(Aisle Say by Candice}: The Father-of-the-bride

From Daddy’s girl to blushing Bride…It can be a mildly traumatic time for your Dad who has to accept the realisation that he has lost his little girl to the man of her dreams. Your trusted Father (aka: ‘The Wedding Fund’) has some important tasks to fulfil on your special day besides the financial contribution that will make your wedding day possible.

Dad’s Role in Pre-Wedding Planning
The Budget: While every father wants to give his daughter the wedding of her dreams, realistically, he has to keep a watchful eye on the unfolding plans. A Dad needs to be upfront with his daughter about what he is able to afford, being flexible and making compromises will help both sides of the equation.

The Support: Dads tend to just go with the flow and stay calm. Mostly, they can be relied on for objective and reassuring advice amongst all the chaos and stress that clouds the planning process. Dads should also be aware that their patience will be tested as they will have the tricky task of keeping the Mother-of-the-bride happy and de-stressed.

At the Wedding Reception:
The Speech: This tends to be the highlight or dreaded nightmare of a father's involvement in the wedding. A Dad should prepare his speech in advance and practice many times so that memory will override nerves on the big day. He should be complimentary in his speech, make good eye contact whilst saying it, add a little humour and share good wishes on the bridal couple.

The Dance: Dads and daughters should spend some time together in choosing a special and memorable song that captures and symbolises their relationship. Songs should be kept short, a 6 minute ballade can make everyone bored and restless.

Following the wedding, your Dad now has to embrace his new role as Father-in-law. However, don’t expect your Dad and husband to start calling each other by anything but their first names (I think it’s written in the ‘guy code’ somewhere). That aside, as the beautiful bride, you now have 2 special men in your life that want to cherish and protect you!

Tip for the Bride-to-be: Once you are married and living your own life, make a promise to yourself and your Dad that you will always find time to have some one-on-one quality time together. After all, a Dad’s love is one-of-kind and irreplaceable.

Photo credits: {barbaraweddings.wordpress.com}

Contact Candice* at Live Love Dream and invest in a Pre-Marriage Course to ensure your Happily Ever After...

*With a Degree in Psychological Counselling, Candice Luck of Live Love Dream specialises in presenting fun, modern Pre-Marriage courses, that assists couples in building a marriage based on communication, transparency and connection.