Speech by Ron

Speech Type: Father of the bride/groom
Speech Creator: Ron
Speech Date: 22/08/2010 17:36:58

And here's to you Mrs Robinson, Neil will love you more than you will know
Wo, wo, wo – (He told me so!)

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, I now know what it feels like to be the Chancellor of the Exchequer, standing at the dispatch box, on budget day, with this handful of notes! I was asked what the estimated talk time was, I replied 50 minutes – for a Chancellor, but 5 or 6 in my role today.

Hello I'm Ron, and it is my great honour to be the father of the bride.

I would like to start, by saying Kristi's mum Cheryl and I, would sincerely like to welcome Neil's parents Ken & Lynn, together with all relatives and friends
of both families, and to thank you all for celebrating this very special occasion with us.

As a celebrated poet once commented, “many of you have experienced geographical and financial inconvenience”
(some have travelled from foreign climes such as Mallorca, Spain and South Africa).  I do hope that you are enjoying sharing Kristi and Neil's day with them.

I'd also like to thank everyone involved with making today possible,
– to the delightful bridesmaids for looking after Kristi
– and to Toby, the best man, for presenting a smart and sober groom
– and to the ushers for getting everyone organised
– and not forgetting the caterers and staff and also the photographer
– and to everyone else who has made this day possible for the happy couple.
I re-iterate, Thank you all.

I have had the honour over the past thirty something years of watching Kristi grow up from that sweet little girl that I first knew, 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 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.

Curiously, I still cherish a photograph i took of her, all those years ago, stubbornly sitting on a damp leafy autumnal New Forest floor, dressed in a grey duffle coat – declaring that she should would not walk a
step further! Pure magic. Surely a sign of things to come?

When i think about the first time she rode her little
yellow bicycle, straight into the side of a Southampton City council vehicle, parked on a deserted Southampton Common.  No other vehicles, or persons anywhere near.  I remember, she claimed it came to her!

It's that single mindedness that she is (always/mostly) right that has determined the course of her development and direction in life.

Please indulge me for a few moments to summarise some of her many achievements, as i recall them:

At primary school, Kristi learnt to play the recorder (some know it as the English flute), she mastered, not just one but the whole range from littlest to largest, including the monster bass.

She taught herself to play the acoustic guitar at the tender age of 8, only to continue with the electric version in her 20s, in a band, known as the Kites. Kites members here, make yourselves known!

At age 14, when the answer NO from the local army cadet force was rejected by Kristi, she found a unique way of turning the situation around. She persevered, marching up and down the car park in Hythe, alongside the lads until she was allowed in. Kristi was definitely a trend setter, as now there are many female army cadets!

I have always enjoyed a really good relationship with Kristi V, 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 Kristi has forbidden me to mention them, especially the one about her little traffic accident, in which she wrote off
the mini, in a high speed collision clocked at an amazing 3mph. She claimed she was in a traffic jam, in the middle of the night, on a quiet country lane in Dorset – how bizarre? Rave on KV, or should that now be KR!

Does everyone remember the Rubik's cube? Kristi was getting frustrated in solving the problem. By using some lateral thinking, she found the perfect solution. Simply by re-arranging the coloured stickers, the problem is quickly resolved….it's no surprise that her chosen career path was in another creative activity – that of accountancy.

I have always felt extremely proud of Kris, 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. Hey presto, Neil! What does “Hook, line and sinker” mean to you?

Recently i was looking back through some notes I made for this wedding speech, and came across this headline, from The Independent newspaper dated 24.4.2010, and I quote: “Robinson the Marathon man is out to revive a British tradition, and keep up with the Kenyans” I guess they were the ones wearing the funny costumes?  Neil, you are formally welcomed into this family.

Kristi and Neil met in a very romantic location – in the South of France, sharing accomodation, on an activity holiday. A most unusual arrangement, where the organisers, place two girls and two boys in a shared apartment – and hoped they'd get on?  What a result! I wonder – are the organisers here today to take the credit?

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. You know it makes sense, Neil!

There are only two lasting bequests parents can hope to give their children……one of these is roots and the other is wings.

Kristi, I believe that over the years we have given you strong roots.

Today, Cheryl and I know the time is right for you to fly away with Neil.  East Africa i believe?  Tuesday?

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is now my pleasant duty to propose a toast to wish the Bride & Groom, Kristi and Neil, a long and happy married life together.

May your lives be entwined like the strong leaves of ivy on a high castle tower. May your joy never end like the circles of your wedding rings.

So please raise your glasses to the new Mr and Mrs Robinson, to Kristi and Neil.

And here's to you Mrs Robinson Neil will love you more than you will know
Wo, wo, wo

(He told me so! twice!)