View source for Wedding speech - Best Man for Alby and Lisa

==About==

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This is a Best Man script I used for the wedding of an amazing childhood friend from Cairns, Alby, to a beautiful Canadian girl, Lisa. They actually had their main wedding on Stradbroke Island in Australia, but since most of Lisa's family and many friends were way in Canada they had a celebration there too. I live near San Francisco, so Alby said he'd prefer me to come to the Canada wedding to act *like* a best man. Their second wedding / reception was on <b>Saturday July 18 2015</b> in the a wonderful botanic garden in Burlington (near Toronto) Canada.

I think this speech below went really really well! I wanted people to feel like this was the real wedding - I said since Australia was full of convicts the first one didn't really count.  :)


Unlike past weddings I was really proud that I didn't need to refer to the internet for ideas once... I just wanted to write from the heart.  :)




==Best Man Speech==


Hi everybody! My name is Andrew... I've known this man since high school.... and I am honored to be able to say a few words about this incredible couple. Lisa, you look beautiful. And Alby, I am really proud of you buddy!


I don't want to throw around words like "<b>best man</b>" for myself... but actually there are many of us who think of Alby as a best mate. I certainly think of Alby as one of the best friends we could ever ask for, and now I think he will make a terrific husband.

In three words for Alby: 
* <b>highly intelligent</b>,  
* <b>highly likeable</b>, 
* an <b>incredible friend</b>.



So lets start with <b>intelligent</b>. Now I'm not saying all Alby's decisions are intelligent.... I've spent many nights with Alby in Cairns and in Brisbane.... where Albert made less than perfect decisions.... <i>climbing out one car window and in through another... while the car was on the highway... that's an example of a bad decision, and that was before he discovered scotch</i>. However, the proof in the pudding right here for Albert's worth and intelligence, is that he somehow managed to land this incredible little woman. Surely the smartest thing you've ever done - every other decision from here is trivial.... <i>... and Lisa will probably make for you</i>.

But I wanted to rewind to when I first officially met Alby. He transferred from another school to Smithfield State High School. And my initial reaction was: uh oh - an Asian. Now I don't want you Canadians to think all Australians are racist.... it's just that the stereotype for asians is that they are smart. At the time I was the smartest guy in our year level... which isn't that difficult - this is a small town in Queensland, Australia........... but I was worried Alby would overtake me for the prize of smartest kid in the grade. Which he did - so geeesh way to help the stereotype.



Fortunately for me however, Alby is also highly <b>likeable</b>. He is a <b>social creature</b>. So he made friends really quickly - friends which were a wonderful burden on him being studious, and so Alby effectively allowed me to win the prize next year. But serious though.... I was always impressed at this skill.... everyone loved Alby: he is <b>funny, thoughtful, loyal, charismatic</b>.... and so within our school everyone loved Aly.... the sports jock, the nerds (obviously), the popular girls, the druggies, the skanks... everyone!

At the end of high school Alby moved to Brisbane, where I think he went trough many changes. Puberty for one. Happened to me too. I think college was great for him, and the one consistent thing was always that friendship and looking out for his mates, has always been one of his highly priorities.



Alby is an <b>incredible friend</b>. Alby might not realize just how much he influenced and shaped my life..... but when I finished my undergrad in Cairns, it was Alby who really encouraged me to spread my wings and leave home for a PhD. Alby in a six person share house in Brisbne at the time, three of us from the same high school in Cairns..... and I was coming to visit..... and it was a great visit: we all played adult hide and seek around the house - he showed me around the university then...... and then he sat me down for one of our many deep and meaningful. And he was playing guitar actually - and later he started me off learning guitar - best way to have deep and meaningful. He sat me down and told me I should spread my horizons, I should come move to Brisbane, to live with this amazing group of housemates, and do some personal development. Perhaps Alby wanted me to evolved from a big nerd to a social outgoing nerd, or perhaps they just really needed a new roommate, either way - he helped me make a big decision in leaving home and joining that house. And it was amazing. Over five years of amazing times, different people, different issues at times, but always Alby - always the rock of the house - the one we all came to for advice, for friendship..... the guy who rallied the troops when it was time to go out. Years later, I'm living in America, Alby is still the <b>glue</b> that has helped us all become such great mates... and to stay such good mates. Even after I left to America and others have moved around about.... our little entourage is still connected.



So a terrific friend.... what about his <b>love life</b>? Well..... lets just say - for as wise as Alby could be in influencing other people's life... most of the girls Alby dated I thought..... mmmm..... she's really, really not good enough for Alby - lets just leave it at that. However, a few years ago, I came to visit Brisbane and Cairns, emailed Alby, and he immediately organized a big park day for all our old housemates and friends to reunite, hang out in the park. Not many people have that energy to rally everyone back together, but Alby does. This time, however, there was something else. Alby said, and I roughly paraphrase: "<b>I've met this girl. Her name is Lisa</b>.

So straight away I thought.... this sounds new.... the sound like some serious words.

He also said: <b>You're going to like her! She's an environmental scientist</b>. Now both my parents are environmentalist - slash - hippies, so I genuinely believe those people are the best people on Earth. And I got to meet Lisa at that picnic and of course I was right, and Alby was right.... here was this sweet beautiful little girl..... finally someone who was perfect for Alby... and since then it's been a matter of time. Although I haven't been around in Australia much over the years, I can plainly see that these two make each other happy, and I was really, really excited when Alby announced they were getting married... and incredible, incredibly impressed by the way he proposed - under a beautiful waterfall, to a beautiful girl.

I don't know if I'll ever make such an amazing proposal in my life - he has set the bar way to high - but I will propose that these two have a incredible marriage, hopefully with kids one day, and propose a toast..... to Alby and Lisa!






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