Father Of The Groom Rehearsal Dinner Speech or Toast: How This Example Can Easily Help You Write The Best Ever Father Of The Groom Rehearsal Dinner Toast
Have you ever been invited to a wedding rehearsal dinner and heard a great father of the groom rehearsal dinner speech toast and wished that on the eve of your son's wedding, you will make one too?
Well, that day is just around the corner and you have to turn that dream into reality. But do you really have what it takes to write a great father of the groom rehearsal dinner speech that will earn you the love, admiration, and respect of your family and friends and loved ones?
Or you are simply twiddling your thumbs and aimlessly wondering that someway somehow you will have that brainwave that will help you give one of the best wedding speeches at the rehearsal night?
Well, in this piece, I am going to share with you some proven and time-tested tips and ideas that will help you write the best ever father of the groom rehearsal dinner speech?
Are you ready to rumble? Before I do, let me help you get a few things right.
Change This View About You And You Will Be Fine
Most fathers think that they somehow need to have good writing skills or excellent speaking skills to say something sweet about their precious sons and daughters-in-law.
Although having those qualities can help, they are by no means all you need to write a heartfelt toast since many other factors come into play when making one.
To do this successfully, you first have to figure out where and how you can find the right ideas and samples to help you make your son proud. Additionally, if you are feeling nervous, then, you have to also put that in check.
Speaking about nervousness reminds me of the reason why most fathers fail to impress when they are asked to give a few remarks at the rehearsal night.
I remember writing a wedding toast for someone who liked it so much that she couldn’t wait to deliver it before the audience. But I was surprised to know that she let her guard down when she was called to speak at the wedding. This happens all the time.
You might have prepared the best father of the groom rehearsal dinner speech toast, but, if you lack the guts to deliver it well, your message won’t strike the right chord with the wedding attendees. This usually happens due to an unhealthy fixation on past speaking failures.
I often hear people say that two wrongs don’t make one right. In speech-making, however, one wrong may lead to multiple wrongs. You see, whenever you fail to make a favorable impression in a public setting, it is highly likely that you will make another blunder at another event if you fail to take charge of your thoughts.
The Bible tells us that as a man thinks, so is he. What that means is that you will become a visible expression of your thoughts.
So, if you probably failed up to live up to expectation when you were asked to give a few remarks at one of your children’s wedding, memories of that unfortunate incident that will vibrantly replay in your mind as though as you are watching a blockbuster movie as you prepare your speech.
But, you don’t have to be consumed by those pictures of failure. Even if they recur, you can choose instead to focus on this new task and believe deep down in your heart that you are going to pull off something remarkable this time around and you will end up experiencing a surge of strength that will help you get mentally alert.
That in essence is what should precede the actual writing of your rehearsal dinner speech for your son and daughter-in-law.
After undergoing this mental exercise, you can then start by looking for the right ideas and examples. Rehearsal dinner speech examples can help you make the desired progress. There are two kinds of samples here: video and well-written examples. They complement each other like a good husband and wife.
Both can get you in the mood for the right expression of your thoughts. So, what you have to do in a couple of minutes is to watch a few good videos and write down ideas that you can use for your speech.
By the way, below are two excellent examples I found that you can watch and learn from.
Father of The Groom Rehearsal Dinner Speech Video # 1
Father of The Groom Rehearsal Dinner Speech Video# 2
Well, if you love reading as much as I do, then, this is a short father of the groom rehearsal dinner speech example that can inspire you.
Below is a short funny father of the groom rehearsal dinner speech
Good evening everyone. For those of you who don’t me, I am Warren, Mike’s dad, and Nancy’s newly minted dad.
I have been on many exciting and beautiful adventures, but none is as rewarding as fulfilling as being Mike’s dad.
That takes me back to when Mike came into my life and made my joy complete.
By the way, it was a nerve-wracking first night for the clueless new dad, but it got better from there, and I looked forward to embarking on my life-changing journey of fatherhood.
Growing up, Mike was very responsible, well- organized, and wise beyond my age. He was my little helper for projects around the house. Mike would clean and organize the Tupperware and even look out for his younger brothers, Jerry and Dan.
