Wedding toast by Navy Dad to daughter marrying a Marine and going to OCS herself honoring the military!

Welcome toast

Hello and welcome to this wonderful celebration of the marriage of my daughter Valerie to Kelsey Gibson. On behalf of the families, I wish to thank all of you for coming and helping to make this such a special day. Weather you have come far, or from down the street, your presence is what matters. We are so grateful to your efforts to put your lives on hold and have taken the time to celebrate with us this day God blessed for this event.

You will notice a buffet menu with your napkin, feel free to partake with any and all of the items listed once your table has been called, and please enjoy the music and dancing throughout the evening. We are so happy you are here!

Let me take a moment to acknowledge a few special people who could not make this event and will be sorely missed but we know they are here in spirit: Valerie’s Grandparents on her mom’s side unable to make it due to health issues, Loretta and Lyman Battle. Valerie’s Grandmother, and my mom, due to health issues, Joyce Krygier. Valerie’s Grandfather and Diane’s Father, William Davis or Big Bill as we called him, while having passed over a year ago is present through his wonderful generosity which in part made this night possible, thank you Big Bill. And finally, Valerie’s Brother Garrett, who could not be here as he is out on tour, proudly serving as a rescue swimmer on the nuclear carrier the USS George Washington with the 7^th Fleet based out of Japan, who very much misses this opportunity to be here for his beloved sister. He just sent me an e-mail last night to be sure to tell her, he loves her, and is so sorry he couldn't be here, and to give you the biggest hug! What a sacrifice!

Well, if there is any couple that understands about this sacrifice, it will be this one with Kelsey as a 2^nd LT in the Marines and Valerie going to OCS to become one as well. Speaking of sacrifice, let me break from tradition and ask that anyone who is now serving, or at any time HAS EVER served in the US armed forces please stand…. Will the rest of you please join me in thanking them for their service and sacrifices with a round of applause!!

Now, as a father, you always hope that your daughter will meet and find a special man that she falls in love with and will be her mate for life. One that has the qualities that a father believes will honor, cherish, protect, and provide for his little girl that is now a woman. In short, he must have great character, high work ethic, and a desire to honor his wife above all. During the many years getting to know Kelsey, I can happily report that he meets all of the above. I have been asked, “So how are you going to feel losing your only daughter on this day walking her down the aisle?” My reply is, “I don’t feel as though I am losing my daughter, rather I am gaining a wonderful new son!” Welcome to the family Kelsey!

Now for my Valerie, I recently received an e-mail from an MBA graduate classmate announcing the birth of his new baby girl. Of course my response was congratulations to the new mom and dad. Then I said, “Enjoy your precious moments, every one, because before you know it, you will be like me on Sat. walking my baby down the aisle on her wedding day!”

It seems like just yesterday with you at 2 months old, and you were in your little carrier on the floor of the boat, instantly falling asleep once the engine was turned on, at peace out on the water where you always proved you wanted to be. Having a brother 18 months older, he was close enough in age where you thought, “whatever he can do, I can do”, and you would not stop until you did. Probably that spirit is why when you met Diane over 10 years ago, the first thing you said was, “my name is Valerie, I am a tomboy, and I don’t wear pink!” Sure enough, you continued to do many, many tomboy things, which as a father, I was always proud of you for all of your accomplishments. And now here you go, about to do the Officer Candidate School….in the Marines no less! That is way beyond tomboy I think, and no one, no one, is more proud of you than I. But wait a minute, you also blossomed into a beautiful, caring, smart, humble, and delightful Christian young woman that I, along with your mom, Diane and Randy, were given the honor by God to watch over and care for during those all too short years. Now you are all grown up, ready to take on the world. As the rest of you will hear in the father/daughter song, Valerie, I believe in you, and I will always be cheering you on from the stands of life! And oh, by the way, you may not like pink, but I think everyone agrees, you look awesome in white!

So, as they say in my hometown of Milwaukee about moments like these…….It just doesn’t get any better than this!

To Valerie and Kelsey! May God bless you with wonderful long lives together, fulfilling His desires through you and keeping Him close to your sides accompanying you though whatever comes your way so you have many, many more moments when you want to exclaim, “It just doesn’t get any better than this…but instead find yourself saying, I can’t believe it just keeps getting better!!” To Valerie and Kelsey!!