thank you's!
Once again, thank everyone for coming. This will let the audience know you are coming to the end of your speech and allow you to easily move on to explain some of the formalities.
What happens next?
Most likely there will be other wedding speeches after yours so introduce the next speaker or maybe the wedding couple are leaving to go on their honeymoon; let the audience know what is happening next.
A toast!
Propose a toast to the bride and groom. This can be light hearted or formal. The final toast is usually proposed at the end of the best man speech so the pressure is off you. A short and sweet toast would be perfect here.