Speech by Darren Hurrell

Speech Type: Father of the bride/groom
Speech Creator: Darren Hurrell
Speech Date: Jun2007
Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, I'm Darren, Lou's step father. On behalf of my wife Janice and I, and everybody up here on the top table, I would like to welcome you all and thank you all for celebrating this very special occasion with us.

I'd also like to thank everyone involved with making today possible, to the bridesmaids for looking after Lou, Lee the best man for presenting a smart and sober groom and everyone else who has made this day possible for the happy couple.

I have had the honour over the past seventeen years of watching Lou grow up from that sweet little girl that I first met, into horse riding, Nintendo, New Kids on the Block and wearing shell suits and funny trainers, into the beautiful bride you see before you today. All those years ago I never imagined that the pleasure of making a speech at her wedding would fall to me. When she asked me to give her away I made a joke of it with her, but deep down I was really touched, and it has been an absolute privilege to do this for her today, and to have been a part of her life for so many years.

I have always enjoyed a really good relationship with Lou, even through the usually troublesome teenage years she never really caused us too many problems. There were a couple of stories that I was going to tell at this point in the speech, but Lou has forbidden me to mention them, especially the one about her being brought home by the police for smoking and drinking the very first time that Janice let her go over the park on a Friday night, and how ironic that it would be her bringing home a policeman all those years later.

I have always felt extremely proud of Lou, she has a lot of qualities that I admire, she is very hard working, caring, loyal and loving, but a quality of hers that I probably admire the most, is her determination not to settle for anything less than perfection. She always sets out in her mind exactly what she wants to achieve, then doesn't stop until she reaches her goal. A good example of this was when she had a well paying job with a bank in the City, it wasn't exactly what she wanted so she took a 50% pay cut to go and train as a local estate agent. Also, growing up I cannot recall her having many boyfriends, she had that prince charming ideal in her head, and would not accept anything less than that. In 2001 Lou went to work in Rhodes for the season, we went out to see her after a few weeks, and she was thrilled telling us all about Pete, I had never seen her this excited about someone before, I knew this was special, and I knew straight away that he was the one.

Lou and Pete met in a very romantic location – Posers Bar, in Faliraki. This place is renowned for being the hangout of drunk, wide Essex boys and blond Essex girls kitted out in fake Burberry and high heels, so it was a pure coincidence they met on that fateful night.

I asked Lou only a couple of weeks ago exactly when and where they met, she told that she still has the beach party ticket with Pete's number on it, the date of the party was Friday 29th June 2001, six years ago to the day.

On Lou's arrival home at the end of the season it was only a couple of days before I received a phone call at work from Janice telling me that Pete would be coming round that evening. I was really pleased to be finally meeting the man that had stolen Lou's heart, but then Janice told me he was a Police Officer, and I better come home quick to hide all the dodgy DVD's and Playstation games before he arrived.

I needn't have worried though from day one I knew Pete was a decent, kind, hard working gentlemen. As most of you may already know, Pete is also very loving, in those early days he would often call at 4 in the morning to tell whoever picked up the phone that he really loved us, I always found that a nice touch.

One of Pete's first jobs was to convert us from rather sad West Ham supporters into the very happy Arsenal supporters we are today, something which we are still eternally grateful for.

Today is meant to be an opportunity for me to welcome Pete into the family, but in reality he's been a big part of our family for years now.

Janice and I have had the privilege of watching their relationship blossom, watched them get engaged and set up home together, and we couldn't think of a better, or more suitable person to look after Lou, and for them to spend the rest of their lives together.

When the father of the bride makes his speech, he's supposed to offer some parting advice. So here it is, Valentine cards understandably stress burning love, and the priests and vicars stress fidelity, but old married couples know that the secrets of a well-worked-at marriage, are persistence and patience, tolerance and forbearance, stoicism, tenacity, stamina, forgiveness, and failing that, a defective memory. It also helps, of course, if the husband is always prepared to take the blame, as is only right and just. Janice insisted that I made that last point!

There are only two lasting bequests parents can hope to give their children……one of these is roots and the other is wings. Lou, I believe that over the years we have given you strong roots. Today, Janice and I know the time is right for you to fly away with Pete.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is now my pleasant duty to propose a toast to the happy couple, please raise your glasses to the new Mr and Mrs Anderson.