Speech by Luke T

Speech Type: Groom
Speech Creator: Luke T
Speech Date: 25/04/2017 17:53:45

For someone who spends a lot of time talking in front of people in my job I am incredibly nervous, however, as it isn't that often I get five minutes un-interrupted so I will try make the most of it.

First of all …my wife and I would like to thank everyone for making it here today and to share our special day. I know that a number have people have travelled a very long way to be here so we just hope that you are all enjoying it as much as we are.

Before I move into the long list of thanks you we owe people for today I'd like everyone to raise a glass to those who are not able to be with us today. To Grandad Jim and to Grandma Mary who are watching down on us and to Grandad Stan and to Grandma Rosalie and Grandad Brian who were unfortunately unable travel to be with us today. So please raise a glass to absent loved ones.

We never quite appreciated just how much work goes into just one day…until you reflect back on everything that has happened since we got engaged, the wedding fayres, shoe shopping, make-up trials and then there were the things Laura had to do!

We both know all of this would not have been possible without help from so many people.  Can we just say thanks to:

Tom, Tom, Josh, Elliot & Chris – for doing a great job with their usher duties

Amanda – for the beautiful flower arrangements

Tasha & Kizzy – for your lovely readings

The whole team here at Essenden and especially Jo – who has had so much contact with Laura over the past 12 months she very nearly got asked to be a bridesmaid!

There has been help from so many people that I may have not mentioned everyone so I sincerely apologize if that is the case.

If you could all please give a big round of applause and raise your glasses to say thank you for all their help. Toast.

Finally, we would just like to say a big thank you to all of the bridesmaids. To Kizzy, Olivia, Lizzie, Gemma and Lucy we really are grateful for the amount of help and support you have given us in preparing for today and for organizing such a brilliant hen do for Laura as well.

You all look absolutely stunning and we are very thankful that you have been part of today and for your continuing friendships, can I ask you to raise your glasses for the toast. .. to the bridesmaids.

Julia and Andy, I would like to thank you both for welcoming me as part of Laura's life right from the start. You have been so supportive since me and Laura met and especially in the run up to the wedding. From the dress fittings to the venue visits, the flowers to the budgeting advice and from suit shopping to the very generous contributions. In fact you've both been so helpful anyone would think you couldn't wait to give Laura away.

We both think so much of you and we just want to say thank you for the love and guidance over the years and I especially want to thank you for bringing up such an incredible woman and for helping Laura become the person I have very luckily married today.

I promise both of you to take good care of her and support her in everything she wants to do just as you have over the years.

Ladies and gentlemen, please raise a glass to Andy and Julia.

And to the rest of my new family – I couldn't have asked for better people to share the special moments with over the years to come so to:

Chris, Pam, Celia and Stan.

Carol, Carl, Ben and Nicola.

Andy, Lucy, Kate and Maddie.

Jeff, Linda and Jamie.

Gill, Dave and Harry.

And Steve, Jane, Tom, Mel and Jack.

Thank you for being so welcoming to me also.

OK – Mum and Dad,

So without you two I literally would not be here – but there is probably no need to talk about that alcohol fuelled night right now. As the first of four I'm sure you were nervous, scared but also excited about raising a child. Let me start by saying there is no one in the world who would have done a better job.

You have always been there for me whenever I have needed you and you have always encouraged me to be the best I possibly can be. You never judged me when I decided not to continue in education, when I swapped my computer job to work in a bar or when things went wrong and you were there to pick up the pieces. I owe every achievement I've made to your love, advice and support. I have inherited and learnt so much from both of you about hard work, respect, manners and being part of a family. I have also learnt that Sunday nights should be take-away night, that fire-pits are pretty cool and they do actually make blue plastic elephants for taps that help children wash their hands.

I am also very grateful for you welcoming Laura into the family and treating her like a daughter. I know you made her feel very comfortable from the start.

So can everybody please raise your glasses for my mum and dad – Bruce and Joanne.

And equally to my extended Leeds family of everyone that is here today, who all have played their part in helping me to be whom I am today – please raise your glasses.

Ok, onto the main event – Laura.

First of all, I would just like to say how beautiful you look today, I think everyone would agree.

I couldn't decide whether or not to put in a funny story in this speech – for example the time Laura miss-took a wheelbarrow for a baby elephant or the time she tied her tracksuit bottoms so tight she couldn't get them off to go to the toilet but I thought as it's her wedding day we'll skip those bits.

I'd like to thank Laura for the huge amount of hard work she has put into today and for making sure it all runs smoothly. Despite planning and organising actually being Laura's favourite hobby it has still taken a great deal of time and effort and I think we all agree you have done a great job.

Me and Laura met back when I was running the pub in St. Albans, she would come in for a family sized ice cream sundae which she then would polish off by herself and I would think of an excuse to talk to the pretty blonde in the conservatory. It took me a while but I eventually got a date out of her and things went from there.

She has been the most supportive partner I could have wished for both personally and professionally and I really couldn't have dreamed of achieving some of the things I have if it hadn't been for her so thank you.

She is kind and loving and always puts others before herself. She hasn't got a bad bone in her body and over the years together I certainly feel I have become a better person because of her.

We moved in together pretty quickly but I do think that the time we have spent living together has really helped us get to know each other better and prepare us for married life. As in any good relationship you both learn from each other through both the good times and the bad. And I am now certainly prepared for a lifetime of Love, Live and Laugh signs throughout my entire house and Laura is now aware that no matter when or where you are in the world there is always a sporting event to be attended.

It would also be remiss of me to not mention Olly who unfortunately couldn't be with us today on account of the fact that he is a dog but has been a major part in both mine and Laura's life over the past years and has helped us to create some very happy memories. He has hopefully also prepared us for the possibility of some human shaped little ones in the future with his toilet habits, allergies and attention seeking.

People always say your wedding day is supposed to be the best day of your life, and so far it is certainly living up to expectations however there is a quote from Frank Sinatra who said:

‘You ain't seen nothing yet, the best is yet to come.’

So please ladies and gentleman, raise a glass to my best friend, my partner and now my wife – to Laura.

And so without further ado, I will pass the baton over to my two best men, Toby and Zak. However, if weddings were not so sexist there would definitely be a best woman up here too in my little sister Kizzy.

Before they start I would however like to point out they both had a very long journey down from Leeds yesterday which may well have affected their memory slightly and they have both recently unfortunately been diagnosed with moderate exaggeration disorder so please bear that in mind!