A daughter’s wedding can be an extremely emotional day for the father of the bride for many reasons. It is the day that he “loses” his little girl, the day that he gets to see her unite with the man she is marrying, and a day for the entire family to gather together in celebration.
For the father of the bride speech, a few jokes are usually used as an icebreaker to put everyone in a festive mood after the more serious wedding ceremony.
As this speech is typically the first given in many wedding reception ceremonies, telling a few good jokes can set the mood for the rest of the evening. These jokes can help to put the guests at ease, as well as ease the father of the bride. Retelling funny stories about his daughter’s childhood, the relationship that he has developed with his new son in law, or simply making a joke about himself or the situation are all ideal topics for a speech of this sort.
The speeches do not have to be serious or lengthy. As long as a valid point is made, and everyone is able to appreciate the emotion and sincerity behind it, a father’s speech will be successful. Father of the bride jokes within a speech can even be used to hide nerves – or poke a bit of fun at the guests. Within this speech, the father of the bride not only has the opportunity to be witty, but to address the guests directly.
This speech may be used as an icebreaker, but it can also be used to thank guests for coming, welcome them to the festivities formally, and let them know details about the night such as:
- location of the gift table and guest book
- what the items on the tables are for
- what time food will be served
It is important that the tone of the night is set with this speech. A clunky or awkward speech by the father of the bride could throw the whole atmosphere off, so remembering to keep it natural, heartfelt and concise are ways to ensure that the speech goes off without a hitch.
Another thing to remember is the no one expects perfection. As the father of the bride, emotions will be high, and the other guests will be expecting a bit of nerves. Beginning with a general joke and then working in to more personalized ones will not only captivate the audience, but create a festive atmosphere. A wedding is about celebration and happiness, so there is no point in dwelling on having a “perfect” speech – chances are that no matter what is said, the bride, groom, wedding party and guests will enjoy it.
