Father of the Bride Speech: Opening Lines That Work

The best father of the bride opening lines are warm and a little self-deprecating, they settle your nerves and the room’s at the same time.

You don’t need a killer joke to open a father of the bride speech. You need to sound like yourself, relaxed and proud. A gentle smile in the first ten seconds buys you the room for the emotional moments later.

A few openings that work

• “For those who don’t know me, I’m [name], the man who’s been quietly dreading this moment for about twenty-five years.”
• “They say the father of the bride should be brief, sincere and seated. I’ll do my best with two of those three.”
• “I’ve been told I’m allowed three minutes. My daughter has never stuck to a deadline in her life, so I hope you’ll forgive me if I run over.”

The mistake to avoid

Don’t open by apologising or telling everyone how nervous you are. It makes the room nervous for you. Open warm, get your first small smile, and you’ll feel the nerves settle on their own.

Then what?

After the opening, move into your welcome and the story of your daughter. For the full structure, read the father of the bride speech guide, or if you’d rather I wrote it for you, here’s the father of the bride speech writing service.

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