Wedding speeches for the father of the groom

Wedding speeches by the father of the groom is not as common as those by the father of bride. Traditionally, the father of the bride is the host of the reception starts the speeches. But toasts by the father of the groom have become more and more common in today's equal opportunity weddings. The subject and content of these speeches tend to be very similar to that of the speeches for the father of bride. As these speeches do not have a long history, there is less of a formal structure to speeches. These speeches have some conventions that should be followed if you have been asked to speak by your son. The talk tends to be short, lasting no more than 5 minutes and should keep to the point. The most popular structure of a toast by the father of the groom is:

Step 1: Welcome the guests.

Many father open their wedding welcome speech by thanking the guests for attending. In particular, spend a few minutes welcoming individuals who have made an extra effort come to the wedding. This includes people who have traveled a long distance or had to made special arrangements such as an elderly grandparent. You can keep this part of the speech short if the father of bride has already spoken and thanked notable people.

Step 2: Thank those that made the wedding possible.

Spend a few seconds thanking people who have helped organize the wedding or reception. Some examples include the caterers or someone who put in an extra effort on behalf of the couple.

Step 3: Talk about the bride.

It is customary to talk about the bride, particularly things that your son loves about his new wife. Good topics includes talking about her beauty, intelligence, sense of humor etc. These should be areas that your son has bragged about, but make sure that they will not embarrass the bride or groom. Typically you should also welcome the bride to the family.

Step 4: Talk about your son.

This is where you get a chance to speak about what you know best, your son. Good examples are a short story of the groom when he was younger or talking about the groom's character. Another idea is to talk about your child's excitement at getting married. These stories can be funny or sentimental. The best route to take depends on your personality.

Step 5: Add some personal words.

Many times, fathers will end these speeches with some words of wisdom about life or marriage. Some speakers like to tell a funny story or anecdote about the couple. Many times fathers will use this moment to welcome the new bride's family.

Step 6: Close of with a toast.

The speech should always close by wishing the couple luck and giving a toast to the bride and groom.

This father of the groom speech structure is simple to follow but still leaves plenty room for creativity. It can be hard to come up with the the best speech if you do not know the bride well or her family or if you are in a rush. Often there is stress from finding topics that you know well as the father of bride will not mention. If you find yourself in such a situation look at some examples of good wedding speeches by fathers.