Speech by Leigh M

Speech Type: Groom
Speech Creator: Leigh M
Speech Date: 12/07/2015 20:32:16

Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends, on behalf of my beautiful wife and I, we would like to thank you all for being with us today. I know a lot of you have travelled from near and far and taken time off work to join Charlotte and me in celebrating this very special day. Unfortunately as with all occasions such as this, there are some loved ones who could not be here today for various reasons. My Gran and Grandad on my dad's side to name but a few. To these I'd like to raise the first toast of the evening, so please be upstanding ….to absent family and friends.

You will have to forgive me as I go on as I've never been very good at showing my emotions, however I fear today may be an exception. I'd like to thank Roger for his kind words earlier. Roger loves Charlotte very much, so I know this is a very emotional day for him. When I first spoke to him about taking his daughters hand in marriage the night before Michael and Leanne's wedding, he put his hand out straight away and told me he couldn't be happier. I'm not sure if it was a quick it's a done deal, lets shake on it hand! But a hand none the less! You made one of the biggest moments in my life pass with ease so thank you very much. That night proved to be a night to remember for other reasons, which I certainly enjoyed…..but we won't go there!

Sarah, thank you for being a fantastic mother to Charlotte. The morals and virtues you have instilled in your daughter is a credit to you and I hope this day is as special for you as it is for us. As an added bonus you've always known the way to my heart by keeping me fed well, which is now starting to show!

I'd like to thank both Roger and yourself for welcoming me into your family and for raising such a wonderful, unique daughter.  My own parents, I owe you eternal debt both emotionally and probably financially, you always did all you could do to give me the best opportunities in life and for that I am eternally grateful. Mum, I know every bit of advice you have TRIED to give me over the years has been to better me and give me the best possible start you could. Please be assured Mum, I feel as though I have lived a very privileged life so far and I have you and of course Dad to thank for guiding so. Dad, you always worked hard to provide for us. Something that certainly seems to me, you did with ease. And when the time comes that Charlotte and I decide to start a family, and it will, it's something we have spoken about. If our children end up seeing me in even half the way that Phillip, Carlie and I see you right now then I will be a very happy man.

It isn't traditional but I cannot go through this speech without mentioning my gran and grandad. They are the only grandparents I've known since a very young age and they are the best. Love you both! I'm sure you'll all agree that my mum and Charlotte's mum look very beautiful today and both have put in a lot of time and hard work to make this day as magical as it feels. We can't thank both sets of parents enough for your wonderful contribution to this wedding. Did you know… the combined marriage length of both sets of parents is in excess of 60 years, which surely must be worth a toast itself! Ladies and gentlemen please be upstanding ….to loving parents.

Talking of looking beautiful and glamorous… a big thank you to my ushers Phillip, Rob, Max, Dave and Craig who have done a fantastic job in making sure people are being taken care of. There's an unwritten rule that the groomsmen should not look better than the groom, so thanks boys for complying with that, both today and most other days really! 🙂 Now onto the lady of the hour – my stunning wife. You've looked beautiful every day that we've been together but today you took my breath away walking down the aisle. I remember the very first time I saw Charlotte. She was stood in a corridor with her friend just uncontrollably laughing about something. Typical Charlotte! I remember thinking to myself just how pretty she was. From then on, I used to do whatever I could just to see her or spend time around her. I'm sure she probably thought I was just some creep and wanted me to go away. Eventually I managed to get in touch with her and asked her out for a drink, she said no! She thought I was joking! Not the best start, after convincing her that I was in fact serious, she agreed. So I took her to the one of the classiest watering holes in Cov town centre……..The oak! With its sticky floors and students being sick in the corner….she must have thought she'd got a right keeper!

Back then I was still serving in the military and so was only around at weekends. We quickly took a shine to each other and started spending most of the weekends together. I'd pick her up on a Sunday early evening before I was going back to base and we'd just hang out or go for a drink. I later found out that charlotte hadn't at first told her parents that there was perhaps a love interest but just that she was going to the cinema with a friend and that Sarah and Roger had named this CINEMA SUNDAY! Of course I'm sure they knew there was more to it.

I ended up spending a lot of time around Charlottes when I was back, as Charlotte would never let me leave! Roger and Sarah were very warming to me and treated me as part of the family, for which I am very grateful.

I had a house that I had been renting out and decided that my naval career had come to an end and so needed somewhere to live so I had to ask my tenants to leave. Now, it's not that I minded the slow and steady build-up of everything Charlotte owned without me even asking her to move in! However the random appearances of little cushions, matching towels and pot pourri was an inconvenience to say the least! Whenever I went back round to Sarah and Rogers they'd just grin at me! “She's yours now!”

But, seriously, I'm sure Grooms up and down the land, day in, day out stand here in my place and proclaim they are the luckiest guy alive but I truly am. Charlotte is the sweetest, kindest, fun loving person you could ever wish to meet. And to top it all off she is gorgeous!

You are my absolute world and I couldn't imagine existing without you. When I was writing this speech I wanted to include something cultural – a sonnet or poem about how I felt to be spending the rest of my life with someone I love, and I came across this “We can make the sun shine in the moon light We can make the grey clouds turn to blue skies with the strength of our love We can't go nowhere but up With you I've nothing to fear, We'll take it to the sky past the moon to the galaxy As long as you're with me, baby We can't go nowhere but up” And that ladies and gentlemen is from one of the greatest wordsmiths of our generation.… Justin Bieber. Despite having being written by a terrible singer and a truly shocking person, the words still hold true and I cannot wait to spend the rest of our lives together. So ladies and gentlemen please join me in raising a toast to my beautiful wife……..to Charlotte. Thank you to the stunning bridesmaids for all of the support you've given Charlotte today and every day. You all look wonderful. Thank you for getting Charlotte back from her hen-dos in one piece, although I've seen pictures from those weekends which I can never un-see… So ladies and gents please join me in a toast ….to the bridesmaids. We have some gifts to give out just to show our appreciation to all the key players today…..

Both our mothers, both of our fathers, bridesmaids and of course the grooms men. A special mention for Maddie for all of her efforts in helping to get things ready and organised for today.

Finally I would like to thank the best man, Andy. We have been mates since we were 11. Hess been there through thick and thin and I'm so very proud of him and everything he has achieved. However, he is suffering from an illness which means that he has a habit for making up stories, some might say lies, so please bear that in mind when he is talking shortly.

Just before I finish we have a couple of birthdays today and both of these divas have given up their day in the limelight to come here and celebrate with us. One's a man mountain and one is half French……..So if you could join me in a quick happy birthday toast, we're just going to say Happy Birthday to Danny and Adrian……Happy Birthday Danny and Adrian. And with that I thank you all again for coming, now let's get smashed!