A MOTHERS WEDDING SPEECH FOR HER DAUGHTER

   A MOTHERS SPEECH 

When Elise first met Christopher at Evolution.. She said he was a good looking  Barman with prospects, but I'm  guessing more like he served a great prosecco.
They say the age of romance still exists. Well Christopher lived up to that statement big time. Elise was on a Guinot course in Ascot the week leading up to their first date on the Saturday. Every day that week he sent Elise a clue in a text message as to what they would be doing. Then on the Friday he revealed that he would be taking her horse riding in the morning, then onto lunch where they would celebrate with a glass or two of prosecco. A very brave arrangement on his part, especially as Elise had only ever ridden the wooden variety of horses and her heated rollers take at least two hours to have the desired affect of great hair restoration after much blowing in the wind on horseback.
She did comment later "turns out I wasn't that bad at it" with this knowing look of achievement of which I had seen once before many years earlier.... All will be revealed later in my speech. 

 Elise finally brought home this gorgeous boy and the name has stuck. I tell him often,  i'm pretty sure he's got fed up of hearing it, yet he always accepted the compliment and smiled graciously to keep the future mother in law sweet.. Joking apart...and most importantly.. This young man is Very Close to my heart and I am so proud to be able to say " Christopher is now my new gorgeous Son In Law." and he always serves me a great prosecco  

As a couple, Christopher and Elise are hard working, creative and highly entertaining (especially after a night on the prosseco), Both are great company to be with and have lots of lovely friends collectively known as "Rent A Fun Crowd" (you know who you are)  They have made a beautiful home together.( well actually crest Nicholson did most of the work seeing as how Elise opted for the showhouse..ready made of course) They are also the proud parents  of two comical quirky cats. Narla and Simba. I know they have touched the lives of most of you in this room today and on many an occasion, no doubt you have all shared lots of bottles of prosecco with them.

Back in early May of this year I was sitting in my garden at home in the sunshine watching a very beautiful, delicate, white butterfly fluttering in the breeze. It brought back fond memories of a very definitive moment in Elise's childhood.  
When it came to school assemblies Elise would flatly refuse to take any part in the individual class performances. Her teachers would despair but Elise stood her ground with a resounding NO ( " sound familiar Chris " ) In year 5 her teacher Mrs Rod made a massive breakthrough and persuaded Elise to take the opening part of the class production of a famous childrens book  The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

 It tells the story of how a chrysalis evolves into a Beautiful Butterfly. She refused to elaborate to me of exactly what she would be doing, so on the big day as a very wary proud parent I sat in amongst all the other mums and dads with my heart in my mouth. Just before the class came into the school hall Mrs Rod came over and told me that she was really praying Elise wouldn't bottle it and had everything crossed for success. The scene before me was the rest of Elise's classmates all lined up, sitting on several benches at the back of the hall. A few yards in front of them, smack bang in the middle of the floor was a single wooden chair.  Mrs Rod sat down at the piano and started playing the opening bars of some very ethereal music and I could see quite clearly that not only were her feet crossed but she was getting quite red in the face from holding her breath.

Out from the side door of the hall walked my eldest daughter with a square piece of cardboard fastened to the top of her head with a large yellow balloon pinned on top of the cardboard. She walked to the singular chair with all the grace and deportment the finest finishing school couldn't even match and sat down to face the audience with not one flicker of nerves, just this serene look of I'me here..
As the music ended and Mrs Rod gasped for air, a young boy came running over to Elise armed with a giant pin and popped the balloon allowing a loud bang which in turn created an almighty gasp from the parents. Did Elise flinch.. not on your nelly!! She rose from the chair and sashayed back to her fellow classmates with a very self satisfied smile on her face of job done!!  That day at plumpton green primary school, Year 5 assembly, was a very proud moment for myself as a parent.. But today is definitely the proudest of all moments, as I give the hand of my precious daughter Elise to Christopher and fulfill my role as  Mother Of The Bride.
 
I do have two mementos of todays speech as keepsakes.  This book is a reminder for you Elise of that defining moment when a very beautiful creature evolved from a chrysalis to flutter delightfully through life armed with..... a bottle of prosecco.

I would now like you all to please be upstanding.. and raise your glasses OF PROSECCO to Christopher and Elise now formally known as Mr & Mrs Hammill 

I have another toast to make on this special day, a very personal one for both the bride and groom and our respective families.

There are two people who cannot be with us today, both of whom cherished a son and a granddaughter so very dearly. I am certain they are both looking down on us here today and bestowing their blessings upon this lovely couple for a truly wonderful life together. 

Would you all please be upstanding once again and raise you glasses to Paul and Winifred.