Some of the speeches generated
Some of the speeches generated
Tonight, as I stand before you, surrounded by the people we hold dearest, it feels as if the world has paused just for us. A perfect moment, suspended in time. You and I, once strangers in passing, now tied together in a love so sure, it’s almost as if it always existed, waiting for us to find it.
Our story didn’t begin with fireworks or grand declarations. It began with a “hello” at work, a shared laugh here and there, and endless debates in meetings (where you were far too good at being right). But what neither of us realized back then was that our story had already started—before the handshakes and office coffee breaks, before the spreadsheets and inside jokes.
It was the day we had to teach Nana (Grandma) what Tinder was. I mean, if that’s not modern romance, I don’t know what is. We opened the app to show her how it worked, only to stumble across the funniest, most unexpected revelation: we had matched on Tinder over a year before we even met each other.
Apparently, we had already swiped right, already said “yes” to one another, long before either of us knew it. Life, though, had tucked that little moment away, saving it until we were truly ready. And now, looking back, I can’t help but laugh at the timing of it all. Looking back now, it all feels so inevitable. It’s as though every piece of the puzzle was quietly falling into place, waiting for us to see it. And once we did, everything changed.From that point on, you became my constant. The one who makes me laugh until my ribs ache and listens when I need to be still. The face I’ll search for in a crowd. The one I’ll look to when I achieve something and the one who eases my pain when the world feels too heavy.
But more than that, you became my balance. It’s often said that I’m made for this, but for so long, I wasn’t sure. Because the girl I was before didn’t know what it meant to build bridges, to meet someone halfway across mountains and oceans. She didn’t know that love could feel like drinking espresso, bold and smooth, familiar and exciting, even with a little bite.
And oh, how espresso has been our thing. You and I, always in love with the ritual, two double shots, two opinions, and an eternal debate over roasted beans. I’ve come to love that about us: the way we disagree, not to win, but to create something better. Because that’s what you do for me. For a while, I thought I was changing you, but now I see you were making me the best version of myself.
So tonight, in this perfect moment, I promise you this: I will love you through every morning brew and every late-night laugh. I will meet you on every bridge we have to build, and I will never stop choosing you—even if we never agree on the coffee beans. I will stand by you on the mountaintops and the quiet in-betweens. You are the sunrise in my eyes, the warmth I didn’t know I needed, the reason my world stands still in time.
Here’s to us, to the story that was already written before we knew it, to a lifetime of love, laughter, and far too much caffeine.
Ashleigh
Bride
Tonight, as I stand before you, surrounded by the people we hold dearest, it feels as if the world has paused just for us. A perfect moment, suspended in time. You and I, once strangers in passing, now tied together in a love so sure, it’s almost as if it always existed, waiting for us to find it.
Our story didn’t begin with fireworks or grand declarations. It began with a “hello” at work, a shared laugh here and there, and endless debates in meetings (where you were far too good at being right). But what neither of us realized back then was that our story had already started—before the handshakes and office coffee breaks, before the spreadsheets and inside jokes.
It was the day we had to teach Nana (Grandma) what Tinder was. I mean, if that’s not modern romance, I don’t know what is. We opened the app to show her how it worked, only to stumble across the funniest, most unexpected revelation: we had matched on Tinder over a year before we even met each other.
Apparently, we had already swiped right, already said “yes” to one another, long before either of us knew it. Life, though, had tucked that little moment away, saving it until we were truly ready. And now, looking back, I can’t help but laugh at the timing of it all. Looking back now, it all feels so inevitable. It’s as though every piece of the puzzle was quietly falling into place, waiting for us to see it. And once we did, everything changed.From that point on, you became my constant. The one who makes me laugh until my ribs ache and listens when I need to be still. The face I’ll search for in a crowd. The one I’ll look to when I achieve something and the one who eases my pain when the world feels too heavy.
But more than that, you became my balance. It’s often said that I’m made for this, but for so long, I wasn’t sure. Because the girl I was before didn’t know what it meant to build bridges, to meet someone halfway across mountains and oceans. She didn’t know that love could feel like drinking espresso, bold and smooth, familiar and exciting, even with a little bite.
And oh, how espresso has been our thing. You and I, always in love with the ritual, two double shots, two opinions, and an eternal debate over roasted beans. I’ve come to love that about us: the way we disagree, not to win, but to create something better. Because that’s what you do for me. For a while, I thought I was changing you, but now I see you were making me the best version of myself.
So tonight, in this perfect moment, I promise you this: I will love you through every morning brew and every late-night laugh. I will meet you on every bridge we have to build, and I will never stop choosing you—even if we never agree on the coffee beans. I will stand by you on the mountaintops and the quiet in-betweens. You are the sunrise in my eyes, the warmth I didn’t know I needed, the reason my world stands still in time.
Here’s to us, to the story that was already written before we knew it, to a lifetime of love, laughter, and far too much caffeine.
Ashleigh
Bride
I've been thinking about and preparing for this moment for a really long time.
When I was younger, I always thought that love was meant to be perfect. But over the years, I started to realize that isn’t true. Love was never meant to be perfect, and that is precisely what makes it so vulnerable and valuable. When there are lows, there will be highs. When there’s a storm, there will be warmth and sunlight. Love isn’t perfect because it was never meant to be taken for granted. The rainbow is always hidden behind the clouds, and tough times are inevitable but misery is optional. It’s a long road, and I found someone crazy enough to be on this journey with me.
Crazy enough to hitchhike a bus along a road in the middle of nowhere in Fiji. Crazy enough to take a 12-hour train journey just to see some mountains in the middle of Greece. When I think of you, I’m reminded of those beautiful memories. And the best part? We’re not done creating more.
It’s only at the start that love is blind. Somehow, I managed to put on 7kg at the beginning of our relationship, and you didn’t even notice. Yet, after nearly six years, I’m still the one you want to be with. Some people are lucky to meet that one special, unforgettable person. For me, that person is you. You are my closest friend, my favorite person, the lover and the home I’ve waited for.
I promise to be there for you. Even when holiday photos of me turn out blurry and out of focus. I’ll meet you anywhere because, with you, the sun always shines. To live with you through the waves and the wind, with the security of hope and the joy of love. Together, we’ll turn water into wine.
Good days bring happiness, bad days give experience, the worst days teach lessons, and the best days etch memories. Through it all, our lives will intertwine.
There were many times when you turned to me and said, “James…” Then you’d pause for what felt like a thousand years before saying, “I’m really scared of what you’ll say on our wedding day.” (Funny enough, that stopped after I proposed.) And I replied, “Don’t worry, I’ll make you laugh, cry, and smile.” I hope I didn’t disappoint you—because you laughed, cried, and smiled.
And with that, I would like to say: I loved you the day I met you. I love you today. And I promise you, I will love you for the rest of my life.
James
Groom