When it comes to your wedding day it's important to remember what a big moment this is for your dad, the Father of the Bride. He's 'giving away' his little girl and this can be quite an emotional and thought-provoking time.
A lovely way to make sure he knows he will always be one of the most important men in your life is to give your dad a Father of the Bride gift that acts as a memento of your wedding day.
If you decide to give your dad a gift on your wedding day something personal that can be treasured as a keepsake is one of the best things you can give the Father of the Bride.
Struggling to find the right gift? We're here to help. Not only can we suggest a few great gifts for your dad but we'll also recommend times and places that you might want to give him his Father of the Bride gift as we guess that you hadn't even considered the logistics at this point?
During your non-wedding breakfast
A really important part of any bride's day, whether she realises it or not, is having breakfast. It's not important in the same emotional way as the dress and saying your vows, but breakfast is the first step to making sure you're not a hangry (hungry+angry) stress-ball on your wedding day.
With this in mind most brides are choosing to have breakfast with their bridal party and this 
includes her parents – the Mother and Father of the Bride. These breakfasts can take place in a local cafe, at home with a cooked breakfast or by someone popping out for a fast-food delivery – did anyone say McMuffin?
This breakfast set-up gives you a great chance for you to give your dad a gift that might be a little large for easy transportation or that he wouldn’t want to take down the aisle.
A moment like this is the perfect time to give your dad something like a crystal decanter, that can be personalised with any message, as this is the sort of gift that he will not be able to use at the wedding but if you fill with his favourite tipple might give him a little – and we do mean a little – Dutch courage he'll appreciate!
Just before you leave for the wedding ceremony
If you are not getting ready at your parent's house the morning of the wedding then your dad will probably come to wherever you are as it's traditional for the Bride and Father of the Bride to travel to the ceremony together.
This presents another opportunity for you to give your dad a thank you gift that may be a little large for him to carry while you walk down the aisle. At this point of the day any gift given can be kept safely at the location you are leaving and gives you a lovely father-daughter moment before the events of your wedding day really begin.
A present such as an engraved tankard is a thoughtful Father of the Bride gift that can be given at this time as it will act as memento of your wedding day that can be kept and used long-after the big day is over.
In the car on the way to the wedding ceremony
If you are riding with your dad to the wedding then this could be another occasion that you can make into a special father-daughter moment.
Giving him your present at this point can be a thoughtful way to create a touching memory of the day and to display that, while you are thinking about every possible outcome of the day, you are also thinking about your dad and how important he is to you.
However, if you are giving him a present in the car, make sure that this gift is something that he can wear, like our personalised cufflinks or bracelets, or it is something that will easily fit inside his pocket like one of our engraved pocket watches.
The last thing that the Father of the Bride will want is to pass off the gift to someone else before he walks down the aisle. The idea of giving your dad the gift at this point in the day is to give the two of you a special moment together where no one else is around.
During the wedding speeches
Another great moment to give your dad a Father of the Bride gift is during the speeches at the wedding reception.
This is probably the most traditional timing for gifts to be given as the groom will thank the wedding party during his speech and then gifts will be presented.
At this point either the bride can walk around and give the gift herself or it can already be wrapped and waiting at the table so that the Father of the Bride can simply reach and open it when asked to.
This way of giving gifts is admittedly less intimate than some of the other options, however, this will be a perfect way to say thank you for a bride that loves tradition, or one who is uncomfortable with emotional moments.
If your dad is staying in the venue that your reception is hosted, it will also present a useful opportunity for giving larger gifts, such as a personalised bottle of whisky, as he can pop it up to his room once the speeches have taken place.
Just before the evening reception
If you want to give your dad his gift on your wedding day but don't think you'll have time/the composure before the wedding, and you want to have an intimate moment with him, then plan to give your gifts half an hour before the evening reception starts.
This timing will mean that the speeches are over, you'll have a bit of a lull before you have to start
greeting the evening guests, and presents the perfect opportunity to take your dad to the side and have a quiet-ish moment with him.
This gives you the chance to say thank you for not only everything he has done in the run-up to the wedding but everything he has done on the day – whether it was corralling the photographer, helping Aunt Edna find her purse or making sure that the reception runs smoothly.
By giving your gift just before the evening reception your dad will also not need to carry it around all day and can hopefully pop it into his room to keep it safe or will only need to find a safe place for the few hours towards the end of the night.
Whenever you think is the best time to give your dad a Father of the Bride gift just remember that your gift needs to show him that you appreciate and have thought of him.
That may sound obvious, but it's the perfect opportunity to show him how much he means to you so we think that you should keep your budget in mind, but also find something that he will cherish from his little girl.
If you think that sounds like a tall order then we'd recommend you look at our Father of the Bride Gifts section as our gifts take into account budgets big and small, but also focus on thoughtful and unique gifts that will make your dad go 'wow'.
