“So I guess that makes me the maid of honour and Rachel asked me if I would mind
saying a few words to you all on her wedding day and I can think of few things
my friend could ask me to do today that I would say no to so how hard can a
speech be right?”

I allowed a small break for the laughter hoping that now I had started I would
relax, I really did hate public speaking, anything over 6 people and I was a
wreck but she asked and as I said albeit in jest I really couldn’t say no and I
had spent many years of my career covering up this phobia of mine and so I
carried on as I wanted nothing more than to say the things I had written for my
friend on her wedding day.

            “So what can I say to you all about Rachel and Andy that you don’t know and will do
them justice? Actually when I thought about that it all seemed so simple
really. They are special in so many ways to both me and my entire family they
have come into our lives and made an impact individual to each of us. But the
thing that sets them apart from the crowd and makes them who they are is
something it took me a while to realize but over time it shone through and
rubbed off and has helped us all in our own ways.

            If you take the time to really get to know them you see that despite all that has
been done to them, all the hurdles and pitfalls they have had to overcome they
maintain a fundamental faith that the world is a good place and that people are
good and deserve a chance no matter what.

            It’s a seemingly small thing on the face of it but all here today know on many
levels how huge it is. As colleagues you know that you got given chances to
prove yourselves with no seemingly obvious reason, as friends even if trouble
is of your own making you only have to ask and help and support is freely there
and as family you don’t even need to ask or explain you get all you need
without question or judgment.

            And so today my toast is this, to Andy & Rachel thank you both for showing us
how to see the good through even the worst of the bad and may this day be only
the first of a lifetime filled  with only
the good which for your faith in it you so richly deserves"