If you’re the Father of the Bride, you will most likely be speaking first on your daughter’s wedding day. You’ll therefore want to relax yourself and the guests by getting an early laugh in your speech. And that means including one or two Father of the Bride speech jokes.
Some people reach for old favourites. However, why not give your speech the VIP treatment by using original lines? The good news is that this blog post contains original Father of the Bride jokes and tips to help you write your own.
So, to help get your speech off to a flyer on the big day, let’s take a look at some Father of the Bride speech icebreakers.
Father Of The Bride Speech Icebreakers & Opening Lines
You’re probably not a stand-up comic so don’t feel you have to deliver a father-of-the-bride speech icebreaker at the very top. In fact, the first couple of opening lines can just be a warm welcome. However, within the first 30 seconds, you will want to have offered the guests a chance to show their appreciation. Smiles don’t make noise. So, give them something to trigger their laughter.
So, what sort of father-of-the-bride speech icebreakers could you use near the top?
Tailored lines
A line tailored for the occasion will trump one that has graced the mouths of thousands of wedding speakers. However, don’t beat yourself up if you do use an old one. Just ensure the remainder are original. You want to deliver a witty father-of-the-bride speech not sound like a wedding joke tribute act.
Fine. So how do I write a father-of-the-bride speech funny one-liner?
OK. Think about what will be real in the moment when you deliver the speech.
People are in their finery, they’ve travelled, you’re in a particular venue, you’ve just eaten or are about to, this is the first/second time you’ve given a daughter away, you’re the first speaker, people don’t know how long you plan to speak for, people are split up on different tables. And so on.
So, we’ve got the raw material for some father-of-the-bride humour. What angles can we use?
Angles
Is there a particular reason this venue was chosen?
“I think my daughter and GROOM spent longer choosing the venue than they did each other.”
“Our family have celebrated here many times before. So when they heard our surname, we’re very grateful they still accepted the booking.”
How did most people travel to get to the venue? Who travelled the furthest? Did anyone have to travel using Ryan Air?
“You’ve all travelled a long way to be here, so I thought I’d reward you all with an equally long speech. If the staff could now please shut the fire doors…”
Does your job involve speaking? You could weave in a reference to it.
“I am used to speaking at work not weddings, so apologies if I accidentally deliver a few regional sales figures….”
“As some of you know, I am a train driver. It’s taken all my strength not to start this speech with an apology for the severe delays.”
Linking ideas is always good. For example, how the guests look, the fact there is a free bar or the length of the speech.
“You all look amazing and there is a free bar. So, we’re expecting some great photos. Or as they’re otherwise known – before-and-after shots.”
“Some of you might already have noticed there is a free bar today. So don’t be surprised if I now speak for the next 3 hours!”
You don’t need a world-beating line, just one that roots everyone in the moment and gives them permission to laugh. Once you have a father-of-the-bride icebreaker near the top, let’s see where else you can include some father-of-the-bride jokes.
How To Work Your Role Into A Funny Father Of The Bride Speech
When thinking about good targets for a funny father of the bride speech, one of the best is your role itself. Self-deprecation always goes down well so you might wish to praise your greatest contribution to the wedding: not getting in the way.
Alternatively, you could make a joke about the expense with this father of the bride icebreaker:
A fortune teller once told me: “One day, you will stand up in a suit and explain to a roomful of people how you’ve just lost your life savings. And I said: “So I’m going to be the victim of fraud?” And she said: “No. Your daughter’s going to get married!”
Funny Father Of The Bride Speech Jokes That Include Your Daughter
The tone of any wedding dad jokes should be light-hearted and, ultimately, allow you to praise your daughter more. Think of your speech as a musical composition. You will want some elegant variation.
Compare…
Praise… more praise… even more praise… very proud dad!
With:
Praise… light-hearted remark… praise… wedding dad joke… praise… very proud dad!
Which would you rather listen to?
Almost certainly the one with some great wedding dad jokes. So, if you’ve just mentioned how your daughter has achieved something amazing, you will probably need some comic relief soon afterwards. Here are some potential angles.
Personality traits
There’s a quick and easy way to write an original wedding dad joke. Just take one of your daughter’s good qualities and use comic exaggeration. For example, if she’s hard-working and focused, does the economy grind to a halt when she’s on holiday?
If she’s creative, are you holding on to her primary school drawings in case they sell at auction? If she’s super-fashionable, does she make models look like they got dressed in the dark?
This style of wedding dad joke allows you to praise and raise a smile at the same time.
Rites of passage
You could cover swimming lessons, driving lessons, going to college or her first job. As each of these stories will involve success, you can afford to smuggle a joke in without it detracting from your daughter’s achievement.
If one thing on its own does not inspire an angle, try to link a couple together. For instance, did her approach to her 25-metre swimming certificate give you a clue about how she would conquer the world of work?
Father of the bride speech jokes are not just for the laughter, they can also be the thread in the story you are weaving about your daughter.
Son-in-law
Depending on how well you know him, the style of joke you can tell will be closer to that of a Best Man. Even so, it should be no more than a gentle punch on the arm.
Here are some thoughts:
- Did he formally ask your permission to marry your daughter? How nervous was he? Did he try to hide his intentions or was it more obvious than a 1980s whodunnit?
- Does he have a notable hobby or support a football team? Is it part of his life or his life part of his hobby?
- Welcoming him to the family – does he know what he’s letting himself in for? Or is it now much too late?
Remember – although you’re aiming for a funny father of the bride speech, try not to be too harsh. If you’re not sure of a line, sleep on it or pass it by your wife/partner or friend.
Marital advice
Along with funny stories, you might want to end your speech with a wish or piece of wisdom before the toast for the happy couple. On the other hand, you might prefer to joke about how you’re not qualified to dispense any at all.
“You’ll be pleased to hear I won’t give any marital advice today. The book I ordered didn’t arrive in time.”
If you do decide to give humorous wedding advice to the married couple, make it gentle and relatable.
“They say absence makes the heart grow fonder… but it’s not an excuse for a 5-day golf holiday.”
Not only can such spoof advice contribute to a witty father of the bride speech, but it can nicely set up the next speaker too – the person who truly needs it…. the groom!
Funny Father Of The Bride Speeches From A Professional Speech Writer
As we have seen, jokes are not nice-to-haves, they can also be the building blocks of your speech. They contain truths, can thread things together and add energy. So when it comes to crafting and reading your wedding speech, don’t think it’s frivolous if you focus on the humour first.
If you’d like someone to help write these jokes, look no further. I am Marc Blakewill, a professional speech writer with years of experience turning stress into wedding speech joy. I can help write you a brilliantly funny father-of-the-bride speech that will contain that magic ingredient… lots of laughter.
Want some help from a professional comedy writer AND speech writer?
That’s me. Just click here to visit my Father of the Bride speech page that has more tips and details of the wedding speech services I offer.
