If there is one person who deserves your thanks on your wedding day, it is your dad. Fathers are very special people. Not because he is footing the bill for the reception, nor is it because he’s giving you jewelry. You should thank him for all the years of memories and care he gave you.
Think about it. Thanks to him, you have a role model of what a good father is. It doesn’t mean your dad is a saint (yes, he’s human and has his faults) but you’ve seen how he makes mistakes and tries to make up for it because he loves you. You’ve watched him work hard, coming home very tired, yet he probably still took the time to listen to you talk about your adventures.
Your first bike ride was probably with your dad. I’ll bet he was the taste tester of all your cooking experiments growing up too. Remember how he encouraged you to go ahead and try for anything you wanted, whether it was the cheering team, president of the science club or student body president?
He’s the one who says you’re beautiful, because to him you always are…
He was your protector. He was there to pick you up after school and scare away the bullies. He kept a watchful eye on all your dates, keeping the frisky ones in check (until you were old enough to understand and make your own decision). Remember finding him asleep on the couch, all dressed up, just in case you needed a ride home? Or how proud he was the day you took and passed your own driving test?
Now, you are all grown up and about to get married and he is praying that he has equipped you well for married life and motherhood. His walk with you down the aisle is a very special moment for him. When he gives your hand to your groom, he is literally entrusting your well being to this new male in your life. Take the time to thank him for all he has done to get you to this moment. You owe him a lot and he loves you.
If you need a little inspiration, listen to the lyrics of the song Father of Girls by Perry Como. He explains the sentiments of a father perfectly. Be warned though; it might bring a tear to your eye 🙂
You’ll find a complete guide for your own Dad that explains everything he needs to say
and do on your wedding day in the Father Of The Bride section of my website…
Such a great blog entry. If you are lucky enough to have a father like this then yes make sure he knows about it on your wedding day, he’ll still be there no matter what and just think what a fabulous grandfather he will become too. It’s the start of a different kind of relationship with your dad, mark the occasion with him too!
Thanks Sara, I appreciate that. I’ve seen your site before actually – I remember looking at your mother and baby gallery and thinking how lovely your work is!
I didn’t get to dance with my dad at my high school graduation so it was really important to me to honor him with a father-daughter dance during our reception. It was one of the highlights of the day. I agree dads are the best and I am who I am because of him. xoxo Dad!
I just did another post with songs for weddings and the Nat and Natalie Cole one, Unforgettable, had me bubbling again. I’m such a softie! 🙂
Indeed, daddy shows a silent love that we always ignore that. We should cherish this love as much as possible.
I agree Effie 🙂
Your first bike ride was probably with your dad. I’ll bet he was the taste tester of all your cooking experiments growing up too. Remember how he encouraged you to go ahead and try for anything you wanted, whether it was the cheering team, president of the science club or student body president? This makes me miss my own daddy so much.
Yeah, me too Missy 🙂
Such a poignant post, this had me in tears, thank-you for writing this up, you are right it is so important not to forget the people that got you to where you are today. My dad died of cancer 5 months before I got married, I miss him everyday and regret not having told him enough how much he meant to me. As a child you always take your parents for granted until you lose one. I know he would have loved the wedding though and we played his favourite song as our first dance in tribute to him so I felt he was there with us anyway.
Really love this shot! So cute :O)
Thanks for sharing the article too, really enjoyed.
All the best for the Winter!
DSP
This post is impressive! I’m gonna put this in the bookmarks before I lose the link I don’t believe I’ll ever find my way back here again otherwise
Excellent article and easy to understand explanation. How do I go about getting permission to post part of the article in my upcoming news letter? Giving proper credit to you the author and link to the site would not be a problem.
Often forgotten in the background of a wedding so what a wonderful write-up just to remind us all that dad should not be underestimated 🙂