Speech by Brian Spence

Speech Type: Father of the bride/groom
Speech Creator: Brian Spence
Speech Date: Sep2005
Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends, good afternoon. For those that do not know me I have the proud distinction of being Kirsty¡¦s father. First I must apologise for almost reading this speech, nowadays I have a memory akin to a Goldfish. And before my 3 son-in0laws say it, yes Goldfish do go around in circles!

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 Kirsty & Pete made as they stood side by side making their vows. Kirsty you looked so beautiful, it brought tears to my eyes.

Well, to all our guests we say, ¡§thank you very much for being here¡¨. It is always a joy to share such occasions with family and friends from both families. Particularly I must mention Pete¡¦s parents Mary & John, Pete¡¦s Nan Flo, and lets not forget those who have traveled a long way to be here today. I also would wish to make special mention of David, husband to Kirsty¡¦s mother Chris, and Sookie, my wife, who have both played a special role in Kirsty¡¦s life. A special mention for Chris, Kirsty¡¦s mother, and Ben, her brother, for all the fantastic wedding arrangements we are enjoying today.

It only seems like yesterday when i was watching Kirsty being born, and here I am giving her wedding speech. It¡¦s occasions like this that you begin to wonder where all the time has gone. Some of that time went on very long speeches at Kirsty¡¦s sister¡¦s weddings, so i will try to be just a tad shorter today. In those much longer speeches I concentrated heavily on the joy of children (well, grandchildren really ¡K.) but this time that has already been taken care of ¡K.. Isn¡¦t Zac wonderful?, we do love him so! Anyway I have to be shorter because of my throat; Chris has threatened to cut it if I don¡¦t!

For those of you who don¡¦t know Kirsty very well, I can tell you that she is a daughter to be more than proud of, she is such a special person, caring and loving to all that know her. 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 Pete has discovered by now. Kirsty has always brought brightness into our lives and i am sure this will continue into Pete¡¦s too.

From the early days it was clear that the caring of children was her career goal and she has steadfastly pursued this, as indeed Pete has steadfastly pursued his goal of working for BMW. They both know where they are going & I suspect will be far more successful than their parents, certainly we hope so. Kirsty can at times be a tad over sensitive, as Ben will remember when we hung her favorite Pop Belly Bear from her bedroom door jam. We could not understand why she did not think it as funny as we did.

We all know that Pete is a football fan, and is a Nottingham Forest supporter. I have to say that somehow, I have never been able to quite see the connection¡K.. Having married into an Arsenal family he may be well advised to re-consider his position. I do however have to congratulate Pete on his perception in choosing Kirsty. Though I do have to confess I was surprised when Kirsty told me she wanted to marry a used car salesman. Would you buy a used car from this man I asked? You¡¦ll guess the answer ¡K¡K.. and she still married him.

During the time that we have known Pete we have come to realise how much he means to Kirsty and anyone can see that they are made for each other. We are so very happy about the new addition to our family; we have gained a son to be proud of. Pete, we would like to formally welcome you into the family and to tell you that you will always have our love and support. Kirsty & Pete 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. On the subject of advice¡Kit has been said that marriage is a 50/50 partnership¡K I don¡¦t know who made this statement but whoever it was, they knew very little about women! Take note Pete!

There is no secret to a happy marriage but Sookie has taught me that there is no challenge in a marriage that cannot be overcome with the following three word sentences: I was wrong; you were right, and¡K.. I love you. Go for it Pete, it really worksƒº. A further piece of advice for you Pete is that if Kirsty ever breaks a bone you must tie her down in one position until it has healed, she is such a klutz. Otherwise she will almost certainly break another, as she has done before. My last advice:
Kirsty ¡V if you want something from Pete, ask for it. Don¡¦t forget he is a man and hints don¡¦t work.

Pete ¡V Always remember as a great philosopher once said, a man who gives in when he is wrong is a wise man. Whilst a man who gives in when he is right is married.

It is somewhat traditional to 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 ¡V and a good wife is just what Pete has managed to find.

You have all heard enough from me, and I see David is ready to say a few words. But before that let me propose a toast to the bride and groom, so if everyone would be upstanding and raise their glasses please:

TOAST:
When children find true love, parents find true joy. Kirsty & Pete, here¡¦s to your love and our joy, from this day forward. Kirsty & Pete.