Speech by Andrew Tomlinson

Speech Type: Father of the bride/groom
Speech Creator: Andrew Tomlinson
Speech Date: 27/03/2014 09:15:49

Ladies and gentlemen.  Good afternoon.

Glenis and I would like to thank you all for coming today to help us celebrate the marriage of Emma and Daniel. It's good to see so many friends and family since most of you have travelled some distance to be here.

Today is not just a celebration of the love that's united Emma and Daniel in marriage.  It's also a celebration of the families that have created, moulded and influenced these two very special people. So Glenis and I would like to give a very big thank you to Gill and David and their family and to thank them for their support and assistance in making this day so enjoyable.

I would like us to take a brief moment to remember those loved ones who are no longer with us. They would be so proud and happy for Emma and Daniel today.

So, please raise your glasses to: “Absent family and friends.”

Thank you.

Emma and Daniel had very definite ideas on how they wanted their special day to be and I would like to thank them for their efforts in making today such a tremendous success.  At times, I think we all felt that we were auditioning for an episode of Blue Peter.  I'm sure that you'll all agree that the decorations in the church and here in the castle look fantastic.

Emma, it's been a great honour and a pleasure to walk you down the aisle.  It's one of my proudest moments and I'll cherish the memory forever.  I now officially forgive you for making me watch you do that Bungee Jump in Cambridge.

Fathers are naturally biased about their daughters but I'm sure you'll all agree that Emma looks absolutely stunning. 

Emma's a wonderful daughter; as my dear late grandmother would have said, “The Best int’ Shop.” She's given us so much joy and happiness over the years.  We've always been so proud of her.  I can't remember a school Speech Day when she didn't win a prize and Parent's Evenings were always a joy for us. We only ever received one complaint and that was about her handwriting.

I think that was when Glenis and I realised that she was destined to be a Doctor. Emma is a kind, caring, intelligent, independent and beautiful young woman. It's with great joy that we have watched her blossom into the wonderful person she is today.

She's always been competitive and determined. When her brother, Andrew, won a 50% scholarship to his school she asked, “Is 50% the highest you can get?” It was and she won a 50% scholarship as well.  Thank goodness!  Emma has always wanted the best – and now, in Daniel, she has.

Emma and Daniel were destined for each other.  She was born on Christmas Eve – Daniel the day before.  Emma was due to be born after Christmas but she was never going to miss out on a Christmas Day with presents.

They first met on 1st October, 2005 in North Court in Emmanuel College at Cambridge University.  Their rooms were opposite each other on the top floor.  So I suppose we should thank the Admissions Tutor at Emmanuel College for bringing them together. I don't know what it is about our children; they always seem to live on the top floor.  I think it's a secret plan to make sure that Glenis and I get plenty of exercise by carrying bags and boxes up several flights of stairs.

We welcome Daniel into our family. As a Chemist myself, it's nice to have someone else in the family who knows that Kreb's Cycle doesn't have wheels, that the Haber Process has nothing to do with boats and what to do with a Soxhlet Extractor.

Daniel has values very similar to Emma's. They both enjoy their chosen professions and work very hard at them.  They both respect, love and appreciate their families and that provides a firm basis for their future lives together.

Daniel, the fact you asked for our permission, BEFORE, proposing to Emma, showed us great respect and earned our appreciation.  For that I thank you.  Your parents are right to be proud of you. You are a credit to them. It was very difficult for Glenis and me to keep the secret until you did actually propose in Warwick Castle.  It's fitting that we now celebrate your wedding in this castle.

It is customary on these occasions to offer the happy couple some worldly advice on marriage. So I'll try and offer a few words of wisdom based on our own 35 years of marriage.

Success in marriage is not about finding a person that you can live with… It's about finding the person that you can't live without…

I wish you fun and excitement for today – fulfilment of your hopes and dreams for tomorrow – and love, happiness and gaming forever!

My greatest wish for the two of you is that your love for each other will so deepen and grow, that years from now; you'll look back on today as the time that you loved each other the least. Remember; you may marry the person you love but you must love the person you marry.

Emma, you've always been and always will be our Princess, now in this castle you've found your Prince.

Ladies and gentlemen; Please be upstanding.

The toast is: “The Bride & Groom.”