In June, I had the honor of standing as witness to two of my dearest friends, as they stood in front of God, and their friends and family, and became man & wife.
Now I've been in weddings before, aside from my own, but I've never had the honor of being the Maid (or Matron) of Honor. Until this wedding. I wave of emotion that came over me when I was asked (I literally cried) was overwhelming to say the least, but at the same time it was humbling.
This woman, my friend, had only been my friend for a few short years, but that didn't seem to matter. She wanted ME to be the one to stand by her side, as she vowed to love this man for the rest of her life.
Then it hit me. Maid (or Matron) of Honor comes with a LOT of responsibility. We've all seen those shows, you know the ones, that depict the bride out to be nothing short of a monster when things don't go her way. Not only was I thinking about all the responsibility, but then I also remembered that the Maid (or Matron) of Honor, along with the Best Man, has to give a speech.
Oh.
My.
Gosh.
Talk about nervous. I wanted to make sure that I not only captured the relationship that the bride and I had, but I also wanted to capture my excitement, love, and sincere good will I had for her. Remember, I said that we hadn't known each other very long, so I wasn't going to be able to pull a lot of old memories, inside jokes, and meaningful moments from our past. I had to come up with something, and it had to be EPIC. After all, this was her BIG day, and I wanted my words to have an impact on her, and to be something she'd remember vividly about her day.
This wedding, though not a true 'destination' wedding, it kind of was just the same. It was on the beach, about an hour or so away from our home town. A lot of the bride and groom's family was coming from out of state to attend, and even the local guests had to travel a little bit. I tell you this, because, I almost ruined it. Completely.
The morning of the wedding, I left my house to make the drive to the venue, a little bit nervous about the upcoming ceremony and giving my speech at the reception - but I was able to keep my nerves in check for the most part.
When it was my turn to get my hair done, I asked my Sister-In-Law if she'd allow me to give my speech to her, you know, to make sure it sounded OK. We're about 2 hours until ceremony time, I'm sitting in the chair with a hot iron in my hair, and I suddenly realize that my speech, is an hour away. Sitting on my kitchen table.
CRAP! Are you freaking KIDDING me?! What am I going to do now?
Obviously I have to write another one, but I've convinced myself that there is NO way it's going to be as good as the one I had originally written. My Sister-In-Law calmed me down, and told me to just follow my heart. Start writing, and let my feelings come out. I, somewhat reluctantly, followed her advice, because quite frankly I didn't have any other choice. To be honest, I was really surprised at how easily the words came, and to be honest, I think it was WAY better than the original. Tell me what you think?
Before I start, I would like to say, that Sasha you look absolutely beautiful, and Mike, you don't look half bad yourself. For those of you that don't know me, my name is Amanda, and for those of you that do know me, you are truly blessed.
When Sasha first asked me to be her Maid of Honor, I felt delighted but as the big day approached, I knew I'd have to give a speech. Being the shy type that I am, I was trying to think of a way to get out of it, but have any of you actually tried to say no to Sasha? When I knew I couldn't get out of this, I decided to buckle down and think of something to say.
Some would say, when a man holds a woman's hand before marriage it's love. After marriage, it's self-defense. Others say that before marriage a man will lie awake thinking about something that you've said. After marriage, he will fall asleep before you've finished saying it. With that being said, I can tell you from experience that marriage truly is the only battle worth fighting for.
Now, Mike. I have some advice for you. Whenever you're wrong, admit it. Whenever you're right, just be quiet. It will be better for you in the long run. The best way to remember your anniversary is to forget it just once, so don't do it. Road maps and GPS are ALWAYS good things, so don't be afraid to use them. Never forget the most important sayings 'You're right Dear' and 'Okay, buy it.'. Last but not least, never be afraid that Sasha will leave you. She has spent YEARS training you, and she's not going to give that up lightly.
Sasha and I may not have been childhood friends; we never played dress up together, or imagined what our weddings would be like as little girls. We didn't go to school together and never braided each other's hair .. we don't have any memories to speak of before a few years ago, but none of that matters because I feel like I've known her my whole life. We know more about each other than we probably care to, and that's because we can share anything without passing judgement. We've laughed together and we've cried together. We have inside jokes that only we find funny. Personally, I think we're hysterical, but that's why we're friends, because I don't think that anyone else does.
Today is a celebration of not only where they are now, but the road that had brought them here. They have built the beginnings of a beautiful life together, and I can't wait to see what their future holds.
To Sasha & Mike - I wish you nothing but love and happiness for the rest of your lives, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to be a part of your special day.
Queue the hugs, and the tears. I think it worked. Not to shabby (if I do say so myself) for having to write a completely new one.
Until Next Time ..
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