Dad Apologizes for not Being Part of the Brides Life
Weddings are thought of as a festive moment in a bride and grooms life. Little girls dream of their wedding at an early age by playing dress up and pretending their marrying their prince charming. So, when it comes to their wedding day, they want everything to go as smooth as possible, with all of the decorations in place and perfect. The guests to enjoy the day and remember the events. Their close friends and family by their side, wishing them well and being supportive. However, there are those moments when not everything goes according to plan. One of the most unpredictable things at a wedding are the people themselves.
It was a small wedding in Santa Ana, California (Orange County). I was the wedding photographer and had just arrived at the reception. The guests where all seated at the their tables, the wedding party just made their grand entrance and the estranged father of the bride was returning with a drink from the bar. I could tell he had a few drinks as he swagged back toward the reception room. He entered the room, the DJ was announcing that the father of the bride was about to give a toast; you could see both the surprise and terror in the fathers eyes.
Looking at the mother of the bride, you could also see a bit of concern as the father began to slur his words during the opening of his speech. For the most part, the speech was unintelligible. However, the bulk of the fathers speech was his sorrow for not being part of his daughters life as she grew up. How a terrible father he was. What a lousy husband he had been and how he was sorry for not being a better husband. His rant went on for nearly 20 minutes. It would have probably gone on longer if it where not for he sister of the bride who went up to him and politely removed the microphone from the father. Needless to say, the bride was left upset and crying, the mother was angry, and the guests where feeling a bit awkward and uncomfortable about the speech.
A wedding speech is suppose to be uplifting and positive. It’s should highlight the good parts about the bride and groom and their future. Using a wedding as a platform to air out your dirty laundry or apologize for shortcomings is perhaps not a good idea. If you feel you need to do so, do it in private, before the wedding.
One Response to “Dad Apologizes for not Being Part of the Brides Life”
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Very sad. I attended a wedding once where a guest got up and pronounced his love for the bride. That was sad too. What’s with people and weddings? Good story though.