Speech by Brin Wright

Speech Type: Father of the bride/groom
Speech Creator: Brin Wright
Speech Date: oct 2003

BEFORE I START, WOULD ALL THE GUESTS SITTING IN THE ECONOMY SEATS LIKE TO GATHER ROUND SO YOU DON'T MISS ANYTHING.

WELCOME ONE AND ALL, ON BEHALF OF PAT AND MYSELF I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR ACCEPTING LAURA & BRENDON'S INVITATION TO THEIR WEDDING BREAKFAST AND TO CELEBRATE THEIR ENTIRE WEDDING DAY.
AS FATHER OF THE BRIDE IT IS MY PRIVELAGE TO MAKE THE FIRST SPEECH AND IT IS A RARE OCCASION, WHEN I CAN SAY WHAT I LIKE, FOR AS LONG AS I LIKE, WITHOUT INTERUPTION AND EVERYBODY HAS TO LISTEN.

WE MUST GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO THOSE WHO UNFORTUNATELY CANNOT BE HERE TODAY, RIGHT DON'T OVER DO IT, THAT'S ENOUGH THOUGHT. MIND YOU I CAN'T THINK OF ANYBODY STILL ALIVE WHO DIDN'T TURN UP.

I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A SPECIAL WELCOME TO BRENDON'S FAMILY, NAMELY GEORGE, KELLY, CAROL, TYEGARY, TYEGARY? SORRY, I FORGOT TO PUT A SPACE BETWEEN TYE & GARY I MEAN TYE AND GARY AND THEIR FAMILIES.

ALSO THERE ARE TWO OF PAT'S BRIDESMADES HERE, FROM 31 YEARS AGO. MY SISTER HILARY AND A LONG STANDING FRIEND OF PAT'S, HEATHER. WELCOME.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK CATHY FOR HER READING IN THE CHURCH. I'M ONLY GLAD THAT SHE DIDN'T SING AND DANCE TO IT.

I THANK MARK AND HIS TEAM, HERE AT THE NEW MILL, FOR ACCEPTING MY MONEY, IN RETURN FOR MAKING SURE THAT TODAYS CELEBRATIONS RUN SMOOTHLY, WONT YOU ! THE CHEQUE HASN'T CLEARED YET.

I GIVE THANKS TO MY BEST MATE ROD AND GOOD FRIEND RAY FOR THE DRIVING.

RAY& HIS FAMILY WILL BE HERE LATER, SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL HIM THAT HE GOT A MENTION.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST MY DARLING WIFE PAT FOR ORGANIZING WITH LAURA THE WHOLE DAY. IT'S BEEN A YEAR IN THE MAKING, UNLIKE THIS SPEECH. WHICH, I MADE UP DURING THE STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING.

AND NOW TO THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON OF THE DAY, MY DAUGHTER, LAURA, THE BRIDE.

SHE REMINDS ME OF THE FIRST HYMM WE SANG TODAY, I THINK IT'S ONE OF BRENDONS FAVOURITES: “ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFULL”
THESE ATTRIBUTES OBVIOUSLY COME FROM HER MOTHER COS I'M NOT TOO BRIGHT AND CAN HARDLY BE DESCRIBED AS BEAUTIFUL.

THIS MORNING I SAW LAURA FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HER BRIDAL GOWN AND I WAS TOTALLY SPEECHLESS, SHE LOOKED AS SHE DOES NOW ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. I WOULD LOVE TO SAY MORE, BUT KLEENEX DOESN'T MAKE A BOX OF TISSUES BIG ENOUGH TO GET ME THROUGH IT.
SHE IS A FAR CRY TODAY FROM HER VERY FIRST ONE, BUT I WILL COME ON TO THAT LATER.

HER BRIGHTNESS IS INCREDIBLE, WHILST NOT ONLY PREPARING FOR THIS WEDDING SHE HAS ALSO BEEN STUDYING FOR A DEGREE IN HR. SHE LEARNT EARLIER THIS WEEK THAT SHE HAD EASILY PASSED THE FIRST HALF OF THE COURSE. CONGRATULATIONS LAURA YOU'R BRILLIANT AND YOU MAKE US VERY PROUD PARENTS.

APART FROM COLOUR COORDINATING EVERYTHING DOWN TO THE LAST DETAIL. SHE NOT ONLY DESIGNED ALL THE STATIONARY, BUT SHE ALSO MADE IT BY HAND. AND I DO MEAN ALL THE STATIONARY, WHICH INCLUDES THE TABLE MENUS, NAMES, SEATING PLAN, SERVICE SHEETS AND INVITES. A VERY PROFESSIONAL JOB. WELL DONE LAURA.
A THANKS AT THIS POINT TO SIMON & HIS COMPANY FOR THE PRINTING.

I WILL NEVER FORGET THE DAY LAURA WAS DELIVERED, BY BIRTH, NOT BY POST, THE MIDWIFE SAID WHAT A LOVELY BOY ! SILLY COW, WAS SHE EVER WRONG.

