Speech by Anthony E

Speech Type: Father of the bride/groom
Speech Creator: Anthony E
Speech Date: 11/07/2016 15:52:24

ANTHEA- FATHER OF THE BRIDE SPEECH. 26/6/2016

Hello everyone and welcome..… For those who don't know me I am Anthony, Anthea's father & I should like to start by extending a very warm welcome on behalf of myself and Sara to you All and to thank you all so much for coming. But especially, I want to extend a very warm welcome to Jonathon's Parents Yvonne & James and his brothers Nick, Rich & Pete.

It is so good to see so many Family and friends here who have joined us to celebrate Anthea and Jonathon's wedding.

What a fantastic setting for a celebration… and what a beautiful ceremony it was…..and didn't our Daughter look beautiful!

I hope that you all have a wonderful afternoon and evening. I know that most of you have travelled long distances to be here with us today……… Thank you all for coming to help celebrate this very special occasion.

Especially those of you who know that I'm useless at making speeches or telling jokes – it's very touching that you still decided to COME….Just my little joke!!

Talking of jokes: at this point I was going to tell a very funny story about Anthea when she was a little girl- however I've been told if I do that she will never speak to me again; so instead I've decided to give you an anecdote of when Anthea was 11 which I hope will raise a smile.

I am sure all of you have heard of the famous grey racehorse DESERT ORCHID. At the time I was working for a Bloodstock shipping Company and we were flying Dessie on his own to Dublin to run in the big Easter Monday Chase there at Leopardstown.

I was going with him to ensure all went well and I decided to take Anthea with me. So on Sunday Easter Day 1990 we took off from Luton Airport for Dublin.

I should say at this point that I had been trying to convince Anthea for at least a week what a famous racehorse we were flying- but it seemed to make little impression on her.

By the time we had got him to the stables at Leopardstown and safely bedded down and got to the hotel it was really quite late. We were tired and ravenous.

As you can imagine cooking on Easter evening was off and the waiter said that all he could provide was a plate of sandwiches. I ventured that we were so late only because we had flown DESERT ORCHID in.

The response was electric and immediate. The waiter said the chef could cook whatever we wanted.

As he walked away, having given our order, Anthea looked at me across the table with big wide eyes & said: “Gosh- I didn't know he was THAT famous!!”  (laughter) All ended well as he won the race by 12l.

A quick skip through Anthea's other notable years: As an 8yo she rode the famous Grand National winner ALDANITI for a mile on his walk between Buckingham Palace and Aintree to raise money for the Bob Champion Cancer Trust.

Each rider had to raise a minimum of £1000 to ride him and she managed to raise £1,800. She was the youngest person to ride ALDANITI the mile other than a poor little girl with Leukaemia who was 6.

For those who don't know Anthea well: She hides her light under a bushel.

She attended Reading University where she got a degree in French & Italian, she then spent a year in both Paris and Naples; the latter she adored, the former not so much.

She then joined JETS the Japanese Education system where English students go to Japan to teach English under a Japanese teacher, as she wanted to learn Japanese and ended up spending four years in Urakawa, Hokkaido, Japan's northern island.

After two years teaching she left to join the Japanese horse-racing industry and actually worked with a former Japanese pupil of Sir Mark Prescott's who was now a Stud Manager to set up Sheikh Mohammed's first ever stud operation in Japan.

She lived in a tiny cottage all on her own with no central heating; where in winter the snow came half way up the front door and the outside temperature sometimes got to -10d.

So I definitely feel our Daughter has earned her spurs in terms of hard work, variety and sticking things out. I could go on but don't want to embarrass her!

Today is, of course, a celebration, not just of the love that has united Anthea and Jonathon in marriage, but also of the two families that have created, moulded and influenced the lives of these two special people.

At this point I should like to address a few words to my children's mother Sara.

Sara: I know you had some very tough times in the early years during and after our divorce; but you showed great character in toughing it out – (which is one of the main reasons I wanted to marry you!)

And you did a great job with Anthea, Lydia and Nicholas in their teenage years which has brought all three of them through as hard-working, well-grounded adults.

As some of you know I know a lot about these things- and it is far from always being the case.

So I want to thank you most sincerely for doing such a great job with them. I am immensely proud of all three of our children- and a lot of that is down to Sara. And GRAHAM. I'm sure you played your part too.

Now I need to say a few words about Anthea's new Husband Jonathon.

I first met Jonathon at one of Anthea's little local shows. Anthea was performing on Orquidia and Jon and I watched. It was pouring with rain and we all got soaked!

I thought at the time that Jonathon was very patient and nothing that has happened since has changed my mind.

I think my brand new Son-in Law is a very patient man, quietly determined and very kind. I haven't the slightest doubt that he will look after Anthea well and so I am very proud to hand her over to his love and care.

And now I believe that my time is up. Anthea you look incredible today. You are a beautiful woman and a wonderful daughter. I am sure you will make an excellent Wife.

And in Jonathon you have married a terrific man that I know will love you as much as we do and that we will be proud to call our son in law.

Family & dear Friends: I can't stress enough how good it is to have you all here today, to celebrate with us. I do hope you have a wonderful time this evening.

And now it is my privilege to propose a toast to the happy couple and I know that everyone here will want to join me in raising your glasses in a toast to a long, happy, healthy future together, filled with the sound of laughter; so could I please ask you to stand and raise your glasses to: THE BRIDE & GROOM!