Speech by Tony Slater

Speech Type: Groom
Speech Creator: Tony Slater
Speech Date: Aug 2009
Thank you very much Bob for both your speech and most importantly for allowing me
to take the hand in marriage of your beautiful daughter Bernice.

Ladies and Gentlemen, friends and family I would like to take this opportunity
to thank you all on behalf of myself and my wife, I would like
stop for whispered correction from Bernice..

I had hoped to use this occasion to be able to speak uninterrupted for once,
however my wife, Bernice, has just pointed out that it should be “on behalf of my
wife and I”. So on behalf of my wife and I , I would like to thank you all for
sharing this very special day with the both of us.

Unfortunately, it's not been possible to have everyone we love here with us today,
but we know they're here with us in spirit &amp they're not only in our thoughts
today, but more importantly they're with us in our hearts.
So, with them in mind, would you please all stand, raise your glasses, &amp join me
in a toast to absent family &amp friends.

Ladies &amp Gentlemen, “Absent Family &amp Friends”

I would like to give special thanks to my parents, Bill and Marjorie, who over
the years have given me a great deal of advice and support and without whom I
wouldn't be who I am. For my mum this is probably a day she thought would never
happen. I would also like to thank them on behalf of my wife for the warmth and
friendship they have shown to her, in welcoming her into the family.

As a small token of our appreciation I would like to offer these flowers to my
mother Marjorie

Also I would like to thank Bob and his family for all that they have done and
their support over the last 18 months.

The majority of organisation and planning for our big day has been done by Bernice.
She has spent a lot of time working to make our special day perfect and I would
ike her to know I appreciate it, So a big thank you from me your husband

For those among us that don't know, Bernice and myself met in an on-line computer
game when I ran past her character, stopped and went back just to chat. We began
playing together over the next few days and became good friends. Even then I felt
something important had occurred, a life changing event if you will. Over the
following months our friendship grew stronger and we began phoning each other,
eventually agreeing to meet up. As time passed we both knew that the initial
feeling had been right and we became a couple

I have been fortunate, by chance I have met the one person who is my perfect
soul-mate, someone I have always loved, even before we met and will always love,
whose very existence is tied so closely to mine that we both know each others
thoughts. Today my soul-mate has become my beautiful wife and has done me much honour.
My dad once said to me “You need a reason to get up every day, whether it's to cut
the grass, paint the front door or go to the seaside.” For me that reason is
Bernice. The reason I get up everyday is because of Bernice, every breath I take
is for Bernice, everything I do, everything I think is for Bernice. And I look
forward to spending the rest of my life with you, you are my reason for being,
my reason for everything.

I think the German Philosopher , Psychologist and Psychoanalyst Erich Fromm sums up
all that I have tried to say when he said
Immature love says: &quotI love you because I need you.&quot
Mature love says: &quotI need you because I love you.&quot
Not only do I love you Bernice, I need you more and today you have made me so happy,
and I hope to be able to repay you for the rest of our lives together.

Ladies and gentlemen I would ask you to be upstanding and raise your glasses in a
toast to my Wife,
Darling you look beautiful, To Bernice.

Now we come to the best man. For those that don't know him I would point out that he
is also my Father. I don't think I could find a better man to be my best man. After
all a father is supposed to be a role model in your formative years and that gradually
changes to becoming a friend. Over the years I have realised that, for a man,
probably his father knows him best and is his best friend in the background.
He wont intrude unwantedusually and he will step forward when needed to add his
right arm to give you support.

The down side to all of this, is that he probably has more dirt on me then everyone
else in the room and as he is my best man I would like him to think on the nice
things I have just said about him when it comes to his turn to give his speech.

I would also like him to accept this gift on behalf of my wife and I as a thank you.

Could I please ask the four bridesmaids to stand please.
On behalf of my wife Bernice and I , I would like to thank you all for being
bridesmaids, I know it means a lot to Bernice, each of you being here. And I hope
everyone agrees that you all look stunning. So Alison &amp Ebony, Claire &amp Kaitlin thank
you once again and if you would like to come forward we have a gift for each of you.
Ladies and gentleman please raise your glasses in a toast
To the bridesmaids

A final word before I hand over to the best man for his speech.

I would like to borrow a quote from Boris Pasternak, the Russian poet.
He said “Love is not a weakness. It is strong. Only the sacrament of marriage can contain it.”
I will leave you with those words to dwell upon as I now hand you over to my father &amp best man