Speech by Rob H

Speech Type: Groom
Speech Creator: Rob H
Speech Date: 25/09/2016 18:12:14

Thank you Mick for those lovely words, and thanks to all of you for coming, it means an awful lot to Nansi and I that you're here to celebrate with us, firstly that you managed to find your way here despite the disturbing lack of vowels on the road signs and secondly for forking out for the extortionate Severn bridge toll!

Now, those of you that know me well will know that I need no help with speaking in public, but as it's a special occasion I did some research and found this piece of advice on my speech, to make sure it has a good beginning, and a good ending. But most of all to make sure they're close together! So I'll do what I can, although Nansi has assured me that she will step in if I'm too boring.

Firstly I'd like to thank Mick and Sian. From the first day I meet you, you've really made me feel like a part of the family for which I can't thank you enough. You've also made me more tea than I thought possible, so thank you for that! I'd also like to thank you for raising such a beautiful, kind and caring daughter it doesn't take long in your company to realise where she gets it all from.

And while we're on the subject of fantastic children I'd like to say thank you to my parents for raising such a charming, handsome and modest son although, I've no idea where I get those qualities from! In all seriousness though, thank you for everything you've done for me, you've always been there for me and I know you've made Nansi feel incredibly welcome, so thank you.

And thank you to all four of you for your help in making today happen, you've all done so much behind the scenes and we couldn't have done this without you. So if you could all be upstanding, I'd like to raise a toast:

To the Parents

I'd like to say a few words about the bridesmaids Iona and Alaw, I'm sure everyone will agree when I say they look fantastic tonight. You both did a wonderful job of getting Nansi to the chapel on time, thank you to Alaw for making Nansi's hair look amazing and for finding hair grips strong enough to weld it in place, and to Iona for being a supportive and caring sister and for building a back-up wedding cake out of cardboard just in case! Thank you both for your hard work today.

And if you could again be upstanding I'd like to raise a toast:

To The Bridesmaids

I'd also like to say thank you to my Best Men, Steve and Sim. We've been friends for as long as I can remember and you've been wonderful today, you've kept me calm and got me to where I needed to be on time, thank you. I'd also like to say thank you for such a unique stag do, I'm sure I'll never look at bluebells (or schnapps) in the same way again.

And thank you to Tony for doing a great job ushering today, everyone was sitting in the right places and you managed to search handbags and frisk pockets with utmost discretion. Well done!

We'd also like to say Diolch yn fawr to Anti Nest for her beautiful singing during the ceremony, and to Miss Davies for marrying us. And thank you to Will and Laura for their lovely reading and to Deborah for designing our invitations they were better than we could've imagined. And thank you to everyone else who has helped us organise today, I'm sure I've missed people, but thank you all it really has been a wonderful day so far!

And last, but by no means least, my Wife.

I was planning on saying that part in Welsh, but I kept getting Gwraig and Draig mixed up and I didn't think calling Nansi a dragon was the best way to start a marriage!

Nansi and I first met at Uni, Nansi had decided she wanted to meet her housemates’ strange friends, and we all wanted to find out if it was true that Andy lived with girls! Turns out it was true and after a few months, Nansi invited me to the pub to watch Wales v France in the six nations. I tried to extend the invitation to my housemates but they told me that I was being asked out on a date and that, no, they didn't want to come along too. It's now 7 years later and we haven't looked back!

There have of course been difficulties along the way, the yearly rebuilding of Offa's Dyke in the lounge during the Six Nations being the main one, but fortunately we've managed to remain on speaking terms throughout.

Anyway, I'd like to take this opportunity to firstly, say thank you for all of the hard work that you've put in to planning today, making the flowers, burning everyone's names into the place settings and of course, for turning up! Today definitely couldn't have happened without you!

And secondly to tell you how beautiful you look today. I know that you hate being the centre of attention like this, so I won't go on for too long, but I've never met anyone as kind, caring and as selfless as you. You light up every room that you walk into and I feel incredibly lucky today to be your husband and I look forward to many more happy years together.

So for the last time tonight if I could ask you to raise your glasses to my beautiful wife:

To Nansi!

Anyway, I think that's probably enough from me so I'll hand over to my best men who up until now were my oldest friends and who I have a feeling may be about to become my newest enemies! Over to you guys!