The traditional Father of the Bride Speech is normally delivered by the Father of the Bride or some other male person acting on behalf of the Father of the Bride. You have not been at too many weddings where you witnessed a Mother of the Bride delivering a \’Father of the Bride\’ speech. If you have been, you have been privileged, as no one knows the Bride better than her Mother and for the Mother of the Bride to write and deliver a wedding speech that has all the ingredients of a great speech is indeed great. She has taken on the mantle herself and she should be very proud. There are many reasons why the Mother of the Bride would speak at her daughter\’s wedding:
- Her husband is deceased
- Her husband is unable to speak for personal or health reasons
- Her husband cannot attend the wedding
- Her husband does not wish to attend the wedding
- Her husband has not been invited to the wedding
- They are separated or divorced
- They have both agreed that she will speak
- She wants to speak at her daughter\’s wedding
As a Mother of the Bride and like any speech, preparation is key:
- Address dignitaries i.e. , Rev. Fathers, Sisters, Ladies and Gentlemen and any special guests
- On behalf of your family say how happy and proud you / they are of your daughter
- Talk about Groom, personality, what you like about him, what makes him unique and special, his achievements / accomplishments in his life to date, plans for the future
- How did the Groom ask you for your daughter’s hand in marriage
- Formally welcome groom into your family
- Talk about groom’s family and what they mean to your daughter
- Formally welcome groom’s family into your family
- Talk about Bride (your daughter), memories growing up, personality, what you like about her, what makes her unique and special, her achievements / accomplishments in her life to date, plans for the future
- Talk about your own family
- Talk about your husband (if applicable)
- Compliment wedding ceremony in church and the celebrant
- Formally thank the hotel / event organisers
- Talk about Bride and Groom as a couple
- Mention Bridesmaids, Groomsman / men, Flowergirls, Pageboys
- Mention own parents (if applicable)
- Mention grandchildren (if applicable)
- Thank people for travelling long distance on your own family’s side
- Mention people who were invited, but could not attend on your own family’s side
- Mention any recently deceased family and friends
- Mention people who are celebrating birthdays, anniversaries around the same time as the wedding
- Final wish and blessing for the Bride and Groom
If you are a mother of a daughter (Mother of the Bride) who is getting married in the future and you are the immediate and next-of-kin person to her, before saying \’No\’ to speaking at her wedding, think about it first. The thought of it can be daunting; \’What will I say, how will I say it, how will I be able to stand up and speak in front of family, relations and friends, I\’ve never did it before\’. To start the process, sit down with a piece of paper or a computer and write freely, speaking from your heart…