Humans Connecting
The wedding speech for my favorite newlyweds
In honor of my daughter and son-in-law’s first anniversary, here is my “Father Mother of the Bride” speech from one year ago.
Typically, the father of the bride gives this little speech, but we decided (and by “we,” I mean “me”- I decided) since the father of the bride got to officiate the wedding that I’d do the speech.
Thank you everyone for coming and sharing this special day for Logan and Kinsley. We love you and we love how you all love them and are so grateful for our family and friends.
It seems very surreal that my baby girl is now a wife. Like how did that happen so fast? I’m like 90% thrilled about it and excited for you guys and like 10% sad that my daughter is a grown-up. It feels like yesterday you were playing “dress-up,” “wedding,” and “house” and here you are actually married. But gosh I am thrilled. We love Logan. We couldn’t love him more. I mean, first, he is a bulldog fan so what else even needs to be said? Go dawgs. But beyond that, He is loving, patient, kind, faithful, selfless, hardworking, godly, and did I mention he was a bulldog? Go dawgs. But seriously Shellie and Nelson, thank you for raising the young man that you did. Mike and I have long prayed for the man our daughter would marry. We prayed that he would be raised to know God and follow Him so while we were praying for Logan before we met him, we were praying for you two as well as you raised him. It has been such a blessing to see the way that God answered those prayers now that we have met you all.
And Kins Mins, for me you will always be one of the absolute best things about this life. Before you, I never really thought about being a wife or a mom. I figured I would get married and have babies, but I never dreamed about it. I had crazy dreams of being a rich professional athlete living on a private island. Which would have been ok I guess, but incredibly empty compared to love; compared to you. When I got pregnant with you, my dreams changed. I didn’t dream about myself anymore. I didn’t dream about the kind of mom I would be—I couldn’t even imagine that. Maybe I should’ve spent a little more time dreaming about that and it would’ve worked out better for you, but I didn’t dream about that. I dreamed about you. I dreamed about the kind of girl you would be.
I dreamed you’d be smart but not proud. I dreamed you’d be beautiful but not vain. I dreamed you’d be determined but not hard. I dreamed you’d speak your mind, that you’d stand up for yourself but that you’d also remember compassion. I dreamed you’d not accept anyone’s vision of who you should be but your own and that you’d get your vision from your Creator Himself. I dreamed you’d be incredibly funny. I dreamed you wouldn’t back down from what is right and when you did mess up, you’d have the humility and courage to ask forgiveness and to get back up and keep walking. I dreamed you’d be brave and bold and that you wouldn’t just let life happen to you but that you would truly live.
And if any of you know my daughter at all, you know she is all those things and so much more. Kinsley, though I know this isn’t exactly the way things work, it seems like I dreamt you. Though you are now a part of your only family, I hope you will remember that- that I dreamt you. That your dad and I love you that much and that nothing you ever do will change that. As you were once a part of my body, so you will always be a part of my heart. It would be impossible to separate the deepest parts of us.
I wish for you many things in this life—the best of absolutely everything, but I also know this life is an imperfect one and at times broken one. So, in those moments, I hope the world breaks for you in just the way that lets the light of God in His truth and love and strength and joy and peace. I love the way Frederick Buechner says it. He says something like- “Here is your life. You might never have been but you are… because Martha and Mike and Alex and Logan and all of humanity wouldn’t have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Do not be afraid. God is with you. Nothing can ever separate you from him. It’s for you that He created the universe. He loves you.”
And with that, I am reminded of the greatest command, that I will remind you two of as you begin your lives together as one. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart soul and mind, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Truly this may seem like the easiest thing in the world right now, to love each other with all your heart, but as you live in this imperfect and broken world, there will be days it will seem impossible. But here’s the beauty of our God and his great providence: Just as the God who demanded a sacrifice for sin that we could not pay, provided that sacrifice for us… so the God who commands that we love Him and each other which we cannot in our own strength accomplish, provides it for us—enables our hearts to love and empowers us to do it.
Now, I’m going to add one more vow to the ones that Logan and Kinsley already made. Can we all raise our glasses, while they make this vow? Logan and Kinsley, please repeat after me. I hereby solemnly vow, before God and all these witnesses, to try to give Martha and Mike, and Shellie and Nelson at least 3 grandbabies.
Cheers.
I love you, daughter and son-in-law. Happy 1st Anniversary.