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Wedding Etiquette Questions Wedding Speeches and Toasts

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Speech For A Second Wedding When Father Has Died

Deceased Parents? Second Marriage? Wedding speech tips

Hi.. Our dad died a few years ago, so I’ve been asked if I will give my sister away at her second wedding. Any tips on what I can say ?

Thanks,
Alun

Donna, Wedding Queen

What an honor this must be for you, Alun.

Where will you be using this speech; during the ceremony or reception?

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Reader Response

at the reception…

A friend in work suggested a reading rather than a formal speech… which might work.

The thing is, I don’t think it’s appropriate to `welcome` the groom into the family really, so don’t konw how to deal with that bit, and what about the grooms family ?

Maybe I should let the groom dad say something, its a break from the norm, but they have both been married before so its not a normal wedding anyway !

Donna, Wedding Queen

If your sister has honored you with the task of “standing in” for your dad I would think it would be appropriate for you to welcome the groom into the family, unless there is some reason you haven’t menetioned here that would keep you from doing this.

Perhaps this page will give you some help:

5-Minute Crash Course in Writing Wedding Toasts and Wedding Speeches Including a Free Best man Wedding Speech!

If the groom’s dad wants to make a toast he can; leave this up to him. This shouldn’t affect your toast at all.

Yes, it’s true that they have both been married before, but, they haven’t been married to each other, so just speak from the heart and you should be fine.

Rick Pieczonka – Instant Wedding Toasts

Hi Alun,

It might seem a bit awkward to stand in for someone who is no longer with you, but believe it or not, this is a common thing to ask of a brother, especially when a sister looks up to her brother, has a strong bond with him, and admires him.

And now this is your opportunity to say wonderful things about your sister that you might not normally get a chance to say to her.

Tip for your speech: Don’t view this as a “Father of the Bride” speech. It’s a “Brother of the Bride” speech; where you might mention that you were happy to walk your sister down the aisle, even though you feel you make a poor stand in for your father who is deeply missed.

As for welcoming the groom to the family – that can be worded differently than “welcome to the family” (and it should be reworded if it makes you uncomfortable). As the bride’s brother, you might say:

“Groom, you bring a smile to my sister’s face. She’s happier than she’s ever been, and I’m glad to see you be a part of her life, and a part of our family.”

“Groom, I know you will make my sister happy, and that makes the entire family happy.”

“Groom, I’m glad to have you as my new brother-in-law”

And the last tip: keep your speech as short as you want. Just make sure to have an introduction, say something nice about your sister, something nice about the groom, and some kind of “welcome” to the groom with a heartfelt “congratulations!” at the end.

Rick