I’m married! Can you even believe it? Here’s my speech from the wedding:
Before we get started, I’d like to thank Joachim for the great job he’s done tonight. When I asked Charlene to marry me, there was only one man I could think of for the job of MC. The voice of a generation, the man who makes every Saturday night exciting, and the man whom every good Canadian kid would want speaking at his wedding…but Don Cherry said he was busy tonight with some little “hockey game”, so I grabbed the next best guy.
Seriously though, both Charlene and I have known Joachim for a number of years, and Joachim was there when we first started out as a couple. Joachim’s gone from being “that wild and crazy guy Joachim”, to “that wild guy who lives in the room next to mine”, and I can honestly say (without offending any of my previous roommates who are here tonight) that he is in the top three roommates that I’ve lived with to date.
So I’d like to propose a toast to Joachim. Thank you for entertaining us,
We’d like to thank everyone for coming, many of you are coming from out of town, and we know how difficult it can be to get around in this city. Thanks in particular to Karen and Craig, who flew in from California last night, to Virginia who made it here from Eastern Quebec (and who is celebrating her birthday today! Happy Birthday to Virginia!), and to my cousin Brenda and her husband Kevin who made it all the way from Vancouver by way of the Dominican Republic.
We also want to take a second to thank Jeff for video taping our wedding, and our speeches for us, he’s had a busy summer this year, and I believe this is his third wedding that he’s video taped. Tiffany’s handling all of his bookings, so come see her after the speeches to reserve Jeff’s time.
You’ve probably seen a young lady wandering around during the festivities, speaking into her wrist, and tilting her head to hear the responses like some sort of secret agent. That’s Anne, could you stand up for a moment? We have her to thank for making this day run as smoothly as it has so far. She’s been pulling the strings from behind the scenes, and making sure that all of the players are in the right place at the right time. She’s also responsible for introducing us. For those of you who’ve been to the website, you’ve probably read “The Story of Us”, for those of you who haven’t…shame on you! But here’s an abridged version anyway. Anne is one of Char’s oldest friends, and one night she invited Charlene, and Tiffany out to The Bohemian for some drinks and some dancing. Meanwhile, half a city away, Jeff and I were invited out to the Bohemian for drinks and some dancing from one of our fellow college friends. It turned out that our friend Stacy, had met Anne on a cruise, and the two were meeting to reminice about the trip. Jeff, Jessie (who’s over there at that table) and I got to the bar, and did the whole introduction thing, and proceeded to have a few brews and get to know the gals. At one point during the night, I leaned over to Jeff and nodded to Charlene (who was doing something particularly cute), and said to him, “She will be my wife Jeff…oh yes, she will be mine.”
Well, here we are three years later, and those words have come true. So let’s raise our glasses and give a toast to Anne. “May friendship, like wine, improve as time advances,
And may we always have old wine, old friends, and young cares.”
To Charlene’s parents; I’d like to say, and thank you very much for helping us out with the wedding, we never could have managed this without your help. Thanks to Sharon, Stuart, Michelle, and Dennis as well, I’ve never felt uncomfortable around you, and I really appreciate how willingly you’ve let me come into your lives.
Piezano, over to you…(Charlene’s turn…Char’s parents, then her full speech).
Smooch bride;
Isn’t she the best?
I’m going to start out with my folks. Mom and Dad, I really appreciate all the support you’ve given me over the years, both financially in the lean, cheese eating years, and emotionally all along. You gave me the moral foundation to put me on the right track, but also allowed me the freedom to make my own choices, which has let me grow into the person I’ve become. You have always made me feel like I could do anything that I set my mind to it, and for that I am eternally grateful. I can only hope that we can be as good parents to our children as you were to me. Although I don’t say it enough, I love you both very much.
And now my guys. What can I say about these two that hasn’t already been said? I’ve known Rich longer than I’ve known anybody outside my own family. He’s been one of my best friends since grade six, and despite the fact that I tease him more than I should, he is still one of the people whom I most look forward to hearing from. This last couple of weeks has reminded me how much I value that friendship, and how easy it is to hang out with you. You always make me laugh, whether intentional or not, and being around you always puts a smile on my face. Thanks for being one of the rocks that I could always count on, and thanks for standing by my side today.
Ryan has given me the kick in the pants that I’ve needed on several occasions, both literally and figuratively. When I was really down, he continually sent me e-mails with sound files attached with famous movie quotes about why I should be determining my own destiny. He doesn’t hesitate to tell me when I’m a bonehead (like when I wasn’t sure if Charlene liked me, so I had to ask Ryan and Kari to come down and scope things out for me), but he is also one of the first to tell me when I’ve done something impressive.
Ryan’s opinion is one that I really value, because I know he will tell me the truth whether I need to hear it or not. Thank you for being the guy behind the guy behind the guy, and for always being there when I needed some advice.
I’d like to raise a glass to my two best friends. May there always be a private joke that’s absolutely hilarious to the three of us.
Finally my lovely bride.
Wow…and you thought this day would never come. You mean more to me than words can possibly say…but not exactly being a man of few words, I’m going to give it a shot.
When I first met you, I was just coming out of the darkest period of my life. You were the sunshine behind the clouds, and every day that I spend with you is brighter than the last. All my life I wanted to meet someone who inspired me, and who would love me unconditionally. The first time I saw you, I knew that I had found the person I’ve searched my whole life for, and I promised I would never let you go. You are so smart, yet never make me feel dumb, so beautiful, but so humble about it, and so funny, yet never fail to laugh at my jokes. We’ve both grown so much in these last three years, and I am so excited about what the future will hold for us.
One more toast. To my wife, may I bring you as much joy and happiness as you have brought me.