“She has a heart the size of Toronto” – Maid of Honour Speech by Natasha

Speech Type: Maid of Honour
Time to Read Aloud: 5 minutes
Our Favourite Line: “They have made it. A DOZEN years together and stronger every day. High school sweethearts who have defied the odds. Leave it to them to be defiant in the face of anything!”

When Sharon first told me – note that I was told, not asked – that I was making a speech, I thought it was her way of getting back at me for everything I ever did to her while we were growing up.

Lately I realised that it is actually an honour to be asked to address YOU. Look to your left. Look to your right. YOU are the people Sharon and Darren love the most. They’ve invited you because this day would not be the same without you and you have made them a priority in your lives by celebrating with them. You have honoured them with your presence and made their day so special and unforgettable. On behalf of my family, I would like to thank you all for coming.

As the sister of the bride, I have a unique view of Sharon. She was the little sister I had always wanted. She was a happy, precocious child whose middle name was mischief. I remember her ability to get into all sorts of trouble and then proclaim quite indignantly, “NOT ME!” One of my favourite memories of her childhood was her grinning while dancing on top of our family’s picnic table in a pile of snow. Flash forward to a charming pre-teen in braces who got permission to come and stay with me in Ottawa at my first apartment. She consistently slept late but was willing to go along with my crazy sleeping-out-on-the-balcony schemes.

Then, as she got older, we shared a room for a few months while I stayed in Toronto. She had learned that little sister trick of appropriating and wearing things that were not hers. And, every single night before we went to sleep, I was subjected to the same boy band song, something about the end of the road. I really wished it was the end of the road. Sharon, I still have nightmares!

When Sharon started dating, my parents aged about 10 years. She was young, fun, pretty and headstrong. A deadly combination. Every guy wanted to date her and they were willing to pull crazy tricks to spend time with her. There was one guy who climbed up my parents’ garage to the roof to get to her window… Oh wait, that was Darren. There was also a boyfriend my father chased down the street barefoot… Wait, that was Darren too. To say that trouble began when Sharon started dating Darren is an understatement… but it will make great stories for them to tell their grandkids!

Sharon has grown into a beautiful woman. She is no longer my little sister, but a graceful, smart, generous, caring equal. It is an honour to know the person she has become. She has a heart the size of Toronto and an innate sense of good that she is willing to stand behind. She is a great friend, as you know, loyal, patient and generous. She loves a challenge and this is where Darren comes in. Darren, you are one lucky guy! Sharon, you look stunning and Darren, well you look stunned!

So Darren here’s some advice for the future:

• She is always right
• She always needs some new clothes
• She never looks fat in anything
• If she’s right, say so, and if she isn’t, say nothing!

So here we are, their wedding. They have made it. A DOZEN years together and stronger every day. High school sweethearts who have defied the odds. Leave it to them to be defiant in the face of anything!

Today is a celebration of not only where they are now, but the road that has brought them here. They have built a beautiful life together.

I think you all will join me in this wish. Sharon and Darren, may you live forever in love and may love live forever in you.