Speech by Mike Perkin

Speech Type: Father of the bride/groom
Speech Creator: Mike Perkin
Speech Date: oct 2004

FIRSTLY “I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THE MEAL”

SOMEONE ONCE SAID THAT STANDING UP AND GIVING A SPEECH AT A WEDDING IS LIKE WALKING INTO A HAREM, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THERE, FOR BUT YOU JUST DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START

HOWEVER AS FATHER OF THE BRIDE IT IS MY PRIVILEGE TO MAKE THE FIRST SPEECH HERE THIS AFTERNOON.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO START BY SAYING WHAT A REAL PLEASURE IT IS TO WELCOME, ON THIS VERY HAPPY OCCASION, STEVES PARENTS SUE & BRIAN, TOGETHER WITH CLARE AND KELTON, AND RELATIVES AND FRIENDS OF BOTH FAMILIES.

ALL OF US ON THIS TABLE ARE SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS AND FAMILY WHO HAVE BEEN IMPORTANT TO US DURING OUR LIVES.
SOME OF YOU HAVE TRAVELLED LONG DISTANCES JUST TO BE HERE TODAY AND ON BEHALF OF ALL US, WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS SPECIAL DAY WITH US.

PAUSE

BOTH CAROL AND I ARE VERY PROUD TODAY TO SEE LISA LOOKING SO BEAUTIFUL AND NOW FINALLY MARRIED TO STEVE.
WE ARE ALSO DELIGHTED THAT LISA HAS CHOSEN SOMEONE WE LIKE SO MUCH TO BE HER PARTNER
DURING THE TIME WE HAVE KNOWN STEVE, WE HAVE COME TO REALISE HOW SPECIAL HE IS TO LISA, AND AS EVERYONE CAN SEE THEY REALLY ARE MADE FOR EACH OTHER.

STEVE IS A REALLY LIKEABLE AND EASY GOING PERSON, MOST OF THE TIME, AND I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO FORMALLY WELCOME HIM INTO THE FAMILY, HOWEVER HE'S BEEN AROUND FOR SO LONG NOW THAT HE'S ALREADY PART OF THE FIXTURES AND FITTINGS.
MIND YOU HE'S BEEN WELCOME FROM DAY ONE, AND THAT'S AT LEAST 8 YEARS AGO NOW.
WHAT WE FIND GRATIFYING IS, THAT STEVES FAMILY FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT LISA, THEY HAVE TAKEN HER INTO THEIR HEARTS AND ALWAYS TREATED HER AS ONE OF THEIR OWN

OF COURSE MARRIAGE IS NOT ONLY ABOUT MEETING THE PERFECT PARTNER BUT ALSO ABOUT BEING ONE.
LISA HAS WORKED HARD TO MAKE A SUCCESS OF HER LIFE SO FAR, AND I'M SURE THAT HER FUTURE PARTNERSHIP WITH STEVE WILL BE EVEN MORE SUCCESSFUL.

I ASKED LISA ONCE WHAT SHE WAS LOOKING FOR IN A MARRIAGE, AND SHE SAID,
"LOVE, HAPPINESS AND COMPANIONSHIP".

I ALSO ASKED STEVE THE SAME QUESTION, AND HE SAID "A WIDE SCREEN TV," WITH SKY SPORTS, SO THAT'S HIM TAKEN CARE OF ALREADY!

I WOULD LIKE TO SAY HOW PROUD I AM OF LISA AND WHAT A WONDERFUL DAUGHTER SHE IS, IN FACT BOTH MY CHILDREN HAVE MADE ME VERY PROUD TO BE THEIR FATHER.

I WOULD AT THIS POINT LIKE TO THANK MY WIFE CAROL, WHO WITHOUT HER CONSTANT HARD WORK, TODAY WOULD HAVE BEEN A SHAMBLES. I'M SURE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN EVERYTHING HASN'T GONE TO PLAN, BUT SHE HAS TAKEN IT ALL IN HER STRIDE, AND I'M SURE YOU WOULD ALL AGREE THAT EVERYTHING SO FAR HAS RUN LIKE CLOCK WORK

I ALSO THINK A SPECIAL THANK YOU WOULD BE IN ORDER TO SUE AND BRIAN FOR THE ONGOING HELP AND SUPPORT THEY HAVE GIVEN TO STEVE AND LISA OVER THE PAST MONTHS.

