Article supplied by Guest Blogger, Becky Hayes 

Traditionally the Father of the Bride is the paternal gentleman who has raised his little girl and watched her blossom into a beautiful young woman, ready to make her own way in the world with the new man in her life.

For many fathers, this is an emotional time when they have to face letting their little girl go for good and hand over her care to her chosen fiance, but he needs to remember that his role and responsibilities run much deeper than just writing an endless stream of cheques. Prior to the wedding, the father of the bride should spend some time with his daughter and future son in law to discuss their wishes for the wedding and to work out how each part will be funded. In some cases this will mean keeping the happy couple in check and on track for an agreed budget, or offering to pay for certain things the couple would like included.

On the big day itself, the father of the bride traditionally collects the bride from her overnight accommodation in the wedding car and travels to the venue with her. In the best wedding day tradition he walks the bride up the aisle to `give her away` to her new husband to be.
Following the ceremony and photographs, the father of the bride usually travels with the bride`s mother to the reception venue. As the guests arrive for the sit down meal or buffet the father of the bride will stand alongside the Bride in the receiving line to welcome the guests and thank them for coming. One of the most nerve wracking moments for any father of the bride will be making the first speech of the evening. Whilst parts of the speech should be kept light hearted and fun this is also the time for him to say all those things to his little girl which he has never found the time to before.

Some Dads will be well experienced in making presentations to large groups of people, but for those who are less comfortable with the experience there is no shame in taking cue cards or bullet points on a sheet of paper to keep on track and add confidence. After dinner the bride and groom will take to the floor for the first dance but shortly after the father and mother of the bride will be invited, along with the father and mother of the groom to take to the floor with the happy couple. Fathers with two left feet needn`t worry about this element, as by now the guests will be a few glasses of bubbly down and all eyes will be on the bride and groom anyhow. Later in the evening it is nice for the father of the bride to share a dance with his daughter, maybe to a meaningful song they have chosen together.

Aside of the formalities, the father of the bride can do a great deal to help in the run up to the wedding, whether it is phoning suppliers to haggle over quotes, filling favour boxes or ensuring the coffee machine lease hire company has the correct directions to the venue so the bride can relax and enjoy her special day.

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Article Supplied by Guest Blogger, Amy McFlowers

Role of the Best Man

Being asked to be best man at a wedding is a great honour and can be a lot of fun. Being best man means you have an important role to play at the wedding and some responsibilities which should be taken seriously.

First and foremost, the best man is there to act as a support for the groom in the run-up to his wedding day. The best man can expect to be called-upon at any time to lend a hand with the arrangements or simply provide a listening ear over a pint. The months leading up to a wedding can be a stressful time for both bride and groom - just being there for the groom is one of the most valuable things you can do.

In terms of specific duties, here are some of the most notable:

Stag Party

One of the most important (and most enjoyable) roles of the best man is organising a stag party for the groom and his friends. Some grooms have specific ideas of what they would like to do on their stag party, but very often the best man will keep the details secret from the groom. The best man will usually be responsible for inviting friends and family which the groom wants to attend and organising where and when to go.

Suit Hire

The best man is often responsible for collecting suits from the suit hire company for the groom`s wedding party. He will also be responsible for picking them up after the wedding and taking them back to wherever they were hired from, which can be a challenging task the day after a lively wedding party!

Wedding Day

When the day finally arrives, the best man plays an important role in ensuring everything goes smoothly. First and foremost, the best man is responsible for ensuring the groom arrives at his wedding on time and in good health. He is also responsible for looking after the wedding rings and presenting them to the groom at the appropriate time during the service. The best man stands next to the groom during the service to provide reassurance and support.

Best Man`s Speech

The best man`s speech is often hotly anticipated by wedding guests. The speech is expected to give wedding guests an insight into the groom, especially for friends and family of the bride who might not know the groom very well. Writing and delivering a best man`s speech can be a nerve-wracking experience. If you are not comfortable with speaking in public, the best advice is to keep the speech short. Try to inject some humour without being rude and bear in mind that close family members will be present.
 
Gifts

The best man is sometimes responsible for taking care of gifts that are brought to the new couple at the wedding reception. Keeping them safe is an important responsibility especially if the reception takes place at a busy hotel or public place. Nobody wants to get home to find that an expensive clock or digital photo frame has gone missing, so arranging a safe place to store gifts is always a good idea.

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The Beginning (Jo & Leigh)

As early dawns awaken souls,
Through mists of milky light,
The sunrise stretches out to touch,
A warming world from night.

Thoughts of Jo emerge afresh,
Help guide this mortal child,
Save one prayer, one more for Leigh,
And everyone that smiled.

Each smile from Jo, each touch, each kiss,
Each look, each light array,
With every road we travel down,
With every word we say.

For certainty, one thought stays true,
Forever now to be,
From this day on, remain as one,
Forever Jo and Leigh.

You can read more about Jo and Leigh and their bespoke poetry writing service at www.poemsforpresents.co.uk

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For Tina and Stuart

Through eyes so full of tears of joy,
We look upon a life,
A journey thanks to Sophie,
Who introduced a wife.

A first date full of nerves and fears,
Trepidation burning through,
Tina looked around the room,
For the first time seeing Stu.

The minutes turned to hours,
Day melted into night,
As Tina told her story,
Stuart sat polite.

Pure radiance surrounded,
Every word and every smile,
Tina looked at Stuart,
The world seemed so worthwhile.

On a moonlit night in Newquay,
Upon his bended knee,
Stuart posed the question,
Sweet Tina, marry me.

As hectic weeks and frantic months,
Grew into serenades,
With gorgeous little Scarlett,
And Sophie as bridesmaids.

Beneath a glorious Cornish sky,
The wedding day began,
Jack and Mike each held a ring,
Both being the bestman.

As Tom walked proudly down the aisle,
With Tina by his side,
A glow of warmth, a joie de vivre,
Enveloped this new bride.

Stuart stood resplendent,
So tall and dignified,
All declared as man and wife,
As each ring signified.

Now every speech and toast request,
Greeted from the heart,
Reinforced and strengthened,
This wonderful new start.

In Antipodean honeymoons,
Rejoicing dreams upon the shore,
Tina and then Stuart,
Swore their love forever more.

You can read more about Jo and Leigh and their bespoke poetry writing service at www.poemsforpresents.co.uk

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