A Beekeeper's Wife (to Bee)

On Saturday October 2 my sister Michelle married Richard Voorhorst in a very beautiful and very simple wedding in Coaldale.

The ceremony was beautiful and the reception was so much fun, even though I didn't enjoy the first half of it because I was so nervous about my speech I had to make. After I made my speech though I really enjoyed myself. There were plenty of games and lots of people contributed. Even the youth group from the URC of Lethbridge did a skit potraying Mich and Rich's dating life (how they met, their first date, the proposal, and the wedding planning) It was a lot of fun. Today I will leave you with a copy of the toast to the bride speech I did.

When I was preparing this speech I thought about what it meant to be a sister. According to the oxford dictionary it means “a close female friend”. I thought this was interesting because even though everybody in this room has a close female friend not everybody in this room has a sister, and sadly I imagine there are many sisters out there that cannot call themselves close friends. This is when I realized how lucky I am that I have someone who is both a sister and a best friend. Some of my friends hated growing up in the shadow of an older sister but I consider myself blessed to be Michelle’s little sister. The path she paved for me is one I am honoured to follow along on. Michelle has always left me big shoes to fill and I am a better person today because of it. So as I stand here and watch my big sister, my role model, enter into marriage I wish her all of the happiness that I could imagine.

I can still remember clearly the day Michelle met Richard. She had gone on a hiking trip at Waterton National Park and she was so tired when she got home but she wore this great big ear to ear smile and I think we all just knew, even though she denied it, that she had met someone and Michelle, you couldn’t have met a better guy. I never knew Richard before he started dating my sister so I can’t tell you any horrible stories about him but seeing the way Michelle’s face lite up when he pulled into the driveway or the way she still breaks into a grin when you mention his name we are happy to welcome him into the family.

When Michelle and Richard started planning the wedding I think they had everybody a little bit worried. The two favourite phrases that seemed to come out of their mouths were.. ‘ It doesn’t matter’ and ‘I don’t know’ and even though people, including me, have been known to crack a joke at this wedding planning technique I think Michelle and Richard had it figured out from the beginning. It doesn’t matter what your wedding colours are, it doesn’t matter how you decorate the tables or what kind of food you eat. A wedding is about Michelle and Richard exchanging vows before God and a room full of family and friends and that should be the focus. Even the day before the wedding, as I was sitting across from her at Tim Horton’s I didn’t see even a trace of the stress that some brides seem to have before there big day. Everything was placed in God’s hands and I think all everything just fell into place. You guys did a wonderful job.

I would love to stand here and fill you in on the Perrot family fun and special childhood memories, but the truth is there are too many laughs and way too many good times, to pick just one or two to share with you, but Michelle and I both know and cherish these memory’s, and I know tonight will bring many more memories that will last us for many years to come. SO now at the age 21 for the first time in my life I have to think about what it means to have a brother and this is something totally new to me so once again I turned to the dictionary, and you will never believe what it said, according to oxford, ‘ a brother is someone you can always turn to when you need a loan.’ SO tonight I wish my sister, my best friend, and my new brother God’s guidance as you begin your new life together. I love you both.

Congradulations Mr and Mrs Richard Voorhorst.