How to Outline Your Father of the Bride Speech in Just 5 Minutes
How are you feeling about giving your Father of the Bride Speech?
Excited? Nervous? Stressed out?
Sometimes the hardest thing is just to get started.
You keep putting it off, hoping that inspiration will suddenly strike, but it never does. And all the while the big day draws closer and closer.
If this sounds familiar, creating a basic outline for your speech can really help.
So grab a blank sheet of paper and a pen or pencil. We’re going to outline your Father of the Bride speech in just five minutes.
Okay, got your paper and writing implement of choice? Great!
Write “My Speech Outline” in big letters at the top of the paper and double underline it (use a ruler if you really mean business!).
A quick note before we start…
The following exercise is all about speed. You’re not aiming get it exactly right first time – you’re just trying to generate some initial ideas as quickly as possible.
For each prompt, scribble down the first thing that comes into your head. And don’t worry about writing anything out in full, just write enough to jog your memory later on.
A final note: you might want to read the instructions once through before you start writing, just so you know what to expect.
Understood? Great – let’s get going. Start the clock!
⏳ Minute 1 – The Welcome
About this section
An important part of being the Father of the Bride is to act as the wedding host, officially welcoming guests to the wedding and setting a friendly tone for the occasion.
So this section is about delivering a warm welcome and mentioning any special people.
What to do
Write the heading “The Welcome” and underline it.
Write down “Introduce myself and welcome everyone”. (You can flesh this out later.)
Now write down the names of any friends or family members who deserve a special mention – for example anyone who will have travelled a long way to attend the wedding.
Think of a simple comment to make about the their journey or where they’ve come from.
For example: “Ian and Jane have flown in from California – I hope the change in temperature wasn’t too much of a shock!”.
Write it down.
Next write down the names of any significant family members who will be absent – perhaps because they have passed away.
Think of a simple comment that links each of those people to the event.
For example “I know Nana would have loved to see all the wonderful flowers”.
Write it down.
⏳⏳ Minutes 2 and 3 – The Bride
About this section
One of the most anticipated parts of the Father of the Bride speech is where he shares fond memories of his daughter growing up. Even people who know the Bride well will love to hear stories from her childhood.
What to do
Write “The Bride” as a heading and underline it.
Write down (in brief) your strongest memory of the day your daughter was born.
Next think of a memorable story of her as a young child, perhaps when you first noticed she was developing her own personality.
Jot down a quick note to remind you of that story.
Also think – what does that story reveal about her personality (e.g. she’s tough, caring, creative, etc.)
Write that down too.
Now think of a story of her as an older child, maybe a teen.
Make a note to remind you and also write down one or two words about what it says about her as a person.
Finally think of a story from her adult life – it could be about her meeting the Groom.
Write it down.
You might be wondering why I’m asking you to think what each story tells us about the Bride. This is simply because it gives you a neat way of introducing each story in your speech.
For example: “We realised quite early on that our daughter was a tough cookie. When she was just four she…”
⏳ Minute 4 – The Groom
About this section
Although the Father of the Bride speech tends to focus on the Bride, it is also important to mention the Groom and welcome him to your family.
What to do
Write “The Groom”. Underline it.
Think of a positive comment to make about your new son-in-law. This could be your first impression on meeting him or an observation about one of his (hopefully many!) good qualities.
(Even if your first impression was not positive, it could be fun to mention that – as long as you then go on to say how you later changed your mind).
Note it down.
Try to link this quality back to their marriage and think of an example of how he’s made your daughter happy or had a positive impact on her life since meeting her.
Note this down too.
⏳Minute 5 – Words of Wisdom
About this section
It is traditional to wrap up the Father of the Bride speech with a few words of wisdom to help the newlyweds enjoy a long and happy future together.
This can be an opportunity for humour, but it’s always best to come up with some thoughts that are personal to you and your family, rather than using a stock line taken from the internet.
What to do
Write “Words of Wisdom”. Underline it.
Think of a small piece of advice you can offer your daughter and her new husband based on your own experiences – and write it down.
The advice might relate to
- how to avoid/resolve conflict
- how to keep the relationship fresh
- how to focus on what’s important in life
This would normally be heartfelt advice for future happiness based on your own experiences of marriage.
But if you do want to try something humorous, you could relate your ‘wise’ comments back to the earlier observations and stories about your daughter.
For example you could give tongue-in-cheek advice to the Groom about ‘handling’ his new Bride, based on your experiences as her father.
And that’s it!
You’re done. Well, almost done.
Write “The Toast” on your paper – and now you’re really done.
(The toast is simply where ask guests to raise their glasses and toast the Bride and Groom.)
You should now be looking at a rough outline for your speech. Well done!
Feels great to have made a start, doesn’t it?
