Speech by Rob Williams

Speech Type: Groom
Speech Creator: Rob Williams
Speech Date: May 2001
I was really nervous before hand, so I prepared a few lines – and having
snorted them I'm feeling pretty good right now…

Ladies and Gentlemen, until today, April 21st has not been a very historic day: I was hoping to give you all a short list of fascinating events that had happened "On this day in History", but not much has happened: A quick look on TheHistoryChannel.com told me that on this day in 1918 the Red Baron was killed in Action over France, in 1926 Queen Elizabeth II was born, and on this day in the year 2001, you attended this wedding reception and heard the finest wedding speech of your entire lifetime, and my best man, Andrew, will be making it.

I did, of course, have a great speech of my own worked out for you today, but as I am now married, my wife has told me what to say instead.

[Thank you – Parents]
Anyway, thank you Randy for those kind words, I am proud to be your son-in-law, I hope I can live up to your expectations. I would sincerely like to thank yourself, and Barbara, for always making me feel very welcome when I come to visit; and for giving us this wonderful wedding, and reception. Most of all, thank you for giving me your blessing, to marry your lovely daughter, Erica.

We would like to thank both sets of parents as we wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for them. Thank you for all of your love and support over the years. For all the advice you have given us. For putting up with us and pointing us in the right direction.

Thank you for all the help with today's preparations, the flowers, the favours, the limos, the finance the list is endless. I must also thank Randy and Barbara for bringing up such a lovely daughter. In addition, due to the number of phone calls between Erica and her mother, the phone company would also like to thank you both.

Today also represents a great occasion for both my parents, being the culmination of many years of planning of a different sort. They have prepared me well, supported me through school and college and taught me the difference between right and wrong, but only so that I know which I am enjoying at any given time!

[Thank you – All]
As for the rest of you. On behalf on my wife and I, we would like thank all of you for coming here today and sharing our special day with us. Especially those who have traveled so far to be here.

I would like to thank you all for your presence in both senses of the word, it's been like Christmas every day for about a month now – always something new arriving, and Erica has been checking the registry lists on-line, reporting each new gift purchase almost as it happens! It will be hard to come home to find just the usual bills and junk mail from now on. But a huge Thank you for all the presents and for your cards and kind thoughts, but most of all for the smiling faces I see in front of me.

[Thank you – Erica]
I asked Laura a few weeks ago, how Erica looks in her Wedding dress, she said looked wonderful, but that didn't prepare me enough for when I saw her walk down the aisle. I was overwhelmed to the say the least by how beautiful Erica looks today.

I want everyone here, especially Erica, to know how lucky I feel to be here right now. Erica is beautiful, intelligent, hard working. The list of her good qualities is extremely long. But, unfortunately I can't read her handwriting – must be something to do with her being a doctor.

But seriously, to my wife, my bride and joy, thank you for everything you have done. You know everything about me and love me just the same. I have my faults, yet you still agreed to marry me. I am extremely lucky today to be the one to marry you – and I hope this is the start of many happy years together.

We have been planning this wedding for over a year now, although it seems like a lifetime. Well, I say "we", really Erica did all the work, I just agreed to show up on the day! Still I hope she's impressed by how well I scrubbed up for the occasion. Any of you that know me, will know that I usually look, as if I dressed in front of an aeroplane propeller. So a big thank you to all that have helped us, but especially to Erica who has managed so well.

[Thank you – Travis]
A special thank you to Travis Taylor, (My room mate in College at Richmond) who could not be here today, but who is responsible for introducing Erica and I way back in 1994.

[Thank you – Andrew]
I would personally like to thank Andrew for agreeing to be my Best Man. He has been a tower of strength throughout the proceedings. Well, that is to say he was there when we picked out the tuxes. Haven't seen much of him since. Of course the trouble with being the best man at a wedding is that you never get to prove it.

[Thank you – Ushers]
Erica and I would also like to thank Eric and Glen for being ushers today. Eric asked one lady if she was a "friend of the groom" to which she replied, "certainly not, I'm the bride's mother!" only joking, Barbara. But here's a special thank you to Glen for agreeing to be my usher and doing such a fine job considering the appalling job Dave and I did at his wedding.

[Thank you – Bridesmaids]
A final and big thank you goes to our bridesmaids: Meredith, Jen and Laura. Laura could not be here today as she was giving birth to a 10 and a half pound baby boy – I don't know – the excuses people will come up with not to attend your wedding! But 10 and a half pounds is a lot of baby! – lets raise a glass to Laura! To Meredith and Jen, we would like to say how lovely you look and thank you for doing such a wonderful job today.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please be upstanding. I would like to propose a toast . to the bridesmaids.

Well I could stand here and give you a load of stale old jokes, but instead I think I'll leave that to the best man. Ladies and gentlemen, Dr Andrew Mong