I REMEMBER THE DAY THAT LISA WAS BORN AS AMONGST ONE OF THE HAPPIEST MOMENTS OF MY LIFE, AND HERE I AM GIVING HER AWAY ON HER WEDDING DAY, I MAY BE A BIT BIAS BUT I THINK YOU WILL ALL AGREE THAT SHE LOOKS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING
SHE HAS GIVEN CAROL AND I SOME WONDERFUL MOMENTS AS WELL AS A FEW WORRYING ONES LIKE STAYING UP TILL THE EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING WAITING FOR HER TO ARRIVE HOME FROM CLUBS AND CERTAIN PEOPLES HOUSES.
HOWEVER I STILL FEEL VERY PROUD TO SEE HER NOW MARRIED HERE TODAY.

LISA & STEVE HAVE PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO WHERE & WHEN TO HAVE THEY'RE WEDDING. AND AS A FEW OF US ARE AWARE STEVE IS QUITE KEEN ON FOOTBALL, SO MAYBE ITS NO COINCIDENCE THAT THE PREMIERSHIP SEASON HAS NOW FINISHED, THE FA CUP AND CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HAVE BEEN CONTESTED, AND THAT IN 2003 THERE IS NO EUROPEAN CUP OR WORLD CUP
MAYBE LISA THOUGHT THAT CHOOSING 2003 WAS THE ONLY WAY SHE COULD MAKE SURE THAT STEVE WAS AVAILABLE AND TURNED UP TO THE WEDDING ON TIME.

LISA THIS IS POINT THAT YOU MUST BE THINKING WHAT'S DAD GOING TO SAY NEXT TO EMBARACE ME, BUT ALL I WILL SAY IS THANK YOU
THANK YOU FOR PUTTING A SPARKLE IN OUR LIVES, OVER THE LAST 26 YEARS, IT'S GOING TO BE A BIT QUIET WITHOUT YOU, ESPECIALLY WITH YOU COMING IN LATE AND WAKING US ALL UP BY PUTTING ALL THE LIGHTS ON.
BUT IT WILL BE NICE TO HAVE SOME HOT WATER LEFT FOR A SHOWER, INSTEAD OF SOMEONE TAKING AT LEAST 50 GALLONS JUST TO WASH THEIR HAIR

I WOULD ALSO AT THIS POINT LIKE TO THANK THE BRIDESMAIDS FOR LOOKING SO LOVELY AND IN HELPING LISA STAY SO CALM TODAY, THEY BOTH HAVE DONE A WONDERFUL JOB

NO I HAVEN'T QUITE FINISHED YET – BECAUSE MY NEXT TOAST IS TO THE BRIDE AND GROOM,

WHICH REMINDS ME OF THE STORY I ONCE HEARD WHERE TWO OF THE GUESTS WERE A MINISTER AND A PRIEST.
WHEN THE PRIEST WAS OFFERED A DRINK FOR THE TOAST HE SAID, “ I'LL HAVE A LARGE WHISKY PLEASE!”
WHEN THE MINISTER WAS OFFERED THE SAME HE SAID “NO THANK YOU, I'D SOONER GO WITH A SCARLET WOMAN THAN TOUCH THE DEMON ALCHOHOL”

ON OVERHEARING THIS THE PREIST PROMPTLY PUT HIS WHISKY BACK ON THE TRAY AND REPLIED. “I WAS'NT AWARE THAT THERE WAS A CHOICE”.

LISA, STEVE WE ALL THINK THAT YOU'VE BOTH MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE AND WISH YOU ALL THE HAPPINESS IN THE WORLD FOR THE FUTURE

WELL THANK YOU FOR YOUR INDULGENCE AND LISTENING TO MY RAMBLINGS, NOW ALL THAT REMAINS IS FOR ME TO ASK YOU TO CHARGE YOUR GLASSES AND BE UPSTANDING TO JOIN ME IN A SPECIAL TOAST TO LISA AND STEVE, THE BRIDE AND GROOM

THE BRIDE AND GROOM