The father of the bride is one of the most important roles in the wedding, aside from the bride and groom of course! If your daughter is getting married check out our list of father of the bride duties.
Duty 1: A voice of wisdom and reason
You might feel that the father of the bride should be exempt from organisational duties but you may well get called on to help when things get stressful for your daughter as you might be able to handle wedding problems with less emotion than she can. As a voice of experience you might be asked to deal with everything from pre-wedding nerves to negotiating with wedding suppliers.
Duty 2: Financing the wedding
Traditionally it is the father of the bride that is in charge of paying for the wedding so, although in contemporary society it is becoming more common for the couple to pay the bill for the wedding themselves or for both sets of parents and the couple to half the costs between them, you will most likely be making some contribution. If you suspect an engagement is on the cards have a look at your finances, decide how much you are willing and able to provide towards the special occasion. Once the engagement is announced, stick to that amount and don’t make promises in your initial excitement that could land you in debt.
Duty 3: Keeping the bride’s mum calm
A daughter getting married can have a surprising effect on her mother and there will most likely be disagreements between the bride and her mother over how things should be organised, so think of yourself as a diplomat. Be willing to listen to both parties and persuade them to find a middle ground. In the end, it is your daughter’s special day, and you might need to remind her mother of the fact occasionally.
Duty 4: Escorting the bride
The most traditional of the father of the bride duties is literally handing over your daughter away to her new husband and his family. You may want to have a heartfelt father daughter chat at this time but the situation will no doubt be emotional enough so unless you want her to be in tears as she walks down the aisle, just give her with a hug and telling her she looks wonderful. Your main responsibility is to get her to the ceremony fashionably late and escort her down the aisle to her husband-to-be.
Duty 5: Dancing with the bride
How much you enjoy the father daughter dance depends very much on your dancing skills. Why not have a few dance lessons before the wedding to learn some basic steps? You could organise a lesson for everyone, including yourself, your wife, your daughter and her fiancé; it will be a great break from pre wedding stress.
Duty 6: Making a speech
The most nerve wracking part of the day will be making a speech after the wedding breakfast. First you should thank the guests and those that have aided with the wedding planning, and then you can share a few stories about your daughter. Finally you should welcome your new son-in-law to the family. Once the speech is done, the father of the bride generally proposes a toast to the new couple.
