Father of the Bride

Father of the Bride Duties

The most important role played by the father of the bride is that of supporting his daughter - emotionally and financially, as you always have.

Whilst the bride and mother of the bride will probably arrange the majority of the wedding, there will always be something you can help with. Find out from the start if they need help with anything specific, and then continue to offer your help throughout the following months. Perhaps you can help with writing the invitations, making favours or table plans or just helping with the fetching and carrying.

Agreeing the budget

The mother and father of the bride traditionally paid for the entire wedding. Given that the average cost of a wedding in the Australia is now more than $40,000, it is no longer expected that the father of the bride should foot the whole bill. The bride & groom often pay a lot more towards their big day and the groom's parents may also contribute.
Before they can start planning their wedding, the bride & groom need to know how much money they have to pay for the wedding. No one likes to bring up the subject of money, but your daughter will feel much less awkward if you bring up the subject first. Let them know how much you plan to contribute towards the cost of the wedding. The earlier they know, the earlier they can start planning - so try and discuss this as soon as you can after the engagement.
Whether you give them a lump sum towards the cost or pay for particular items is up to you. Whilst the latter is more traditional - it can cause more confusion, especially if your daughter has to keep asking you to write a cheque every five minutes. Unless you are organising specific aspects - it is often a lot easier to give them the money upfront.

Father of the bride speech

The father of the bride is the first person to make a speech, which can be nerve wracking even for the most confident people. Unlike the best man's speech, the father of the bride's speech is usually quite serious. There is of course nothing wrong with adding humour - a few light hearted comments in the right place may be required to stop you getting too emotional! The father of the bride speech is your opportunity to say a few choice words about your daughter.
Don't leave writing your speech until the last minute. Make a note of the following: memories of your daughter when she was younger, what makes her so special and finally your thoughts now as she begins her married life. Keep a notepad nearby and write down your thoughts as you think of them. For help on writing your speech, key things to include, tips and ideas - see wedding speeches.

Hosting the day

The father of the bride usually assumes the role of official host together with the hostess (mother of the bride) regardless of who actually pays for the wedding. Whilst this is the norm, it is not uncommon for both sets of parents to host the wedding. In fact, some weddings are hosted by the bride & groom themselves, especially if they have paid for the majority of the wedding.
The hostess is responsible for meeting and greeting the guests as they arrive, whilst the host should look out for all his guests - ensuring they have drinks. Whether you are the host or not, you should still try to meet all the guests and socialise throughout the day.

Wedding gifts

Traditional household appliances or furniture are popular wedding gifts from the parents of the bride & groom as a gift to help them set up home. However, as the cost of the average wedding increases - many parents are finding themselves paying out more than they would have done 10 years ago. It is now perfectly acceptable not to buy a wedding gift if you are contributing towards the cost of the wedding. If your contribution is to be their wedding gift, make that clear early on.