Father of the Bride Speech

I was going to ask if you were ready to party,

but Caleb and Mary's dance confirmed that.

You know what a partier I am. 

My wife Ceil and I want to thank you for being here today. 

For sharing this life-changing event with us.

It means so much that you have gone so far out of your way to be here.

Anyone from out of town?

One housekeeping item before I make the toast.

For goodness sakes, try keeping Stetson away from the bar.

It's not that he was invited to the wedding.

He just got lost on the way to Creature Comforts.

You'd think he'd know his way around town by now.

Fun fact: Anna's mother Ceil and Caleb's mom Mary

grew up in small towns in South Carolina, 

just a few miles from each other.

So we have a bunch of people from South Carolina here tonight.

You'll be happy to know that later on 

you'll be able to get your picture taken with Hairy Dawg.

For years and years I have looked forward to this day.

To be able to walk Anna down the aisle.

To dance with her. 

The years have flown by. 

Of our three kids, I may be a great athlete like Will.

I may be creative and artistic like Matthew.

Matthew made this wonderful wedding cake tonight.

But Anna is most like me.

That could be a good thing. It could be a curse.

Sorry, girl.

Anna wears ball caps and sneakers.

When she moved out of our house,

Anna left her Masters cap behind.

Now I wear it.

I got my great love of Taco Bell from Anna.

Maybe it was the other way around.

I won't say that neither one of us likes to cook,

but we are both perfectly fine if someone else is doing the cooking.

Anna and I have the same favorite movie. 

No, not Mary Kate and Ashley's How the West Was Fun. 

Not any more, anyway. 

By the way, Martin Mull was great in that film.

Anna and I both like to read.

She's a pretty good writer as well.

Anna and I both drive Ceil crazy.

I'm doing it right now.

And Anna is cool. 

Like me. Right?

Anna lives life to the fullest. 

I love this about her.

I so enjoy watching her live her life.

You can see the joy on her face.

She is so talented. So creative. So fun.

So beautiful.

Some members of our family

are not the best planners in the world.

I certainly am not the organizer I used to be.

I feared this whole wedding planning process

would be a little too much of a challenge,

especially when we settled on a date just four short months away. 

But more than anyone else, Anna took the reins.

She dragged us all to the finish line, in heroic fashion.

Anna discovered this beautiful chapel

while it was still being renovated.

I think Anna was coming over on weekends

to help the workers finish.

For Anna to have her wedding in a town 

that holds so many happy memories for her and her friends, 

is truly special.

If she could've figured out a way 

to have her wedding at Two Story, 

she would've gone for it. 

Catered of course by Taqueria.

We'll go someplace in Athens,

even now, several years after she's graduated,

and she'll run into someone she knows.

Anna designed the amazing wedding invitations.

She created this beautiful celebration that was uniquely her own.

Ceil and I could not be more proud.

Hopefully we didn't drive Anna too crazy in the process.

She is leaving the country tomorrow.

There are so many other people to thank and acknowledge.

Surely I'll leave someone out.

Doesn't Ceil look beautiful tonight?

Ceil did such a great job, doing so much to get ready for today.

She even wrote this speech.

Anna's crazy roommate Ashley

has been at Anna's side the entire way. 

Ashley, take a bow.

Ashley has a little experience as a wedding planner.

I know Anna and Ashley and Alex and Emily 

are all disappointed 

that Taylor Swift wasn't able to sick around for the reception.

And Jules is disappointed. And Grace. 

And Victoria and Katherine and Jordan and…

...did I leave anyone out? 

Even Brett Smith is disappointed.

We are all disappointed that Taylor couldn't stick around.

I guess I'll have to sing "Forever" by myself.

Taylor being here must've been why 

all those helicopters and sirens were outside

when Anna and Caleb were taking their vows.

And that Chinese balloon overhead.

And the UFO's and aliens.

Who invited them? 

Ashley? Brett?

Doesn't every father of the bride speech have something about the aliens?

Now what was I talking about?

Oh, yes. The wedding.

It's been so wonderful to get to know the Schaefer family.

to try to learn how to spell their last name.

I think I'm getting close.

I'm doing better than some of my friends.

Caleb's father John has done such a great job raising Caleb, 

growing him in wisdom and statue, in favor with God and man.

Also teaching him how to be handy around the house.

Man that story about the I-beam was amazing. 

I don't know how to do any of that stuff, 

but am looking forward to getting Caleb's help 

on our next home renovation project.

Mary has been so nice to us.

She always goes out of her way to speak to us at church.

I thought that was so nice.

 Then I found out it was her job.

We all say how crazy it's been for Anna and Caleb to have grown up so close to each other. Knowing so many of the same people, but never connecting before they did.

God's timing is always perfect. 

After word of their engagement got out, so many of our friends at Johnson Ferry keep coming up to us, telling us what a great family the Schaefer's are. 

Hopefully they told the Schafers the same thing about us.

We're so thrilled to have Caleb join our family. He completes Anna.

On their first date Caleb picked up Anna from our house. During their date, I texted Anna to get her to come back inside before driving back to her place. Before I even had a chance to start peeking through the curtains, Anna was bringing Caleb inside with her. It was a treat to meet him.

Caleb is quick to remind us the first Murphy family gathering he attended turned into a gender reveal party for our precious granddaughter Shivonne.

Caleb felt a little embarrassed and out of place, but we were happy to have him there. 

And we were all very happy to find out that Caleb was a boy. 

On their second date I…uh, well I think you get the idea.

Thank you again for sharing this special time with us.

You guys have been great. Let's toast the happy couple!

And now before anyone else collapses from starvation, let me bless the meal. Please pray with me:

Heavenly Father, thank you so much for today. 

For being here with us.

Thank you for creating marriage.

Thank you for this this wonderful couple. 

Father I pray for your blessing over Anna and Caleb, for their relationship with each other, and for their marriage.

Fill them with your Holy Spirit.

Walk before them, carry them Father, give them your wisdom, and guide them in all they do. 

I pray this for all of us as well. 

Lord now I ask that you bless this food, that it would be of nourishment for our bodies. I pray that you bless the hands that prepared it. 

God I pray that you would continue to bless our time together tonight.

Thank you for this wonderful occasion, for all these many close friends and family, who mean so much to us. Watch over us tonight.

Finally Lord, I thank you so much for sending us your son Jesus. It is in his great and powerful name that I pray. Amen.