Friends and family, my wife and I are very happy today. Very happy that we have become
one in the Lord’s sight, and very happy that you could all be here to see it.
We are particularly pleased to see Priscilla’s family that have travelled up from Tasmania—
Nana, Granny, Ian and Chloris, John and Clarice—you are most welcome. Thank you
all for your gifts today, the ones you wrapped up or put in an envelope, but also for your
friendship and support. Thank you also to everyone who helped make today so special,
there are too many to name, hopefully we’ve remembered you in the order of service.
While this is a new beginning, it is important to recognise the past. Mum and Dad, thank
you for your efforts raising me. I know I wasn’t a perfect child, but I pray that I’ll be able
to bring my children up to know God in the same way that I do. I love you both and am
pleased you can be here with us today.
Noel and Mary, thank you for your help organising the reception. Thank you for the
support you have been to us through our engagement. Thank you for bringing this beautiful
woman into the world so that I could meet her and now make her my wife.
Nathan and Tim, thanks for going through this with me. Your experience and calmness
have been very helpful as I’ve approached this day. Nathan in particular has been a great
example to Priscilla of what kind of husband I might turn into. A motorcycle riding one
with long hair and a beard.
Amy and Karen, you look wonderful today. Thank you for brightening up our ceremony
with your charm and grace. I know Priscilla appreciated being able to lean on you for
advice through the preparations for today—dress, hair and make-up amongst others. She
also asked me to thank you for the gifts she received at the hens’ night. Oh sorry, she meant
I would be thanking you tomorrow for those gifts. Oh, she’s going to explain to me later.
Priscilla, you are beautiful, darling. I love your kind ways and amazing smile. I’m so happy
you’ve agreed to be my wife and share the rest of your life with me. I’ve promised to love
you and care for you all my days, no matter what. We will have some tough times but today
we promised each other and God that we are going to stick with each other, come what may.
Priscilla and I met when she came up to Beach Mission to visit some of her friends. I saw
her walking across our camp-site and wondered to myself who this girl was. We often found
ourselves on the same table for meals that mission—a coincidence, I’m sure.
When I got back from mission I thought I would play it cool and wait a little while before
calling Priscilla. So, I unpacked the car, asked what Dad wanted for dinner, and invited
Priscilla over. I probably held off for a maximum of 5 minutes or so.
I realised I loved Priscilla a few weeks after that. We were spending a lot of time together
and I kept trying to kiss her, but she’d made a rule not letting me that I kept forgetting
about. She likes making up rules, does my wife, keeping them is another matter.
We’ve had our share of up times and down times. We had some relationship counselling
late last year and we came out of that with a renewed appreciation for each other. We each
worked on a few personal habits we had picked up and it was clear that we could make a
good go of a marriage. So I got a ring, took her to Wisemans Ferry and proposed. She said
“Yes” and today is the result. Or really, today is the start.
Priscilla, I hope you enjoy our next journey as much as I’ve enjoyed the last one.
My wife and I would also like to take this opportunity to announce that we will be moving
to Melbourne at the end of July. I have been offered a great job within Commander that
requires me to relocate to Victoria. I will miss many things about Sydney with my church,
friends and family high on that list. I suspect sunshine and rugby league will also be on that
list before long.
That’s a while away, though. Firstly, Priscilla and I will be enjoying a lovely 3 weeks
holiday in Thailand. 34 degrees at the beach sounds wonderful after our recent weather.
I found a quote that might be appropriate to our situation. Will Stanton once said “Getting a
dog is like getting married. It teaches you to be less self-centred, to accept sudden, surprising
outbursts of affection, and not to be upset by a few scratches on your car.” We had always
hoped Hunnie would be useful someday.
In closing, I would like to propose a toast to the bridesmaids so would you please be up-
standing and raise your glasses and join us as we toast….Amy and Karen.