Speech by Alan Lovell

Speech Type: Father of the bride/groom
Speech Creator: Alan Lovell
Speech Date: sep02
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, FAMILY AND FRIENDS, GOOD AFTERNOON.
FOR THOSE THAT DO NOT KNOW ME I HAVE THE PROUD DISTINCTION OF BEING DEBBIES FATHER,
IT ONLY SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS WATCHING DEBBIE BEING BORN, AND HERE I AM GIVING THE FATHER OF THE BRIDE SPEECH.
IT'S TIMES LIKE THIS THAT YOU BEGIN TO WONDER WHERE ALL THE TIME HAS GONE.
IN FACT, I THINK THE LAST SPEECH I MADE IN PUBLIC TO A LARGE AUDIENCE WAS AT MY OWN WEDDING. NOW HOW LONG AGO WAS THAT?
PERHAPS WE WONT GO INTO THAT TOO FAR;
WE ARE SO PLEASED TO WELCOME YOU ALL HERE TODAY AND WE FEEL SURE THAT NONE OF YOU WILL EVER FORGET WHAT A PERFECT COUPLE DEBBIE AND JASON MADE AS THEY STOOD SIDE BY SIDE MAKING THEIR VOWS.
WELL, TO ALL OUR GUESTS WE SAY, “THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE”. CAROLINE AND I ARE DELIGHTED TO SHARE THIS DAY WITH SO MANY DEAR FRIENDS AND RELATIONS FROM BOTH FAMILIES.
PARTICULARLY I MUST MENTION JASON'S PARENTS PAM & DON, ALSO DEBBIES GRANDMOTHER JOYCE, NOT FORGETTING THOSE WHO HAVE TRAVELLED A VERY LONG WAY TO BE HERE TODAY.
WE MUST ALSO SPARE A THOUGHT ON THIS SPECIAL DAY FOR DEBBIES GRANDFATHER.
WE ARE ALL VERY SAD THAT BRIAN IS NOT HERE WITH US THIS AFTERNOON TO SEE THE FIRST OF HIS GRANDCHILDREN GETTING MARRIED – WE ALL DO MISS HIM, BUT I AM SURE HE IS “WATCHING DOWN ON US AND IS VERY PROUD AND HAPPY FOR DEBBIE TODAY”

WHEN DEBBIE AND JASON STOOD TOGETHER EARLIER AND SHE SPOKE THOSE MAGIC WORDS “I DO”,
I HAD CAUSE TO REFLECT THAT IT WAS ONE OF THE FEW TIMES IN HER LIFE THAT SHE'S AGREED TO DO SOMETHING WITHOUT QUESTION.
DON'T GET ME WRONG, DEBBIE WAS A WONDERFUL AND OBEDIENT CHILD – IF WITH A BIT OF PROMPTING.
ACTUALLY DEBBIE HAS A LONG LIST OF QUALITIES –
BUT I CAN'T QUITE DECIPHER HER HANDWRITING AT THIS TIME.
SERIOUSLY THOUGH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW DEBBIE VERY WELL, I CAN TELL YOU THAT SHE IS A DAUGHTER TO BE MORE THAN PROUD OF.
YES, I KNOW FATHERS ARE BIASED!
YES I KNOW SHE COULD NEVER DO ANYTHING WRONG IN MY EYES.
AND SHE DOES HAVE A MIND OF HER OWN,
AS I DARE SAY JASON HAS DISCOVERED BY NOW.
DEBBIE HAS HOWEVER ALWAYS BROUGHT BRIGHTNESS INTO OUR LIVES AND I AM SURE THIS WILL CONTINUE INTO JASON'S. THEY TOGETHER HAVE PROVIDED US WITH TWO BEAUTIFUL GRANDAUGHTERS OF WHICH I KNOW THEY CAN BE JUST AS PROUD.
WE ALL KNOW THAT JASON IS A KEEN FOOTBALL FAN, AND IS A LIVERPOOL SUPPORTER.
I HAVE TO SAY THAT SOMEHOW, I HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO QUITE SEE THE CONNECTION.
I DO HOWEVER HAVE TO CONGRATULATE JASON ON HIS PERCEPTION IN CHOSING DEBBIE.
DURING THE MANY YEARS THAT WE HAVE KNOWN JASON WE HAVE COME TO REALISE HOW SPECIAL HE IS TO DEBBIE AND ANYONE CAN SEE THAT THEY ARE MADE FOR EACH OTHER.
WE ARE VERY HAPPY ABOUT THE NEW ADDITION TO OUR FAMILY, ALTHOUGH IT HAS TO BE SAID HE HAS BEEN A REGULAR AT OUR HOUSE FOR THE LAST 7 YEARS OR MORE.
WE HAVE GAINED A SON IN JASON. AND I WOULD LIKE TO FORMALLY WELCOME YOU INTO THE FAMILY AND WISH GOOD LUCK TO YOU BOTH.
DEBBIE AND JASON ARE OBVIOUSLY WELL MATCHED. AND WE KNOW THEY WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE EACH OTHER VERY HAPPY IN THE YEARS AHEAD.
BUT MARRIAGE ISN'T EASY.
MANY OF US KNOW THAT EVERYONE FACES UPS AND DOWNS IN A LIFE OF COMMITMENT.
THERE IS NO SECRET TO A HAPPY MARRIAGE.
YOU WILL HAVE TO WORK AT IT LIKE THE REST OF US.
IN 27 YEARS OF MARRIAGE TO ONE OF THE LOVELIEST WOMEN I'VE EVER HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE TO BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND, IV'E LEARNED A FEW THINGS…
ONE IS THERE IS NO CHALLENGE IN A MARRIAGE THAT CANNOT BE OVERCOME WITH THE FOLLOWING THREE WORD SENTENCES:
I WAS WRONG
YOU WERE RIGHT
AND..… I LOVE YOU.
ON THE SUBJECT OF ADVICE…IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT MARRIAGE IS A 50/50 PARTNERSHIP…
I DON'T KNOW WHO MADE THIS STATEMENT BUT WHOEVER IT WAS, THEY KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT MARRIAGE AND EVEN LESS ABOUT WOMEN.
IT IS HOWEVER A VERY GOOD STARTING POINT AND I WOULD LIKE YOU BOTH TO REMEMBER THAT.
MY ADVICE TO YOU BOTH, IS ALWAYS SAY YES AND YOU WILL NOT GO FAR WRONG.
PEOPLE ALWAYS SAY AT WEDDINGS SOMETHING LIKE, “I HOPE THEIR MARRIED LIFE WILL BE AS HAPPY AS MY OWN”.
BUT I WILL ADD TO THAT.
I'LL SAY, I HOPE YOUR MARRIED LIFE WILL BE AS HAPPY AS MY WIFE HAS MADE MY OWN. FOR IT'S A GOOD WIFE THAT MAKES A GOOD MARRIAGE – AND THAT'S JUST WHAT JASON HAS MANAGED TO FIND.
I'M SURE YOU HAVE ALL HEARD ENOUGH FROM ME, AND I KNOW JASON IS KEAN TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
BUT FIRST I'D LIKE NOW TO PROPOSE A TOAST TO THE BRIDE AND GROOM, SO IF EVERYONE WOULD BE UPSTANDING AND RAISE THEIR GLASSES PLEASE:

WHEN CHILDREN FIND TRUE LOVE,
PARENTS FIND TRUE JOY.
DEBBIE AND JASON,
HERE'S TO YOUR LOVE AND OUR JOY,
FROM THIS DAY FORWARD.
DEBBIE AND JASON.