Speech by Andy Thompsett

Speech Type: Father of the bride/groom
Speech Creator: Andy Thompsett
Speech Date: 08/06/2012 22:29:14

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of my wife Maria and I, I would like to welcome you all and thank you for coming to this very special occasion to celebrate the marriage of our daughter Emily to Liam with us.

Sadly I am not a very practiced speaker – so please bear with me and I'll keep it short.

Today is, of course, a celebration, not just of the love that has united Emily and Liam in marriage, but also of the families that have created, moulded and influenced the lives of these two special people. So Maria and I would like to extend a very warm welcome to Sue and Neil and their family, and to relatives and friends of both families. Thank you all for joining us in celebrating this very special day. It is good to see so many friends and family here, some of whom have travelled many miles to be here today.

A big thank you also goes to Emily and Liam who had very definite ideas on how they wanted today to be. Through their thoughtful planning and tireless efforts they have made today a tremendous success for everyone.

Maria and I are very proud of Emily and pleased to see her looking so beautiful and happy today.

Over the years I've had the privilege of watching Emily blossom from a gorgeous baby daughter into the beautiful woman we see before us today.

Emily is a wonderful daughter; she has provided us with so much joy and happiness over the years.  We have always been proud of her, and in everything she does.

During the time we have known Liam we have come to realise how special he is to Emily and what a great son-in-law he will be.

I would like to take this opportunity to formally welcome Liam to our family.

Now Emily, this is the time that every bride fears…what is he going to talk about…is he going to tell about the time when…?!

I won't tell of any of those times, but I'm going to say thank you for this honour today. 

When you and I shared our little glance at one another as we were ready to start our walk down the aisle, that will be a moment I cherish for always.

It is customary on these occasions to offer the happy couple some worldly advice on marriage, and this is the one time where they have to hear me out.

I wish you fun and excitement for today – hopes and dreams for tomorrow – and love, happiness and talking forever!

Happy marriages begin when we marry the one we love, and they blossom when we love the one we married.

My best advice for Liam is to make the most of the honeymoon period. For those of you who don't know when this is, it's the period between “I do” and “You'd better”.

Then there is the recognition that marriage is an equal relationship – both of you will find that you are contributing 70%.

Finally, old married couples know that the secret of a successful marriage is patience, tolerance and forgiveness – failing that a bad memory seems to be quite useful. Except of course when birthdays and anniversaries are involved…

My greatest wish for the two of you is that through the years your love for each other will so deepen and grow, that years from now you will look back on this day, your wedding day, as the day you loved each other the least.

So here's to the groom, a man who keeps his head though he loses his heart.

Here's to these beautiful bridesmaids.  A thing of beauty is a joy forever.

And here's to the bride. May she share everything with her husband – including the housework.

It is written: when children find true love, parents find true joy. Here's to your joy and ours, from this day forward.

All that remains for me to say is to ask everyone to have a good time this evening. 

My final duty and very great privilege is to propose a toast to our daughter and new son-in law.  So would you please stand and join me in a toast to the bride and groom.

Here's to the past, for all that you've learned.

Here's to the present, for all that you share.

Here's to the future, for all that you look forward to together.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you, Emily and Liam THE BRIDE AND GROOM.