Speech by Paul Power

Speech Type: Best man
Speech Creator: Paul Power
Speech Date: sep2002

Ladies and Gentlemen please be upstanding for the bride and groom.

We have decided to change the format slightly today in that we are going to say a few words before the meal. This should allow Fintan and I to enjoy our food a bit more.

I would like to start off by calling on Janet's father XXX to say a few words.

I would now like to call on Fintan who wants to thank a few people.

Thanks Fintan.

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen – hope your enjoying the day so far – I should start enjoying the day in about 30 seconds time when I finished this little task.

For those who of you don't know me I'm paul, also known as pouchie, or as fintans little brother patrick started calling me last week – fat git – I've asked Steve to have a few words with him later.

I'd like to re-iterate what Fintan has said about Andrea and of course Janet and I'm sure you will all agree that she looks fantastic on this her special day.

When I started thinking or fretting about this arduous task, luckily enough somebody told me the best way to approach it. They said I should think of it as a mini-skirt – short enough to keep everyone interested and long enough to cover the bare essentials.

So here goes.

Let me firstly explain about how I came to be best man.

We were at one of Janet's dinner parties, sinead & myself and the happy couple and had just finished the main course when janet popped up with
“Go on ask him?”

Fintan promptly replied “What are you talking about”.

So Janet nudged him again and at this point Sinead was kicking me under the table knowing what was coming next. All I could think was “Shite I'm going to have to give a bloody speech.”

So again Janet prompted and still no sign of fintan giving in.

Fintan, I found out afterwards was waiting to ask me to be best man on night out with the lads. But Janet wasn't letting him away that so she eventually gave up on him and asked me. With only the thoughts of the speech in my mind I tried to think of a good excuse but could only come out with “Yes I'd love to”.

Since then I've thought of a hundred excuses which would have got me out of this but all too late.

This probably shows the quiet side of Fintan , laid back, who doesn't like any fuss or formalities. But there is also a quiet mischevious side to him.

Recently himself and Janet were in bed and Fintan heard a noise downstairs. He got up and ran down. Janet heard a lot of commotion and pictures falling off the wall and the like and was beside herself with worry. She sneaked out of her room and down the stairs and saw fintan lying flat out on the floor. At this point she became hysterical and started screaming so Fintan started rolling around the floor with laughter.

What had happened was that he pretended he heard a noise downstairs ran down and started to making noise and shouting. When he heard janet coming down he jumped on the ground and started moaning.

Needless to say it took janet a while to see the funny side of this.

At this point I'd like to congratulate the happy couple and say how happy I am they eventually got back together despite being apart for a short time. Janet always said they'd get back together and as Fintan will testify Janet is always right.

On behalf of the bride and groom, I'd like to thank everyone here for sharing their special day, particularly those who have travelled long distances and I'd like to personally thank Janet and Fintan for choosing me as best man today it has been a great pleasure and honour.

It gives me immense pleasure to invite you all to stand and raise your glasses in a toast to the New Mr & Mrs Boylan.
To the Bride and Groom