Father of the Bride Speech: 30 Examples & Expert Advice

As well as jokes and some humour, you need to have a sentimental aspect to your father of the bride speech, and that's where emotional father quotes and toasts come in. 

Whether you pepper in some emotional dad quotes in the body of your speech, or end with a tear-jerking father of the bride toast, it's important that you include some sweet words about your daughter (as well as the embarrassing stories, that is!). 

If emotional quotes for father of the bride speeches don't come naturally to you, and you're having a bit of writer's block on what to say, this selection of father of the bride quotes and toasts is bound to help. 

Split into quotes for father of the bride speeches and emotional toasts to end on, you can skip to the section you need, or browse both in the hopes of finding some emotional father quotes to get the room welling up. 

Grab your tissues before reading, it's going to be a heartfelt few minutes! 

• Emotional Dad Quotes for a Father of the Bride Speech
• What is a Father of the Bride Speech? 
• How to Give a Father of the Bride Speech? An Expert's Guide
• Father of the Bride Speech: Dos & Dont's

30 Simple Father of the Bride Speech Examples

• I don’t think any amount of preparation can ever leave you feeling ready to give your daughter away, but if I had to choose a person to hand her to, I would choose you every time.
• Of all the amazing qualities that you possess, my favourite of all is that you always make those around you smile.
• When you and I shared that moment earlier - that glimpse of the eye as I walked you down the aisle - please just know that’s a moment I will cherish forever.
• Being the father of the bride today has made me feel more pride than I ever thought a person could feel.
• I have to commend my daughter on her impeccable taste, because now's the time where I’m supposed to officially welcome [partner’s name] into our family, but the truth is you’ve been a part of this family since the day we met you.
• Despite having 34 years to prepare a father of the bride speech for my daughter, I am still left standing here today, speechless at how beautiful she looks.
• Of all the things I’ve done in my lifetime, being your father and caring for you is by far my biggest achievement yet.
• Seeing your daughter looking so happy and radiant is a truly amazing experience, but it is tinged with a little sadness because it’s also the moment you realise she’s all grown up.
• There's no relationship quite as special as the one a father has with his daughter, but if any bond was going to top ours, it's the one you have with [partner's name].
• Fathers, be your daughter’s first love and she’ll never settle for anything less. Here's to my daughter's high standards and the incredible partner who's met them. 
• A father holds his daughter’s hand for a short while, but he holds her heart forever.
• I know [child's name] will be an amazing partner, and I know that because if she’s anything like her mother, she’ll still be making you smile even 50 years on.
• Now my daughter begins a new life and there will be another person who she’ll turn to for love and protection, but I want her to know that as her father I will always be there for her.
• A successful marriage is not about finding a person you can live with, but finding a person that you can’t live without and I know you’ve found that with each other.
• To the happy couple, neither of you will ever be perfect, but you can be perfect together.
• May your love be modern enough to survive the times and old-fashioned enough to last forever.
• [Bride] and [partner], your life together is just starting and it will take many turns along the way. You’ll have your glory days and you’ll have your sad days. However, if you have each other, you will have all you need.
• I don’t know what your future holds for you, and I know that twenty years from now many things will have happened that we can’t predict. But whatever happens, and wherever you go, your mum/dad and I know you’ll always have each other’s love, and you’ll always have ours.
• It’s said that when your children find true love, parents find true joy, and that couldn't feel more true as I stand here today. Here’s to your joy and ours!
• Raise your glasses to both [her partner] and me as we’ve each gained something this fine and blessed day. He/she gains a wife and a companion for life – and I gain the reassurance that my daughter will have someone incredible by her side for the rest of her life. 
• To my daughter. Today, [daughter] is the most beautiful bride I’ve seen since her mother 30 years ago.
• There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings. Cheers to both!
• To [partner's name], the day you asked me for my daughter’s hand in marriage was the day I finally stopped worrying about who will look after her when I no longer can.
• To you both, may you always prioritise each other and remember what's important. 
• Here's to the happy couple, remember that a successful relationship 
• As Dr. Seuss once said, "You know you're in love when you don't want to fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." - So please raise a glass to a life filled with less sleep and a dreamy reality. 
• Before I take a seat I have one last task to perform, and it’s a task that is both my honour and my privilege. Ladies and gentlemen, please raise your glasses and join with me in wishing the newlyweds a long, healthy and very happy future together. To the happy couple!
•  A toast: may all sweethearts become married couples, and may all married couples remain sweethearts.
• Here’s to the past, for all that you’ve learnt. Here’s to the present, for all that you share. Here’s to the future, for all that you’ve got to look forward to.