SHE THEN LAID LAURA IN A BIRTHING COT, AND WHEN SHE LET OUT HER FIRST CRY, IT WAS A MENACING, EAR PIERCING, HAMMER HOUSE OF HORROR TYPE CRY.
I THOUGHT AT THE TIME, I CANT WAIT FOR HER TO START TEETHING.

LAURA SUFFERED WITH SEVERE NAPPY RASH AS A BABY, BUT I AM GLAD TO SAY IT HAS NOW ALL CLEARED UP.

SERIOUSLY I THINK BRENDON MADE ONE OF THE BEST DECISIONS OF HIS LIFE WHEN HE DECIDED TO ASK LAURA TO BE HIS WIFE.

I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE A TOAST TO MY DAUGHTER, LAURA, THE BRIDE.

NOW TO MY NEW SON, BRENDON.
WOT CAN I SAY ? WOT; CAN I SAY ??

I COULDN'T HAVE WISHED FOR A BETTER PARTNER FOR LAURA, OR SON IN LAW FOR MYSELF. I KNOW THAT THEY WILL HAVE A LONG LASTING AND LOVING MARRIAGE TOGETHER. THEY ARE WELL SUITED AND BOTH KNOW WHO THE BOSS IS.

I BELIEVE IT WAS WHEN THEY WERE TRAVELLING THAT BRENDON DISPLAYED ONE OF HIS EARLY EMOTIONS TOWARDS LAURA. THEY WERE TRAVELLING SOMEWHERE IN INDIA WHEN LAURA WAS VICIOUSLY ATTACKED BY A MASSIVE WATER BUFFALO. SHE WAS OBVIOUSLY VERY SHAKEN AND AFTER THE INCIDENT BRENDON SAID SOMETHING TRULY ROMANTIC TO HER LIKE “COR I BET THAT HURT LOVE !”
IT WAS DURING THIS PERIOD THAT THEY TRULY BONDED AS A COUPLE AND DESTINY BEGAN TO SET ITS COURSE.

BRENDON FIRST ANNOUNCED HIS INTENTIONS TO LAURA IN KRABI, THAILAND.
IT WAS ONE NIGHT WHEN PAT AND I HAD FLOWN OUT TO MEET UP WITH THEM FOR A FEW DAYS DURING THEIR TRAVELS IN THE FAR EAST.
WE WERE SITTING IN A JUICY LUCY BAR ONE NIGHT, NEAR THE RED LIGHT DISTRICT WHEN BRENDON ANNOUNCED THAT HE HAD SOMETHING TO ASK, I THOUGHT THAT HE WANTED TO BORROW A FEW QUID TO GO DOWN THE RED LIGHT DISTRICT,
BUT I WAS WRONG AND RELIEVED WHEN HE ONLY ASKED FOR OUR PERMISSION TO MARRY OUR DAUGHTER.

LAURA WAS ABSOLUTELY GOBSMACKED, SHE SAT THER WITH HER MOUTH WIDE OPEN, A BEAMING SMILE AND TOTALLY TRAUMATISED.
AFTER THE INITIAL SHOCK I IMMEDIATELY AGREED, BEFORE HE CHANGED HIS MIND.
1 DOWN 2 TO GO I THOUGHT.
I ORDERED A BOTTLE OF CHAMPAIGN BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE BAR DIDN'T HAVE ANY, SO WE CELEBRATED BY FIZZING UP A BOTTLE OF SINGA BEER INTO 4 CHAMPAIGN GLASSES WITH INCIDENTLY HAD COKA COLA WRITTEN ON THE SIDE, AND WE CARRIED ON CELEBRATING INTO THE EARLY HOURS. NEVER DID GET DOWN THE RED LIGHT DISTRICT.

BRENDON I GENUINLY WELCOME YOU INTO MY FAMILY.

I PROPOSE A TOAST TO MY SON IN LAW, BRENDON.

TO CONCLUDE I AM NOT GOING TO GIVE OUT ANY MARITAL ADVICE APART FROM, BRENDON, YOU NEED TO PRACTICE SAYING A FEW SIMPLE WORDS. WHICH ARE, “YES DEAR & SORRY”. IT WORKED FOR ME FOR 31 YEARS.

I'M NEAR THE END NOW AND WILL SOON PASS YOU OVER TO THE GROOM FOLLOWED BY THE BEST MAN, WHO WILL NO DOUBT TELL YOU ALL THE GORY DETAILS ABOUT THE STAG WEEKEND.
WHATEVER HE SAYS ABOUT ME IS UNTRUE, IT WASN'T ME, I DIDN'T DO IT AND NOBODY CAN PROVE ANYTHING.

FINALLY WHEN ALL THE SPEECHES ARE FINISHED, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MUST, YOU MAY SKIN UP, PREFERABLY OUTSIDE.
I WILL NOW PROPOSE A TOAST TO THE NEWLY WEDS AND
AS THE TABLE THEME IS SHAKESPEAR I WILL QUOTE FROM KING HENRY 6TH
“NOW JOIN YOUR HANDS,
AND WITH YOUR HANDS YOUR HEARTS”

HERE IS TO LOVE AND LAUGHTER
AND HAPINESS EVER AFTER.

I GIVE THE BRIDE AND GROOM
LAURA AND BRENDON.