As he grew older, he was fun to hang out with. I remember taking him to see a newer version of Tom and Jerry when he was about 7 years old. He was so enchanted by how Jerry sneaked under Tom’s bed after stealing some stuff from the refrigerator. So, the next day, he stole his brother’s soccer ball and his under our bed for close to three hours.
It wasn’t until later that his brother was about to have an afternoon nap that he kicked what felt like a pair of socks balled up under his bed.
So, he looked under it and saw Mike coiled up like a snake and fast asleep like a log. He was so startled that he knocked his head against the bed as he tried getting out of there when his brother held his hand and pulled it hard!
I also have memories of the family going on family vacations, and amusement rides at the Mall of America where he was an active participant.
The most memorable, however, were projects we both worked on was when he was in college.
I remember that in college, Mike became of the D.J group and I helped him built some sort of head-piece, made from an old computer monitor that he could wear while DJ’ing.
Sadly, however, the whole thing ended up weighing 20 pounds and didn’t work that well.
But nothing could deter us from coming up with our own innovations because I always had this dependable handyman on my side. Well, not too long ago, we built a live-edge Walnut TV that is now in Mike’s and Nancy’s apartment.
Mike, I consider myself the proudest dad ever because you’ve grown up into a loving, caring, calm, responsible, industrious, and disciplined young man more than I could ever imagine.
I am in awe of his strong work ethic, your sense of purpose, your can-do attitude, and your incredible love for our entire family.
You have some amazing qualities that will help you become a great husband and father. I wish you all the best and I really want to thank you for everything.
Nancy, you really picked a winner and you should be thankful for having him in your life. I can see from that warm, glowing smile that you’ve found the special treasure of your heart.
Nancy is a wonderful, person and I know she will help make Mike an even stronger, more responsible, and kinder man.
She really impressed us when we first met you.
Over time, I could tell you were his perfect match as I noticed how friendly, loving, smart, and down to earth you are.
What I really admire about Ashley is her sense of calm composure. I have watched with admiration and wonder as she effortlessly prepared for her wedding while going through medical school and that should tell you who she is.
We are also happy to be a part of your family too. Mike and Nancy, you both are a wonderful couple and the good thing is you have similar hopes, dreams, and aspirations.
As you know, all true love stories have up and down moments. Guess what? Those moments come to refine the love a couple has for each other. So, as you go through life, do expect some rough times. But always choose to love each other when you struggle to like each other and you will experience the purest kind of love there is.
God bless you and wish you all the best.
Did you enjoy that? Well, I really enjoyed the story about Mike coiling up like a snake under the bed.
By the way, I am going to show you how to write one by breaking that example down so you can get an idea of what went into writing it.
Before we do, let us take parts of it to guide us along the way.
Here is a snippet of the introduction:
''Good evening everyone. For those of you who don’t me, I am Warren, Mike’s dad, and Nancy’s newly minted dad.
I have been on many exciting and beautiful adventures, but none is as rewarding as fulfilling as being Mike’s dad''
Well, if you study that sample above, you will realize that there are three parts to it: introduction, body, and conclusion.
The extracted example is an example of a short and simple opening statement.
As you can see, the writer mentioned his name and his relationship with the bride and groom. That is the norm with most speeches. But it goes beyond that.
The introduction serves two purposes: mentioning your name and relationship with the bride and the groom. Then, you ultimately connect that to the second part of the introduction.
Here, the father of the groom didn’t mention those he wanted to express gratitude for helping his family raise the groom. Let me ask you this: Which persons would you like to mention?
Action Tip: Write down the names of such individuals. You can mention your wife, the groom’s mother, your own parents or his grandparents, the mom and dad of the bride, his own brothers and sisters, and so on.
For example, if you mention his mom, you can attach it with a few words.
Below is an illustration:
First and foremost, my immense gratitude goes to Joanna for her love and support all these years. I was on the road most of the time and she played such a key role…
Did you see that? You have to do likewise. Well, if the groom’s mom or grandparents are not alive, you may still honor them if you want. But make sure what you say doesn’t take away the joy of the occasion by dwelling too much on their demise.
What’s more, if you and his mom are no longer married, you should steer away from talking about that or even referring to her as your ex-wife.
You simply have to say his mom if you are making a reference. If you can skillfully use your speech to heal old wounds, then you will earn the admiration of those around you.