What is a Father of the Bride Speech? 

You might be wondering, what exactly is a father of the bride toast? Well, a father of the bride speech in the UK can be just about anything you want it to be. A song, a poem, or a handwritten speech - it's up to the person delivering the speech to decide what would be best suited to the happy couple on their wedding day. 

Traditionally, the father of the bride speech is given during the wedding reception toasts, either at the beginning or the end. It often contains marriage advice to the newlyweds, anecdotes and happy memories, and words of welcome to the newest member of the family. 

Over the past few years, father of the bride speeches have become more personalised and tailored to suit the style and tone of the person delivering it. Some speech-givers want to bring the house down with laughter, whilst others may have guests reaching for the tissues. 

Whatever the style of speech, each one is completely unique! 

How to Give a Father of the Bride Speech: An Expert's Guide

Now that you've explored our top 30 father of the bride speech examples, you might be after some tips on how to nail the execution. That's why we've enlisted the help of the founder of Speechy, Heidi Ellert-McDermott. As a wedding speech expert and the author of The Modern Couple's Guide to Wedding Speeches, Heidi has tons of tips and tricks for writing the perfect father of the bride toast. 

From deciding on the length and tone to working out what to include, here's Heidi's advice on writing wedding speeches - father of the bride edition!

How Long Should a Father of the Bride Speech Be? 

Heidi explains: "All wedding speeches need to be delivered within ten minutes, at a conversational speed, and leaving pauses for laughter. 

"Size matters when it comes to speeches. Too short and people feel short-changed (especially the bride!). Too long and guests will be checking their WhatsApp messages under the table. 

"When we speeches for father of the bride clients, we aim for between 1,000 and 12,000 words. That’s enough to thank everyone for coming, tell a few great stories, entertain the guests, pay a tribute to your daughter’s partner and drop a huge lovebomb on the bride.

"Remember you don’t need to list all your daughter’s achievements or run through her full life story. Trust me, no one is interested in her Grade 8 ballet skills or her recent promotion. Your job is actually to highlight the thing that really matters and that’s her character and the qualities that make her truly unique." 

How Do I Write a Father of the Bride Speech? 

"Don’t sit down and try to write your speech from scratch. It’s too big a task to do in one sitting. What we recommend is spending some time gathering the speech-ingredients first. Maybe gather the family together, the bride’s mum and her siblings, and reminisce over some old photo albums. 

"Are there any stand out stories from her youth? What are her unusual quirks? What are her guilty pleasures? How does she make you laugh? What is she surprisingly good (or bad!) at? Use all your sources to gather the best possible material for you to work with. 

"The trick to making your speech truly entertaining and meaningful is to ditch all the wedding cliches and googled-gags and instead, make sure every sentence you deliver is unique, truthful and could only be about your daughter and her partner. 

"Real life observations are the secret to making a father of the bride speech humorous and genuinely heartfelt. No platitudes allowed!"

What Should a Father of the Bride Speech Include? 

"There is a few father of the bride speech ‘to-do’ but don’t get carried away with the old fashioned etiquette advice that still lurks online. 

"Yes, welcome the guests and quickly acknowledge the distances people may have travelled but don’t resort to namechecking half the guest list! It’s dull to sit through and a waste of your word count! 

