Top Father of the Bride Toasts
As the Father of the Bride, it is up to you to provide an emotional and entertaining speech at the reception. The Father of the Bride toasts the happy couple and wishes them well in their new life together. Here is your chance to publicly give your blessing to the happy union. It is also your chance to welcome your new son-in-law into your family. This type of occasion may never arise again and this is your best chance to say everything you feel to your daughter especially.
There are as many types of Fathers of the Bride as there are types of people in the world. Which one of these categories do you fall into? Jovial, happy, sad, morose, stuffy, reserved? Psychologists have found that whatever type of personality you are, when it comes to giving a toast on your daughter’s special day, all types of Fathers become sentimental.
This is absolutely fine. The more you speak from your heart, the more meaningful the speech will be – and the more memorable. People will remember you with fond recollection when they think back to the wedding reception.
Another important reason for getting it right is that over ninety percent of wedding receptions these days are recorded, either professionally, or by family friends, so your speech will be preserved for posterity and whatever you say on the day itself will be there for everyone to see for years to come. So, no pressure!
A very good piece of advice is to prepare well in advance. Chat to your wife and relatives about fond memories you share of your earlier life together. This can help to sharpen your memory too, and make sure you place the right memory with the right child if you have more than one daughter!
Once you have gathered enough material for your father of the bride speech, then you can start to organize it so that it flows and leads on from one subject to another. It is usual to start with the thanks, then read out any messages or ‘wedding telegrams’ and then move on to the toast. Many people do send along messages to be read out during the speeches whether they are attending or not and it brings the gathering closer together to have these message read out.
If you would like to add some stories in between this order then all the better. Slightly embarrassing stories are fine, like when you caught her trying on her mother’s shoes, or when she told you earnestly that she would never get married, but draw the line at anything too embarrassing or revealing. No-one likes to be too embarrassed on these occasions.
When it comes to the toast itself, no-one will mind if you get very sentimental. A sample father of the bride toast could be something like: ‘My daughter (Emily) has been a sweet little ray of sunshine in my life since the day she was born and today she is getting married to (Steven). Although I will no longer feel those warm cuddles every day, I want them both to know, that I will be there for them always if they should ever need me. To the happy couple.’