I remember talking about the second part of the introduction, right? So, let’s get right to it. After you said your thank-yous, you have to start with a riveting opener that will engage the attention of the wedding guests from the get-go because you can never have a second chance to make a first impression.
It’s very sad that most fathers of the groom don’t make good use of the opportunity to start on a bright note.
I know most of them are clueless. But having been to so many weddings, you should be able to spot the very good ones without blinking an eye.
Whatever it is, I am happy to share with you some practical ideas you can use to draw your guests in and give them something to smile about.
First, you can start with a good joke or a humorous story about when your son was born. There was a time a man shared with me a story about how he got so panicked that he packed his car in the wrong place and he had to be called to make way for another car to move out.
If you don’t remember anything like that, you can still use a joke or a quote like those below to create a funny father of the groom rehearsal dinner speech.
''Fatherhood is great because you can ruin someone from scratch.'' – Jon Stewart
''If you ever want to torture my dad, tie him up and right in front of him, refold a map incorrectly. ''– Cathy Ladman
Ok, suppose I want to use the first quote to start my speech, this is how I would do it.
I read a quote that says: '' Fatherhood is great because you can ruin someone from scratch’’ I saw this a week after we had Mike and promised myself that I was going to make a man out of him and toughen him up. So, when he was only a little boy, we went on an early morning jog…''
Did you see how I did that? Don’t you think this will suck them in from the start of your presentation? Naturally, if your son is a strong person with an awesome personality, then, they will be very eager to know how you made that happen.
Again, if you want to make your speech heartfelt or touching, you can either share how you felt when your son was born.
Do you remember all that happened on the day he was born? If you have forgotten about that experience, you can ask her mother or if you like taking notes, please consult your old journals.
What’s more, you can start with a beautiful quote to spiff up your father of the groom rehearsal dinner speech.
Here are some heartwarming quotes you can use to enrich it.
''The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature''-Unknown
''There is this special connection between a father and his son. It may be barely visible, but it’s there. It’s always like that with sons and fathers''-Unknown
''The bond between a father and a son is a true friendship no one can ever break.''-Unknown
''By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong.''-Charles Wadsworth
''You don’t raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they’ll turn out to be heroes, even if it’s just in your own eyes.''- Walter M. Schirra, Sr.
I especially love this quote: ''There is this special connection between a father and his son. It may be barely visible, but it’s there. It’s always like that with sons and fathers.''- Unknown
Now, just watch how I do it with the underlined words.
I have had the distinct privilege of sharing my whole life with Mike and I must say that there will never be anything quite as special as the love between him and me.
Ok, let us move on to the next chapter of the writing process.
How To Write An Outline Or Structure of Your Father of The Groom Rehearsal Dinner Speech
Again, we have to see excerpts of it to inspire us to put down our thoughts on paper.
''Growing up, Mike was a very responsible, well- organized and wise beyond my age. He was my little helper for projects around the house. Mike would clean and organize the Tupperware, and even look out for his younger brothers, Jerry and Dan.
As he grew older, he was fun to hang out with. I remember taking him to see a newer version of Tom and Jerry when he was about 7 years old. He was so enchanted by how Jerry sneaked under Tom’s bed after stealing some goodies. So, the next day, he stole his brother’s soccer ball and his under our bed for close to three hours. ''
If there’s any part of your speech that will make the audience laugh or cry a little, then it’s this part of your speech. It’s the easiest part to write since it’s basically composed of stories.
But before I show you how to make this aspect of your story about your son’s life unique and memorable, there are a couple of things I would like to bring to your attention.
Before you scribble down your thoughts, you should pick a style and theme that’s unique to you.
Depending on who you are, you can decide to make your speech poetic, sentimental, funny, storytelling, or a combination of all these styles which is what most fathers prefer.
I recently wrote a father of the groom rehearsal dinner speech where the groom’s dad made the phrase ''Make It A Gold'' as the theme of your speech. It ended up being one of the best speeches of the night and I enjoy reading it to this day.
If you want to come up with one, you have to consider one outstanding thing about your child that you wish to include in your wedding toast.
If that doesn’t make sense to you, you can make it flow from his childhood through adulthood.
These pointers can help you draft the content of your spiel.
