Father of the Bride Speech

Good evening everyone, for those who you who do not know me My name is Anthony.

And as most of you know, I have the honor of being Alina’s father, though some may call me her stepfather.

But from the very moment she came into my life, I never saw her as a stepdaughter—I saw her as my very own.

And I know that she sees me in the same way and it’s one of the greatest privileges of my life to be the only father she’s ever known.

But I’ll be honest, in the beginning, it wasn’t easy.

Alina didn’t know the Lord, and she had many habits I didn’t agree with. And there’s one thing that always stood out—Alina absolutely loved animals!

I, on the other hand, am not an animal person at all.

Now, I know some of you here are big animal lovers, but I don’t struggle with that sin.

I remember once, early on, I walked into the house and found Alina playing with a dog we used to have.

Who Rest In Peace is dead now and is not in heaven because animals do NOT have souls. But that’s neither here nor there.

So I walk into the house and I found Alina not only playing with the dog, but she was also allowing the dog to lick her face.

and jump all of her: It killed me inside. And I was just standing there thinking, “Lord, what are You doing to me?”

I even remember once praying, “God, I didn’t sign up for this!” But despite my best efforts, the dog stayed, and I learned to smile through it. Even through the death.

But seriously, I remember those early days, trying to navigate how I could possibly raise this little girl.

I was overwhelmed. And so, I brought my dilemma before God. I remember praying, “God, how can I possibly be her father? I don’t know how to do this—I can’t do this.”

And God, in His perfect wisdom, gently responded to me: “Then let Me raise her. Let Me be her Father. Let Me do it.”

That was a turning point for me. I realized that I couldn’t do it on my own.

I needed God—His guidance, His strength, and His grace—to raise this precious little girl.

And over the years, God has shown me so much through Alina.

I had to grow up fast. While all my friends were living life at their own pace, I was learning to be a father overnight to a girl who didn’t yet know Jesus.

I wasn’t perfect, but I knew my purpose: I was to introduce her to the Lord.

And God did His work. I’ll never forget one Father’s Day when Alina gave me a card.

In that card, she thanked me—not just for being her dad, but for bringing her to the Lord.

And In that moment, I knew God’s hand had been on our journey together all along.

Through Alina, God taught me about grace, about restoration, and about redemption.

As I stand here today, looking back over all the years, I see God’s providence. I see His wisdom.

Today, I am in awe of the woman Alina has become. A woman who seeks the Lord, who worships Him with her whole heart, and who serves Him faithfully.

The Bible says in 3 John 1:4, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”

And I can honestly say, as I stand before you all today, I am filled with joy, because Alina is walking in the truth of the Lord.

Today, she glorifies God, not only through her worship but also through this holy matrimony.

Because at the end of the day, that’s what marriage is all about—it is to glorify the God of the Bible.

So, Alina and Eugene, listen closely to this advice: Glorify God.

Use this marriage to glorify Jesus. Use this marriage to point others to Him.

Because Marriage isn’t about you anymore; it’s about the other person.

It’s about laying down your own desires and putting the other person first.

But you can only do that if you put God first. When you do that, you’ll naturally glorify the Lord in your marriage.

And now, as Alina’s father, I’d like to pronounce a blessing over Eugene and Alina and the marriage:

May your life be filled with happiness, love, and endless blessings in the Lord.

May God guide you, strengthen you, and keep you in His grace, always pointing you back to Him and to each other.

Let’s raise our glasses to Eugene and Alina—to a marriage that glorifies God.

ENDING….