Father of the Groom Speech

As the father of the groom, your son's wedding may be a surprisingly overwhelming time for you. To give a speech at the wedding then, is something you should make the most of, to express your true feelings about your son and his wedding to the one he loves the most. It is perhaps one of the most well thought out wedding traditions, as it enables a father to openly express his love and best wishes for his son. Whether masked under humor, or spoken like it is, the speech can be given just the way you like it, as long as it is straight from the heart. It does not matter what others will make of your speech; what matters is how much your speech will be valued by your son. If you are still stuck about what to say in your speech as the father of the groom, here are some tips on writing a great speech that most of all, will be remembered by your boy.

Writing a Speech as Father of the Groom

As the father of the groom, your speech should focus on your son - the groom. Though such a speech is meant to be straight from the heart, there are certain pointers that you should consider when writing it, so that all that you have to say remains etched in the memories of everyone present at the wedding.

• Keep it Short: Before you begin, know that your speech has to be short. Though you may have a lot of things to say, present them in a manner that will be short, yet meaningful. A speech longer than 5 minutes, and your audience will start losing interest. As blunt as this may sound, it is unfortunately true.
• Speak, Don't Read: Write down the speech but only as a guideline for you to know what to say at the wedding. Do not, under any circumstance, read out the speech from a piece of paper, or memorize it word to word. Your speech should sound as if it is a natural process that is emerging from the depths of your heart.
• Introduce Yourself: Though it is the father of the groom who speaks first, and more often than not, everyone knows you, it is a good idea to introduce yourself at the beginning of the speech.
• Welcome and Acknowledge: Welcome all the guests to the wedding, but do make a special mention of your better half, as well as the bride and her parents. Marriage is a union of two families, so put the right foot forward by ensuring they are included in the entire affair.
• Speak about Your Son - Then his Bride: It's time to bring out all those feelings about your son that you probably have never even admitted to yourself before. You can recall the times when he was a little boy, and a few anecdotes that may be relevant to the wedding now (for instance, your son's denial towards the concept of marriage). You can then proceed to say how his to-be wife has made all the difference, how your son is now a happier person after she has become a part of his life. You may also propose a toast to the bride in your speech. In this way, you not only compliment your son, but his wife too. This will make her feel welcome, and an integral part of the family.
• Add a Dash of Humor: Since the speech at the wedding can be a time when you are overcome with heightened emotion, it is a good idea to add a bit of humor to the speech to lighten the moment. Usually, the humor comes in special marriage advice from the father to his son. No matter how hard you try, this moment is definitely funny and gives everyone a good laugh. Also add a few funny wedding quotes to the speech. Adding a light moment to the speech also means you simply must avoid anything that will sadden the crowd. Leave out unhappy tales that have no place in the wedding, even if they are related to the wedding.
• Wrap up your Speech: End your speech by thanking everyone for being there, and wishing your son and his wife the best in life, as they embark on their special journey with each other. Raise a glass to the happy couple to end your speech on a positive note.

Usually, the father of the groom rehearsal dinner speech is similar to the wedding speeches given by the father of the groom. However, here, the actual sentiments that you wish to express should be kept to a minimum, as it is a process of building up to a smashing speech that everyone can expect at the wedding. Finally, at the wedding, use this moment well to give the best speech as the father of the groom, as (usually) this is only a once in a lifetime opportunity.