Speech by Colin Lawrence

Speech Type: Father of the bride/groom
Speech Creator: Colin Lawrence
Speech Date: 16/12/2013 09:42:48

Hello everyone. For those of you who don't know me I'm Nathalie's dad, Colin, and this is Jackie, Nathalie's mum.  

Firstly, let me say what an honour it is to stand here today.  I get to speak and you have to listen …… and for a man who's been married for 30 years that's a rare privilege.  

Well, I've had 27 years to prepare for this moment and true to form for those who know me I am well prepared ..… as I downloaded this speech from the Internet on Tuesday ……………..… I must admit though that I haven't read it yet so I hope it's a goody!

According to tradition the Father of the Bride is the warm-up act and has to cover 4 areas in his speech

 Welcome everyone to the ‘Do’

 Say a few words about the Bride in a LOVING and BALANCED way

 Give a few words of advice to the happy couple

 To give the first of the toasts to the Bride & Groom.

So without further ado, and on behalf of Jackie and myself, I would like to welcome you all and thank you for coming to this very special occasion to celebrate the marriage of our daughter Nathalie to Simon.

Today is, of course, a celebration, not just of the love that has united Nathalie & Simon in marriage, but also of the families that have created, moulded and influenced the lives of these two special people. So Jackie and I would like to extend a very warm welcome and thank you to Linda & Trevor for their fine upstanding son and I welcome Simon into our family.  I would also like to welcome the relatives and friends of both families, and thank you all for joining us in celebrating this very special day.  It's good to see so many friends and family here.

You know, it brought a tear to my eye seeing Nathalie standing in the church, my little princess all grown up in her wedding dress saying “I will”.  That must be the first time she's said that without arguing or moaning! 

So many memories – so many videos of Nathalie growing up – so many embarrassing moments! …….  I did think of making this a Powerpoint presentation with embarrassing video clips of Nathalie in the background ……… but too be honest I just didn't have the time to cut it down to anything less than 18 hours.  If anyone is interested though I could be persuaded to load it all onto Youtube.

It doesn't seem long ago that we used to go camping in Devon with our little trailer tent …… with Nathalie running around with no knickers on, peeing and pooping on the grass and eating mud. ……… Thankfully she's stopped eating mud now.

She used to go off across the field to get water from the tap …… I can still see her now …..… a water container in each hand dressed in nothing but her little red welly boots. 

Then she started growing up and along came Emily and Thomas.  I'm sure Nathalie believed we had them just to provide her with objects to taunt and tease.  Poor little things, but I always warned Nathalie that they would grow up themselves one day and sure enough they're both taller than her now.

Then off to boarding school she went, where she still managed to live up to her name of Naughty Nathalie by getting herself suspended. ..…  Details available later in the evening for those who don't know the story.

Then whilst I was in Sierra Leone she calls me around midnight to tell me that there was a power cut at home and someone was ringing the doorbell and what should she do.  Admittedly she was still only a baby at the time …..… this was 2004 so she would have been 18.

Then I was the other side of the world in Kabul and get a call “Dad, dad I've got a contact lens stuck in my eye”.   Yes Nathalie and how can I help?  Oh, and then there was the time she believed her eyesight had been cured by a miracle because she had taken her lenses out and she could see!  The trouble was she hadn't realised she had put 2 lenses in one eye and had only taken one out!

Oh yes, Nathalie is definitely blonde.

Well, as a Father you're just waiting for the time when someone comes along to replace you as the man in your daughter's life.  So it was with a little trepidation that a couple of years I first met Simon when Nathalie said “Hi Dad this is Simon and we're buying a house together”.  I'm sure he must have wondered what he was getting in to at times, but he finally plucked up the courage to ask me for Nathalie's hand in marriage – by waiting till I was in Afghanistan and sending me an email! 

I must say though that Jackie and I were delighted when he did as it was very clear to us how special he was to Nathalie and what a great son-in-law he would be.

I read somewhere that life isn't complete without a soul-mate to share your memories and Nathalie and Simon are definitely soul-mates.

So now we come to Part 3 – the advice to the happy couple.

For Nathalie, some advice on being a good housewife, it might be old (1955) but it will still stand you in good stead.

Have dinner ready for when Simon comes home.  Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return.  This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs.

Prepare yourself.  Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be fresh when he arrives.  Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking.  He has just been with a lot of work weary people.

Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.

Listen to him.  You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time.  Let him talk first and remember his topics of conversation are more important than yours.

Make the evening his.  Never complain if he comes home late or goes out to dinner without you.  Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his very real need to be at home and relax.

Your goal is to try and make sure that your home is a place of peace, order and tranquillity where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.

Don't greet him with complaints and problems.  Make him comfortable.  Have him lean back in his favourite chair, arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes.  Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice and have a cool drink ready for him.

Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgement.  Remember, he is the master of the house and you have no right to question him.

A good wife always knows her place.

And now some succinct, but nevertheless heartfelt advice for Simon.  It's a little more recent than 1955 but is still based on years of experience. 

Firstly, when you're wrong, admit it.

Secondly, when you're right, keep quiet.

And in your household remember that Nathalie is always right.

Now it is my pleasant duty 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 and healthy future together.

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

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

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

Ladies and Gentlemen, please be upstanding and raise your glasses to the Bride and Groom … Nathalie and Simon…Mr & Mrs Smith.

THE BRIDE AND GROOM!