Monday's Montage: Tips for the Father of the Bride

With Father’s Day just passed, I thought I would focus on the importance of the Father of the Bride, also known as the FOB. Even though he won’t be the one saying “I do” at the altar, the father is one of the most important and special members of the wedding party. As the FOB, you want to make sure you’re well prepared and looking extra dapper, especially since you’ll probably be the one walking your little girl down the aisle!

Check out our five helpful tips for the Father of the Bride:

1.) Put Your Best Foot Forward: Make sure you’re prepared for the father-daughter dance.  If you're unsure of how to dance, or worried about your Waltz, take some lessons or make time to practice with your princess.

2.) Raise a Glass: Prepare your speech ahead of time.  You don’t want to seem as though you’ve memorized it word for word, speak from the heart and everything will fall into place.

3.) Play Your Part: This means being there from day one, as involved or uninvolved as your daughter would like you to be. Whether it’s going to the cake tasting, helping with money planning, or being a shoulder to cry on.

4.) Don’t Go Overboard: Expect to be very popular this evening. Every guest will be excited to congratulate you and celebrate with a drink or two. Remember to keep count of how many glasses of wine you’ll be sipping on, I'm sure the last thing you want is to get too tipsy, grab the mic and possibly say too much or break into song.

5.) Have a Blast: If you have a great planner (oh hi) you shouldn't be dealing with all of the wedding madness or coordination, make sure you take a moment to breathe and take it all in and enjoy. It’s not only a huge day for the bride and groom, but an amazing celebration and milestone for the entire family!

Cherish this moment coming up, and Happy Father's Day!!

By Jayleen Deelman, Associate Planner with DreamGroup Productions

Jayleen Deelman has been with DreamGroup for 2 years and after proving herself as our Star Wedding Coordinator now takes on the role of Loving Planner. Jayleen is upbeat, good natured, and always smiling. She is attentive and with her passion for everything weddings she is key in carrying out a fluid and enjoyable wedding day experience. Clients adore her sweet disposition and her desire to make their wedding a memory they will never forget.

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Prep & Practice Makes Perfect!

Here are your final tips from Martha Stewart Weddings on on giving a tip, top, toast!

Do your homework

The best toasts that seem natural and unrehearsed, take preparation!

Star with an outline

• Create categories of topics you want to cover

Recall and reflect

• Spend some time really thinking about your relationship

Seek outside inspiration

• Consult a collection of quotes or poems

Practice, Practice!

...have a draft completed a few weeks before the wedding to ensure you have time to do some dry runs.

Keep it short

• no more than a few minutes
• time yourself
• rewrite parts you find yourself stumbling over
• record yourself, or rehearse before an impartial party - ask for feedback!

Include stage directions

• get a sense of where natural breaks occur - write "Pause" as a reminder

Bring notes

• avoid the impulse to write everything down
• Even if you memorize your speech... you should still have something in front of you to fall back on

Make copies

• print a duplicate of your notes and give it to another guest in case you misplace your own!

Now you have all the tools to compose and deliver the perfect toast!

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Wedding Wednesday: Tip of the week... Toast Etiquette

This week's tips will help ease any apprehensions you might have over your speaking duties at your wedding!

Here's some helpful advice compliments of Martha Stewart Weddings... And in case you missed it, check out yesterday's post to find out who gives the toasts!

What's the order?

At formal weddings: designated speakers take the mike once the meal is concluded. If the wedding cake will be served as dessert, toasts can begin after it is cut.

The traditional order:

• the bride's father
• the groom
• and the best man.

A more contemporary variation:

• the bride's father and mother
• the groom and bride
• the best man
• and the maid of honour.

At less formal weddings:

Toasting may begin once everyone has been seated and served drinks.

• Best man would begin
• followed by the maid of honour
• fathers or parents of the newlyweds may also take a turn
• as well as the bride and groom

Check back tomorrow for your last tips on toastings... Cheers!

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Who Raises the Bubbly?

One of the tasks you have to tick-off your wedding to-dos is assigning who will give the toasts. Today, the gesture can be performed by men and women alike!

Here's some helpful advice compliments of Martha Stewart Weddings...

The bride's father and mother

As the traditional host, the father of the bride reserves the right to kick things off. He can speak on behalf of himself and his wife, or together with his wife... topics often include: the first public congratulations to the newlyweds, welcome and thanks tot he wedding party and guests, and a reference to the union of the two families.

The groom and bride

You can your groom may toast independently, or you may wish to speak together as newly minted newlyweds. You may alternate topics - for example, he thanks the guests while you thank the wedding parties.

The best man

His main goal is to honour the couple together by reminiscing about his friendship witht he groom, recalling the first time he met the bride, or giving his impression of the impact she's had on his friend.

The maid of honour

She can be included in order to offer an additional point of view on the couple.

The groom's parents

Traditionally, these two are not expected to toast at the reception, but they may wish to do so, especially if they didn't get a chance to chime in at the rehearsal dinner.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for more helpful advice on mastering the art of toasts!

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How to Deliver a Great Toast...

Public speaking is said to be the greatest fear a person can have. Dry mouth, sweaty palms, jittery hands, all are common symptoms of speaking in public.

If you are giving a speech at a wedding or your own wedding and are already anxious about taking the mic, check out these tips from Martha Stewart Weddings to say your piece with grace:

• Eat Something beforehand. You'll need your energy, and you won't be distracted by a grumbling belly.
• Find a friendly face or two. Making eye contact with a few of the people you know in the room will make you feel more comfortable.
• Be sure you have a drink (alcohol or not) in your hand or at least in your vicinity for when you are finished speaking. That said, don't have too much to drink prior. :)
• Start with a smile. It will put everyone at ease and help you relax.
• Speak up, slow down. Take your time so people can understand you and let it all sink in.
• Avoid shuffling your feet, playing with your hair, or fidgeting.
• Try not to use clumsy filled like "you know" and "um"
• Keep calm. If you find yourself getting a little chocked up, take a couple of breaths or sips of water to pull yourself together before carrying on. Similarly, if you make a mistake or lose your place, just correct yourself, and continue.
• Go out with a band. While anecdotes are great for garnering a few chuckles, they don't effectively wrap up a toast; end on an energetic upswing. When you are done, transition by saying something like, "May I ask you to stand and join me in toasting..."you could also end by saying "To..." and extending your glass in the direction of the honorees. Cheers!

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