Speech by Stephen Gale

Speech Type: Father of the bride/groom
Speech Creator: Stephen Gale
Speech Date: 26/08/2013 21:34:57

Father of the bride speech.

Ladies and gentlemen ………and anyone else who has sneaked in for a free meal..!

And I am the father of the bride and whilst I'm sure that the best man Aidy & my son-in-law  Jason  Are desperate to stand up and give their own speeches, it is my privilege to make the first speech of the day.

On behalf of my wife Tina and I.  I would like to welcome you all and thank you for coming to this very special occasion to celebrate the marriage of our daughter Zoey to Jason with us.

Today is !  Of course, a celebration, not just of the love that has united Zoey & Jason in marriage, but also of the families that have created, moulded and influenced the lives of these two special people. So Tina and I would like to extend a very warm welcome and thank you  to Bev & Dennis for there fine upstanding son and I do welcome Jason into the family. I would also like to welcome both sets of  relatives and friends of both families. Thank you all for joining us in celebrating this very special day. It is good to see so many friends and family here,

I would also like to say a massive thank you to everyone involved in making today so special. I know that Zoey & Jason have worked really hard organising & planning everything for today. The church service was a lovely ceremony fitting of the occasion.  The reception we have just had at the wrightington country club.  I know zoey & Jason had a bit of an issue with the seating plan for this afternoons reception. BECAUSE they really couldn't decide who to put where.

So as father of the bride, I offered to step in and help work something out. What we finally decided, WAS to use the wedding present list, and put those who spent the most money on items nearest the front, and work back from there. So if they can hear me at the back over there, shame on you for going to Pound land!

This is, of course, the first time I have had the honour of walking a daughter down the aisle and it feels quite MAGICAL if not tinged with a little sadness – magical because I felt like a King escorting his Princess into the next part of her life and a little sad because she no longer will be my little Princess, NOW being fully committed to another man. And what a lucky man Jason is. I know I sound biased but I think zoey looks absolutely  beautiful today. Now people who know me. know its not very often  I get emotional, BUT When I first see zoey in the wedding dress I was choked and glassy eyed.

Zoey has really grown up quickly – it doesn't seem long ago that she was running around the garden with no knickers on, peeing on the flowers and eating mud. Thankfully she has stopped eating mud.

Whilst preparing this speech I got a little sentimental and decided to look through some old photos of Zoey. tears welled up in my eyes, and one picture stood out, It was the striking pose of my precious daughter lying on a rug, dribbling and pointing at the camera lens. What a treasure she looked. trying to stand up on those little wobbly legs……..… We'll never forget her 21st birthday!!!

Joking apart. It doesn't seem all that very long ago that she was running around the house, throwing her tantrums, some small, just a typical teenager really. The time has really flown by and she's been brought up to be decent, caring and honest or so she tells us. she's an achiever and well focused individual, she's a perfect young lady. she is also a fantastic Mother to our Grandson Theo. Auntie to our Millie & Chloe,  and a person am proud to call my daughter and I'm sure Jason will be proud to call his wife.

Jason You are hardworking, talented ,You are kind, funny and attentive. You are well mannered and I find you to be reliable, sensible and considerate… You are clearly a man of vision…Occasionally blurred… Sometimes double… But that could be the alcohol. But nonetheless a vision that enabled you to find and win over Zoeys  and our hearts.

Jason I would like to welcome you into the family, even though you have been part of it for a good while now. You are a great lad. And a fantastic  dad to our Theo.  who clearly loves our Zoey and obviously makes her very happy.

I think you have been with Zoey long enough to know what you are letting yourself in for by joining our family, so to be honest mate I haven't got any sympathy for you.

A friend of mine thinks everyone should get married because no-one deserves to be happy their entire life,

BUT I hope that you TWO will prove him wrong and that many years from now you will be just as happy and as much in love with each other as you are today.

There was a little story about a couple who had been married for 30 years. The wife noticed that her husband kept looking at their wedding certificate every day. Being a woman the curiosity got the better of her and she had to ask her husband  “why do you keep reading the marriage certificate”? The husband replied I am looking for the expiry date but can't find it”! …..     SO Jason you are stuck with her for life,  This particular model is sold as seen &  no refunds are given. So make the most of it & above all else be happy.

 Advice to the happy couple. – Well me & your Mum have been together for 26 years next Thursday, and I haven't got a CLUE!  How we did it or what the secret is – but we did it!!  One things for sure, its not  easy but we never gave up.

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, filled with the sound of laughter.

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

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

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

Ladies and Gentlemen, please be upstanding and raise your glasses to the Bride and Groom … Zoey and Jason…The new Mr. & Mrs. Ridyard