Speech by Andrew Duffin

Speech Type: Groom
Speech Creator: Andrew Duffin
Speech Date: Dec2007
Introduction:

First of all I must say a big thank you to Terry for his kind words.
I have been looking forward to saying this for a long time now, It gives me huge pleasure and pride to say to you all, Ladies and Gentleman on behalf of my wife and I”, we would like to thank you all for coming and sharing our special day with us.

Some of you have travelled a long way to come and celebrate our wedding today and we appreciate it very much.

Thank you all for our cards and fabulous gifts, we can't wait to open them later. We really hope that today is as enjoyable for you as it is as special to us.

I have a number of thank-yous to make, so please bear with me. I would like to make a toast to each one, so please make sure glasses are fully charged!

Having spent months preparing my speech I've had lots of time to think about what I wanted to include.

When I first sat down to write my speech I thought I should probably think of some jokes, but it suddenly struck me that Kelly always tells me that although I find myself funny, that doesn't necessarily mean that anyone else does. Given this, I've opted to go easy on the humour side of things. There are however a couple of attempts at jokes so please laugh!

Pauline &amp Terry:

My first thanks have to be to Pauline and Terry for all of their hard work, and time spent organising this fantastic day. I have been utterly blown away by your kindness and support in helping Kelly and I prepare for the wedding of our dreams. We honestly could not have done it with out you.

Pauline, your organisational skills are second to none. As much as I would like to take credit for organising today I can't, so thank you very much.

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 your family for a number of years now. Since I first met Kelly, I have always looked forward to coming round to your house to see you both. I genuinely could not have asked for nicer in-laws and I look forward to the free dinners for years to come!
I would also like to thank you both for allowing me to marry your beautiful Daughter. I love Kelly with all of my heart and will do everything I can to make her happy. I won't let you down.

So, Ladies and Gentleman please raise your glasses in a toast to Pauline and Terry.!

My Parents:

I'd to thank all of my parents, Mum, Michael, Barbara and Dad for all of your help in organising our special day. Again, we could not have done it with out you.

Thank you all so much for all of your support, guidance and enduring love over the years. I feel extremely lucky to have had such wonderful parents. You have each taught me so much and have always encouraged me to make the most of every opportunity I have had.

I really believe that you have made me the person that I am today, and I thank you endlessly for that. You can all draw your own conclusions as to whether that's a good thing or not.

I look forward to many years ahead of time spent with all of you and my new family.

Ladies and Gentleman, please raise your glasses, to my Parent's.

Bridesmaids:

I'm sure you'll agree how beautiful our two bridesmaids look today. Thank you both very much for all that you have done for Kelly and I, today as well as during the build up to our big day.

A special well done to Jo, for organising Kelly's hen do to Edinburgh and managing to get her extremely drunk! The 3am drunken phone calls I had on both evenings were much appreciated!

Ushers:

I would also like to say a special thank you to our ushers, Peter, Daniel, Benjamin and Thomas. You have all done an excellent job today. Although not one if you know all of the people here today, I think everyone was sat on the right side of the church!

I was particularly impressed by the way you all managed to search handbags and frisk pockets on the way into church with such discretion. Top marks there.

I would also like to briefly thank Peter, my new brother in-law, not only for welcoming me into his family but also for not having me beaten up dating his Sister.

Ladies &amp Gentleman, please raise your glasses in toast to our Bridesmaids and Ushers.

Bride:

Now onto my gorgeous new wife. Kelly – you look absolutely stunning today.

I want everyone here to know how lucky I feel to be here right now. Kelly is beautiful, intelligent, funny, caring – the list is endless but unfortunately I can't read the rest of her writing!

But seriously though, Kelly, I love you in so many ways and for so many reasons, because you know me and understand me like no one else ever could, because you believe in my dreams and care about my feelings, because you make me laugh so hard and smile so often, because 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, many happy years together.

So Ladies and Gentlemen, please be upstanding, for the most important toast I'm ever likely to make, to my Wife, my bride and my absolute world, to Kelly.

Best man:

All that remains is for me to thank my best man Mark! You have been a superb best man. Like Pauline, your organisational skills absolutely astound me. How you managed to organise 18 of us in Barcelona and keep them from putting me on a slow boat to China I shall never now
Anyway, I have been looking forward to Mark's speech all day, so it gives me great pleasure to introduce Mark, my best man.