The Father of the Groom will be just as excited, just as emotional and can be just as involved as anybody else when it comes to the wedding. This article takes a closer look at the role of the Father of the Groom in the proceedings and highlights tradtional and potential duties that might fall his way.
The Role of the Father of the Groom
Traditionally, the involvement of the Father of the Groom in a wedding would have been much more low key than it is today. But, with the costs of weddings soaring and with so much to plan, dads up and down the country are being asked to roll their sleeves up and get stuck in right from the outset.
The overall role of the Father of the Groom in proceedings will solely depend upon the wishes of the Bride and Groom - and we can't stress the word solely enough. If they ask for help, then the Father of the Groom should be on hand to give it. If they ask to be left alone to plan their own big day then the Father of the Groom should back away and give them space.
However, regardless of which approach the Bride and Groom take, there will be a number of traditional duties that dad's must perform, alongside a set of optional ones that may also be passed their way.
Traditional Father of the Groom Duties
Let’s first of all take a look at the three duties that traditionally will be passed onto the Father of the Groom:
Along with the Mother of the Groom, the Father of the Groom will be expected to liaise with the Bride and Groom to see how they wish to go about funding the wedding and offering to pay for certain items along the way. For a heads up on what costs may be passed onto the Groom's family, be sure to check out our 'Who Pays for What?' article.
Standing in the receiving line to greet the guests.
As part of the ‘first dance’, dancing with the Mother of the Groom when invited onto the floor.
Optional Father of the Groom Duties
As well as the ‘official’ duties, there is scope for involvement elsewhere prior and during the day dependent upon the wishes of the Bride and Groom. Potential tasks which may be passed across to the Father of the Groom include:
Acting as a source of general advice.
Providing assistance when tracking down the perfect wedding venue as well as help in searching out other product and service suppliers when asked.
Helping to organise the guest list by suggesting names (and addresses) from the Groom’s side of the family and passing these onto the Bride & Groom or Mother of the Bride for final decisions.
Keeping track of any responses to the invitations that come your way and informing the Bride and Groom as soon as they arrive.
Potentially making a Father of the Groom speech.
Working alongside the Mother of the Groom and Bride's parents to make sure that everything goes as it should do on the day.
Looking after your son and lending a caring ear when needed.