- Write down answers to the following questions
- What was he like when he was a small kid?
- What was he like when he was growing up?
- Was he your normal teenager or there was something peculiar about him?
- Does he have any accomplishments you wish to share?
Having written answers to the following questions and more, just put together a simple draft that you can go back to edit later on. Or you can simply let a fresh pair of eyes review it since that person can easily spot mistakes your eyes might have overlooked when you first wrote it.
Now, let us see
How To Write A Memorable Ending
Again, here are some snippets to help us get started
''Guess what? Those moments come to refine the love a couple has for each other. So, as you go through life, do expect some rough times. But always choose to love each other when you struggle to like each other and you will experience the purest kind of love there is. God bless you and wish you all the best.''
The conclusion should be as moving as the introduction because this is the part most folks will remember the most.
First, you may go with the example I have shared or tweak it a bit.
Second, you can share a piece of advice based on the years of being married. We can use this sweet and witty quote by Mark Twain
''Love seems the swiftest, but it is the slowest of all growths. No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century. ''
We can use that to write this:
Mark Twain once said that no man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century. I am blessed to have experienced that and can only wish the same and more for both of you.
A perfect way of wrapping up is to sing it if you have a good singing voice.
Well, you may accompany it with a musical instrument you can really play. If you are a religious person or a born again Christian, you can either end with a prayer for the couple or even use some of the following scriptures to wrap up.
Psalm 128
A song of ascents.
1 Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
who walk in obedience to him.
2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
4 Yes, this will be the blessing
for the man who fears the Lord.
5 May the Lord bless you from Zion;
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
6 May you live to see your children’s children—
peace be on Israel.
“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” ~Ecclesiastes 4:12~
You can also simply wish them well. Saying this shouldn’t be hard right? Since good words are the foundation of a good marriage, you should put a great deal of thought into this.
Again, if you have nothing to say at all, then, you may end with a toast. You may borrow these words from the movie:
''When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.''— Harry Burns, When Harry Met Sally
P.S: This is what most wise dads do before they even put a single word on paper...Have you ever considered this? Do this and your speech will be well-received by the guests even if your writing sucks or you feel you're not cut out for public speaking.
Let's help you make your son, wife, and family proud, and let the wedding guests say great things about your speech.
Here’s what one nervous and skeptical dad called Glen sent over after the wedding was over
Hey Dan, I just wanted to thank you once again for the speech you wrote with me. My goal was met afterward, I was told by many "what a beautiful speech" and received a standing ovation. I couldn't have done this without you. God Bless Dan!- Glen, U.S.A
Want to know how he did just that? He got on board our wedding speech program and one of our talented speech consultants helped him out.
Want to get on board? You should!
OK, Is This Offer For Me?
- Yes, if you are expecting nothing less than a very special, beautiful, unique, and memorable speech.
- Yes, if you are overwhelmed by the pressures of work and don’t have the time to put together a very meaningful speech, so you can have peace of mind
- Yes, if you want your family, children, friends, and wedding guests to shower you with very sincere compliments…just imagine how you will feel
- Yes, if you are not good with words and you feel you’re not a natural writer and you are struggling to find the right words but still want to give a great speech.
- Yes, you get so scared anytime you’re asked to say something before an audience and you really want to save yourself from any form of embarrassment on your son’s big day.
- Yes, if you are not too eloquent or not too sure if you are on the right track.
- Yes, if you absolutely hate speaking in public or feel this is not your thing but you want to make your son feel very proud
- Yes, if you have a day or less to the wedding and you are worried that you might make some horrible mistakes
- Yes, if you are a good speaker but you still want someone to look over or review what you've come up with!
Wedding not too far away? Or happening in less than 24 hours? Trust me, we can deliver! it doesn’t matter if your speech is today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year,... we can make things work for you
Just imagine leaving your entire presentation in the hands of skilled wedding speech consultants who will take away your pain of spending hours thinking hard and long about what to say and what not to say.
Also, envision being patiently guided to say something that will leave a favorable impression on the mind of your listeners.
And also imagine the thrill and feeling of excitement and pride you’re going to experience when the audience leap onto their feet and scream and shouts and even sing your praises.
Won’t you love that? I hope you do...
Ok, I am Interested, What’s the Cost?