Speech by Lindsay Ougham

Speech Type: Father of the bride/groom
Speech Creator: Lindsay Ougham
Speech Date: Aug2004
I'm only going to speak for a couple of minutes because of my throat; …if I go on too long Barbara has threatened to cut it.

Good afternoon everyone, I am Lindsay, the Brides father.
Well…Rachel was born, I blinked, and here I am giving the brides speech. Where has all the time gone?
Barbara and I sincerely welcome today, Val and Bruce, the grooms parents and relatives and friends of both families to this very happy occasion and I Toast you all.
Before I go any further there is one initial toast I would like to propose. It is for those who could not be here due to circumstances or ill health and those who sadly are no longer with us.
The toast is to absent friends.
Please be upstanding
Now I would initially like to express my thanks to Lloyds parents for all they have done. To Barbara my wife who has been incredibly busy but still managed look an absolute picture. Talking of which what about those bridesmaids? Thank you all of you. I would also thank our hosts Peter and Jacky.
We are very proud today, to see Rachel, looking so beautiful, finally married to Lloyd. During the time we have known him, we have come to realise how special he is to Rachel, and anyone can see that they are made for each other.
He is a really likeable and easy going person, and we are very happy to welcome him formally into our family and I for one am pleased for Rachel to now have a sensible surname.
What we find gratifying, is that Lloyds's parents feel the same about Rachel. They have taken her to their hearts, and I believe that she is a real favourite with them .

We are so incredibly proud of Rachel today and the radiant way she looks. Not forgetting Lloyd I can relate to both of you something a colleague at work said to me not so long ago. He and his wife were having a drink at the Waggon and happened to see Rachel and Lloyd. He said his wife
(who does`nt know either of them) commented on what a lovely couple you make. I don`t think anyone could argue with that.

Well Rachel our dearest daughter here`s a few thoughts for you:-

Who would have thought that the same afternoon this flower bloomed our own little rose would arrive.

Who would of thought that afternoon I chased you around the Lounge, trying to get you potty trained before your mum got home, it would come to this.

Who would of thought that our daughter would swim before she was 4 years of age and end up swimming with Dolphins.

Who would have thought the little girls hand I held on a sea-wall one night watching the thunderstorm of the century would be given away in marriage.

Who would of thought that in the face of adversity, a change in school and a change of course we would have a beautiful intelligent daughter, now a wife, with an Honours degree.

Who would have thought that such a daughter would so quietly and selflessly befriend, help, support and comfort so many people.

Lloyd, Rachel has an awful lot of love to give. Please continue to cherish and look after it.

Anyway, they're happy and they love each other and that should be enough to see them through life together. Right now then!. I am not the sort of man to dispense advice in public. In fact, according to Barbara, I'm not the man to dispense advice at all!. Nevertheless there is one thing worth remembering. Never go to bed on an argument………………………..… stay up and fight.
Thank you for your kind indulgence in listening to my ramblings – now all that remains is for me to ask you to join me in a special toast to our beautiful daughter -the bride and her handsome husband – the groom!
Please be upstanding
I give you the Bride and Groom!