"Certainly, don’t bother thanking the venue, suppliers or anyone who has been paid for their services. The thank yous are actually the newlyweds job, so don’t steal their thunder. Do ensure you pay a proper tribute to your daughter’s new spouse as well as her! And acknowledge their parents too by welcoming them to the family. 

"Pay a tribute to your daughter’s mother, whether or not you are still together, and the role they had in their upbringing. You may want to raise a toast to the dearly departed, but we recommend doing this towards the end of the speech rather than starting with it. 

"The bulk of your speech though, should be giving an insight into your daughter’s personality, entertaining the guests and making sure she feels thoroughly loved. And it’s always worth mentioning how gorgeous she looks!"

Father of the Bride Speech: Dos & Dont's

Now that we've heard Heidi's top tips on writing the ultimate bride's dad wedding speech, we asked her to reveal her father wedding speech dos and dont's. These tips are wonderful to reflect on once you've chosen roughly what you want to say, and you're focusing on the finishing touches. Here's what Heidi recommends! 

Do...

Establish a Storyline

"Your speech should go beyond a string of compliments, thank yous, and scattered stories. It needs to tell a story that draws people in, establishes a theme, and builds to a memorable conclusion.

"One father we worked with found his theme in his daughter's love for the outdoors. As she was getting married in a garden, he spoke about her “blooming” over the years - highlighting her adventurous childhood, her rebellious teenage years when she was "more of a prickly cactus than a rose," and now blossoming into a bride.

"He then celebrated the couple’s new chapter by toasting to their love taking root and flourishing together. You get the idea."

Nail the Message in the Last Line

"Your final paragraph should wrap up the central message of your speech. Think of it like storytelling: you begin by setting up what you’re going to share, then tell the story, and finally wrap it up by reinforcing what you've said.

"A great trick used in comedy is the ‘call-back.’ This involves mentioning something early in the speech, perhaps casually, and then referring back to it later for impact.

"For example, a father once began his speech by recalling how his daughter used to insist on wearing mismatched socks as a child, saying it was her “creative touch.” Toward the end of the speech, he toasted the happy couple and playfully advised the groom - if you ever find mismatched socks in the laundry, just remember—it’s her creative touch!

"A call-back is a simple, but highly effective way to make your speech feel more polished and clever!’"

Practice!

"As well as writing your speech, you need to deliver it so in the run up to the day, keep reading it out loud so you’re familiar with the flow and rhythm of it. 

"Record yourself on your phone and play it back as often as possible. Listen to your speech during your commute, in the shower, or before bed. The goal is to get so familiar with it that it becomes second nature, like a song you can’t help singing along to. 

"On the day, feel free to use speech notes too. Delivering your speech without notes might seem impressive, but it’s really not essential. And, after spending weeks perfecting your speech, why risk delivering a half-baked version of it?"

Don't...

Use Overused Phrases

"When crafting your speech, the spotlight should be on celebrating your daughter's individuality. Every bride is stunning, thoughtful, and amazing, but avoid overused phrases and focus on what truly sets her apart.

"Think about her unique traits—whether she’s into indie music, a bookworm, or a tech enthusiast. Capturing her quirks and personality is essential for making the speech stand out. Don't feel the need to paint her as a flawless fairy-tale princess. Whether she’s hilariously forgetful, the life of the party, or hooked on true-crime shows, this is your chance to honor the real person everyone adores."

Resort to Cheesy Icebreakers

"Don’t resort to cheesy icebreakers but draw on the reality before your eyes. At Speechy, we love observational humour—it's relatable and, luckily, one of the easiest forms to nail.

"Everyone has their own unique quirks, so take a fresh look at your daughter. Notice those little habits that make her who she is. Does she insist on wearing flip-flops, even in the middle of winter? Does she binge-watch old rom-coms when she’s stressed? Or maybe she has an unexplained obsession with collecting houseplants?

"These personal observations will show you truly understand her, and they’ll add a lighthearted touch to your speech that’ll get a laugh from everyone."

Be sure to check out our collection of father of the bride speech examples if you’re in need of more inspiration or a template to follow.