Best Man's Speech

I remember Ryan's speech the least. Partially because someone had just told me we were almost an hour late finishing dinner, so our reception guests were starting to arrive and were waiting for us! And partially because Ryan spoke for so long.













Ryan started behind the podium but quickly moved out. I suspected, and was later verified, that Ryan was winging it. However, it was a lovely speech in which he talked about Wade, the start of our relationship, and how happy he was for us.


















It was funny, touching and personal. It was just so long that I can't remember it all, and with Ryan winging it, he can't reproduce it. As Ryan would say: "Doh!" (That was why I had asked our friend/videographer to film the speeches. But he forgot. So ... "double-doh!")

(Source of all pictures: Unveiled Photography)

Maid of Honour Speech:

Yep, we're getting near the end. All we have left is this post, the best man's speech, the cake cutting & the dancing.

So Jocelyn started by talking about our high school days. She alluded to my former love of obsession with Collective Soul, among other things! She was a great blend of sentimental and humourous. I remember less of her speech than some of the earlier speeches, but I think it's also because I haven't received her notes from the speech to refresh my memory. (It's amazing how much some of the speeches came back to me when I read what they said.)

So here are the pictures:




















(Can you see what Jocelyn is holding in the picture frame? It is what you think it is.)

(Source of all pictures: Unveiled Photography)

P.S. Boy can you ever tell in the picture of Joce holding the photo that she didn't wear a bra. She thought the dress would hold her in and hold her girls up. Well, it did hold her in, but it didn't hold them up! (And Joce, if you're reading this ... I won't say I told you so ... but that's what I'm thinking!)

A speech from two former roommates: a doctor and a teacher tell all!

Bridesmaids Kristy and Emily said a few words.

They had a back-and-forth speech, which they shared marvelously. Again, as with earlier speeches, I was intrigued by how people described me. I'm not surprised by how Wade was described: kind, fun-loving, sports-loving and just generally a good guy. And it's true. I was described as organized (huh?), a natural planner (um, I plan things, but it's not natural!) and Emily described me as diplomatic. Now that one blew me away because I thought I was hot-headed.

Anyway, Kristy and Emily talked about how we serendipitously met near the end of first year. They talked about our three years of living together and growing together. They talked about when I first started dating Wade, and how "old" he was (29) when we met. (And then they talked about how they now know 29 is not old!)

The ladies had a lovely, thoughtful, touching and humourous speech. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and especially enjoyed the expressions they made as they told it:


















(Source of all pictures: Unveiled Photography)

A speech from my uncle and a letter from my cousin

Next up, my uncle spoke.











My uncle is the oldest of my dad's siblings. He spoke first of how there are some family members who couldn't be with us that evening, and we remember them with love. It was beautiful. Then he talked a bit about how I was the only granddaughter on that side of the family. And he read a letter from my cousin, who lives in Saudi Arabia, and couldn't make it back for the wedding. My cousin, who is 9 years older than I, recalls me as a child organizing him, his brother Adam, and my brothers into whatever game it was we were playing. I don't recall this at all, but I laugh to think of me organizing my older cousins. They probably didn't call me organized then - they probably called me bossy!

My uncle concluded his speech by wishing Wade and me many years of happy marriage ...








... and by giving Wade an "easy button"!

(Source of all pictures: Unveiled Photography)

My parents-in-law's speech

Gord started by introducing himself as "Pops" (although Wade also calls him "Pa"), then said:

"For those who don’t know, Wade met Krista on the ball diamond, now Krista’s got the real diamond." (Haha)

Gord continued: "Wade and I have a lot of similarities. We love sports, especially Leafs hockey, Jays ball, and Jeff Gordon Nascar. I’m not sure about Nascar, but Krista enjoys her sports. Also, Wade has a spotless reputation like his Pops."












(For the record, I love ball and hockey. And I don't really like Nascar. So Gord was right in his assessment!)

Mary continued by recounting when Wade and I met: "he told me that she was a Queen’s student working for the summer at Dupont and that she was playing ball for one of the plant baseball teams. One evening his team was playing her team and he told me that he noticed that she had a really beautiful smile. Wasn’t that a nice beginning?"












At this point, Mary explained that she had promised Wade that they would not tell any "little Wadie" stories as he had just been a very sweet little boy. And then Mary looked at me with what can only be descripted as a naughty look, saying that she had a story she hadn't intended to share as she wasn't sure if it would meet my request for the story to be PG-13. (I was a little confused because it is rare that Mary tells any stories that aren't PG-13, which also made me nervous!)

Here's the story Mary told us about Wade as a kindergartener. Mary was doing the dishes when she heard Wade (Wadie) telling his little brother Mark (Marky) a new word at school that day. Mary eavesdropped on their conversation in the living room from the kitchen, and she heard Wadie saying, "I learned a new word today, Marky. It's 'truck'!" Marky repeated the word, but Wade got upset with him. This is Mary describing how she was confused this was a new word to Wade:
Wade repeated saying over and over, "No Marky, it's truck, to which Marky would repeat, "Truck?", which went back and forth a few times. Finally, Mary heard Wade say, "No Marky, it's an 'f' word!"

And hence my sneak peak picture of me laughing my head off!
Mary went on to say that after forty years of marriage, she and Gord should have profound and wise advice about marriage, but they don't. (Which also elicited laughter.) [In her defense, she always claims the secret to their happy marriage is separate vacations!]

So she ended with this quote from Leo Buscaglia: “A loving relationship is one in which the loved one is free to be himself - to laugh with me, but never at me; to cry with me, but never because of me; to love life, to love himself, to love being loved.”

And together, Mary and Gord welcomed me to the family and led a toast to a long and happy marriage.

(Source of all pictures: Unveiled Photography)

Coming up next ... my new parent-in-laws's speech

Here's a sneak peek of our reaction during their speech:
(Source: Unveiled Photography)

My dad's speech

I left off as we started dinner.

My dad has an odd sense of humour and has strong opinions. For example, he doesn't understand why I did an arts term in England right after undergrad, nor why I did a master's degree in occupational health. He see things in black-and-white. And if he drinks, the stories, opinions and jokes are all the more interesting. So I had no idea what to expect!












(Source: Unveiled Photography)

My dad started talking about the day I was born. How my mom woke him at 5 in the morning. How they had to drop the dog (Chu Chu, a lhasa apso) at my paternal grandparents' house. How I was born at 4:45 that evening with a loud cry. He talked about how I was a special child - the first grandchild for my maternal grandparents, the fourth grandchild but first granddaughter for my paternal grandparents.

He told a story about New Year's Eve 1982. I was just over a year old and it was then that they realized I had the ability to talk and entertain: my parents and grandparents were having a new year's eve dinner in a restaurant where the average age was well over elderly. I apparently spent the night going from table to table in this small restaurant telling stories and delighting patrons.

He continued to tell a story that my mom remembers differently. When I was not quite 3, I really wanted a cat. My dad hates cats. He thinks I convinced my mom to get a cat. (That's highly unlikely.) My mom thinks I convinced my dad to get a cat. (That's highly likely - he couldn't say no.) So I got a cat for my third birthday. My dad figured, well, I guess cats don't live that long. Ten years, maybe a little longer.

He continued on with a couple anecdotes. Overall, I was impressed and pleased. And most of all, surprised at some of the things he remembered. Of course he remembered I figure skated: I did that for 15 years. And I played softball for about as long. But I can't believe he remembered that I did gymnastics when I was about 5, 6 years old. He just filled in with a few examples of how I like to plan things and how I was always responsible. (Except for the time I knocked a wheel off the car. But that wasn't my fault: I hit black ice!)

He ended with a touching toast. I meant for the speeches to be videotaped, but they weren't. Fortunately, I am rounding up people's notes to save their words.

Oh yeah, and the cat? Pepper lived to be 23. In the end my dad liked Pepper. But they haven't got another cat!