This is the speech people are most frightened of, because it is the one they most want to get right. It opens the speeches, it sets the tone for everything after it, and it is the only one where the room actively wants you to be emotional. Replace the brackets and read it aloud at least three times.
Opens the free teleprompter with the script already loaded. Nothing is uploaded, and your camera never leaves your device.
Why it is built this way
Welcome the room properly
You are the host. Before anything else, thank people for coming and name anyone who travelled a long way. It costs fifteen seconds and it is the whole reason this speech goes first.
One story from when she was small
Everyone is waiting for it. Pick one, keep it under sixty seconds, and make sure it shows something about her character that is still true today.
Connect the child to the adult
The move that makes this speech work is the line joining who she was to who she is. "She has not changed" is the emotional payload of the whole thing.
Welcome the partner into the family
This is your actual job in this speech. Say their name, say something specific about them, and say the words "welcome to the family".
One piece of advice, not five
You have earned the right to give some. Spend it on one sentence. A list turns a father of the bride speech into a lecture.
The toast
You go first, so you set the pattern. Be clear and be brief.
Delivering it
Frequently asked questions
Four to six minutes, around 550 to 800 spoken words. It is traditionally the longest of the wedding speeches, but nobody has ever complained about a short one.
The traditional order is father of the bride, then groom, then best man. Many modern weddings add the maid of honour and the bride. If in doubt, the host speaks first and the best man speaks last.
Name anyone who travelled a long distance and anyone who contributed to the day, then stop. Long thank-you lists are the most common reason this speech overruns.