The wedding speech

Dear all,

Just looking through my files for interesting titbits which might be worthy of posting. I have my wedding speech here, I'll start by posting that :)

I keep banging on about it, but it was such a fantastic experience to have all my friends on board to witness what turned out to be one of the most important days of my life. The birth of Ingrid and my wedding are among the two most important memories I'll treasure (among many memorable moments in the Helmutsrogatan common kitchen of course!).

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My mother, my dear friends and new family? one and all. Min mor, mina kära vänner och min nya familj... What an honour, a privilege, a pleasure. The most extraordinary feeling of joy you have created in me to be here today and able to share our happiness. Some of you have travelled great distances, others have driven from just down the road, but with this same intention, for which I am grateful to each and every one of you.

Det är min en ära, ett privilegie och ett nöje. Den högsta känslan av lycka har du gett mig och den finns här idag för att delas med dig. Många av er har rest långa stäckor medan andra bara svängt runt hörnet. