Speech by Alexander Harrison

Speech Type: Best man
Speech Creator: Alexander Harrison
Speech Date: Jul 2001
Good evening. For those of you I haven't had the pleasure of meeting, I'm
Alex, Zach's brother. Let me start off by thanking all of our friends who
have traveled far and near to be with us today for this joyous occasion.
(quote) "Friends and family are the most important ingredient in this recipe of life."

Now, before I officially begin my speech, I'm going to need a little
audience participation.

Can everyone here help me with that? (wait for response)

Sorry didn't hear you, a little bit louder please..… (wait for audience
response).

Good. First, I'm going to need everyone to shift up to the edge of your seat please?

Excellent. Next, I need the left side shout a big "Ooooo". I think you can
do a little better than that. Again please.

Great. Now I need the right side, nice and loud please, say "Ahhhh".

Absolutely great… I promised Zach and Heather I'd give a speech that would have everyone oohing and ahhing on the edge of their seats and thanks to your help, it looks like I've already succeeded.

Well, I am honored to be here today as Zach's best man, although clearly the best man in this room today is Zach. As I sat down to prepare this speech a few weeks ago, and reflect upon my life with Zach, I remembered our days past. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

The good: playing "king of the hill" on the dunes of Amagassett every summer when we were young.

The bad: a fight when I was 4 and my brother 9 culminating in my "mature" decision to cut up all of Zach's best baseball cards (sorry about that one, Zach).

The ugly: One night I slept soundly on the bottom bunk of my brother's bunk bed. My brother, sleeping above and sick with the flu, vomited directly onto my head below in the middle of the night (appreciated that one, Zach).

The truth is, my brother has and always will be the prototypical big
brother. All through my life he has blazed trails for me. In school, I would always be greeted by new teachers with the comment, "sure you brother was my student, he's a great guy", or "I hope your as well mannered as your brother" or "I hope your handwriting isn't as crappy as your brother's?" But in all seriousness, following in someone's footsteps is never easy, but the paths that my brother paved for me, made it easy.

And to Heather and the Dxxxxx family…you have always welcomed me into your home with a warm smile time and time again, whether its singing Christmas carols on Christmas eve or just a random Saturday night, the kindness and friendship you exhibit is always special. I am truly honored to now be a part of your family.

For those of you who don't know the story of my brother and Heather's
relationship, I really consider it like a fairy-tale. Almost like a typical
Boy meets girl story. Boy meets girl. Girl likes boy. Boy and Girl become
high school sweethearts. Boy and Girl go off to college together. Boy goes
to Philadelphia for graduate school. Girl is unhappy, but Boy visits often.
Boy comes back to New York. Girl becomes television anchor at local
television news station. Boy goes to law school. Boy spends next 3 years in
library but spends any free time with Girl. Boy graduates and Boy and Girl
move in together in New York City. Grandma is worried about girl living in
New York City. Boy finally proposes to girl. Boy and Girl live happily ever
after.

Actually, it all began almost 11 years ago, one romantic evening…at a High School party…in Jenny Mxxxx's basement. (I think Jenny is here, Let's give her a hand) As Heather and Zach sat quietly beside a warm keg of Milwaukee's Best, a stereo blasting Vanilla Ice's "Ice, Ice, Baby" set the mood. Small talk about high school classes diverged into a discussion about potential college destinations. My brother's choices were Penn St. or Penn St. while Heather was still undecided but was interested in Syracuse, Delaware, and Penn St.. My brother told her he always thought of her as an "Ivy Leaguer"…but seizing the opportunity, my brother told her that she must meet potentially the biggest Penn St. fan on the eastern seaboard, our Dad.

From then on the rest is history. From their first date to Penn St. and
more, these two high school sweethearts have been side by side in all that
they do. Pushing one another to succeed, being there for each other if they
fail, and completing one another along their journey together. Somewhere
along the line, Heather even managed to make my brother into a snazzy
dresser. And while everything hasn't always been perfect along the way, I
think their dedication and love for one another over the years has been
truly inspiring.

So finally, my toast to Zach and Heather. Will everyone please raise their
glass in honor of Zach and Heather. (pause for time)…

To Zach and Heather: speaking for all your friends and family gathered here
today I'd like to wish you both a long, happy and healthy life together and
many more great chapters in your fairy-tale.