Speech by Vinnie Devine

Speech Type: Groom
Speech Creator: Vinnie Devine
Speech Date: 26/09/2011 17:43:37

VINNIE SPEECH Rev C

Thank you Alan for your kind words……..

Distinguished guests, relatives, friends and freeloaders………………

FINALLY after 9 years, I can say this…… on behalf of my wife and I……… I would like to thank everyone for coming today, it means so much to us, to have everyone we love and care about here to share our special day…….and a special thank you to those who have had long journeys to be here.  Especially Nick who has now made the journey twice over to be here.  And thank you all very much for all the cards and gifts that we have received.

OK gents, you will notice that on your tables, there is a lottery ticket.  This is your favour, and I need to inform you, that by coming along today, if you win tonight you are contractually obliged to put your credit card behind the bar for the remainder of the evening.  No??………  I'm guessing you missed the small print on Lauren's info sheet included with the invites?

NOW as is custom, there will be a couple of toasts during my speech, so please don't neck the whole glass at the first toast, mentioning no names………….Mum. To start with, I would like to take this opportunity to say that unfortunately, there are some people close to our hearts who cannot be with us today.  My cousin Kim and her partner Gareth who have just given birth to a new baby son Luke congratulations to them, my gran Devine and aunty Catherine due to ill health and Lauren's Grandpa Harry who has passed away. I know I may have missed a few but they would have enjoyed today immensely. Our thoughts are with them and we know that their thoughts are with us.

Ladies and gentlemen… please be upstanding & raise your glasses to ABSENT AND LOST, Family and Friends.

NOW a few thankyous:

• Thanks to Tim for a lovely ceremony and for all his help leading up to today.

• Thanks to those who did the readings so eloquently, Kev, Mandy and Louise.

• Thanks goes to Aunty Dawn for making sure the ceremony was legal.

• Thanks to Lauren's Granny Etta who bought Lauren's vale and tiara.

• And thanks to Colin and Denise for a really beautiful wedding cake.  Let's hope it tastes as good as it looks!

NEXT we'd like to thank my new in-laws Alan and Eileen.  If it weren't for them we would have had to make the choice between the dream wedding day or the dream honeymoon.  Thanks to their help we are able to have both, so thank you very much for what I'm sure you'll all agree has been and will continue to be an amazing day!

TRADITIONALLY I am supposed to thank you both at this point for welcoming me into your family, but it seems strange for me to do that today as you have both made me feel like a part of it for many years now. I genuinely could not have asked for nicer in-laws, and thank you for bringing Lauren up to become the women that I have married today. I love Lauren with all of my heart and will do everything I can to continue to make her happy. As a token of our appreciation please accept these flowers.

NOW for my mum and dad – what can I say?

A special thank you for all your love and support over the years.  You've always been there when I've needed you. You've got me through thick and thin.  And dad is always a willing helper when it comes to DIY.  Which is handy, because I am totally useless!  I feel extremely lucky to have such wonderful parents. You have both taught me so much and have always encouraged me to make the most of every opportunity I've had. It must be very hard to come to terms with that you raised such a perfect son.  As a token of our appreciation please accept these flowers.

AT this stage we just have one small but very important question to ask both sets of parents…………  can you please feed the goldfish while we're away??

SO, ladies and gentleman, please be upstanding and raise your glasses, to Alan & Eileen,  Vince and Shirley.

NEXT I'd like to take this opportunity firstly to tell Lauren how beautiful you look today I can't even begin to describe how stunning you look, when I saw you coming up the aisle my heart skipped a beat.  I truly am the luckiest man alive to have you.

…… and secondly to thank Lauren for all the hard work and time she has put in to make today a such a success…… and believe me it has been a hell of a lot of time and effort.  You have almost coordinated this whole day single handedly.   I know it can't have been easy (I know this because you've told me almost on a daily basis for the last 6 months).

Thanks for my amazing kilt outfit that you bought me for today.  Hopefully there will be many more opportunities to wear it over the coming years. 

Lauren, I love you in so many ways and for so many reasons, you know me and understand me like no one else ever could, you make me laugh so hard and smile so often, you have a way of bringing out the very best in me, but mostly because you're my very best friend, my soul mate. I love you with all my heart. Thank you for marrying me and making me the happiest man alive and for loving me as much as I love you. I know this is the start of many more happy years together.

I knew while I was buying you the ring in Turkey 2 years ago that I was making the right decision………..  I didn't have to pay any V.A.T.

NOW while doing research for this speech, I was reminded of few words of wisdom that I will never forget and I would like to share these words with you today, I should point out that these words are from children……….

QUESTION – HOW DO YOU  DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?(1) You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.     – Alan, age 10(2) No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with.       – Kristen, age  10

QUESTION – WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET  MARRIED?(1) Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.        – Camille, age 10(2) No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married.       – Freddie, age 6 (very wise for his age)QUESTION – HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE  MARRIED? (1) You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.        – Derrick, age 8

QUESTION – IS  IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.       – Anita, age 9 (bless you child)

They even have one for the future…………

QUESTION – HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE  WORK?(1 ) Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck.      – Ricky, age  10   ( The boy already understands)

BUT on a serious note………….… I think that if you find the right person, you fall in love and want to spend the rest of your life together then standing up in front of your friends and family and making these promises to each other simply feels like the right thing to do.

ALSO Lauren, I don't tell you this as often as I should Lauren,  but I am so proud of you in what you have achieved.  From your honours degree in business and to your study towards being a chartered banker (try not to hold it against her folks), and also your recent promotion at work.  Your hard work and dedication is amazing.

So………….Ladies and Gentlemen, please be upstanding, for the most important toast I'm ever likely to make, TO MY WIFE MY BRIDE, TO LAUREN.

AND now Lauren's bridesmaid Louise I'm sure everyone will agree that you look stunning today. Thankyou for your help and for being there for my new wife. I know how much support you have given Lauren up to and including this day. A big thank you also to the prettiest little girl Olivia for being our flower girl. I'd like to just ask everyone to raise your glasses and join me in a toast The bridesmaids and flower girl, Louise and Olivia.

THANKS also go to the ushers, my brother's Chris and Steve and also Lauren's brother Steve who have been a great help today in making things run so smoothly………eventually.

AND thanks to Drew for agreeing to be my best man today and for organising a fantastic stag.  I've obviously known Drew for quite a while.  Being my big cousin he has always been there to offer me apart from other things, his old hand me down clothes when we were kids.  He has also offered a lot of help, advice and guidance over the years, some of it has even been useful……..… so thankyou.

BEFORE I finish, I would just like to say congratulations to two couples who recently got engaged.  To Keith and Claire and Mark and Amy.  I hope to be getting my kilt back on again soon for your weddings.  Please join me in a toast everyone to the two happy couples………………….To Keith and Claire, Mark and Amy.

ANYWAY that's enough from me, my legs are tired and I need to sit down now.I would like to thank you all once again and hope you have a great evening.It now gives me great pleasure to hand over to Drew.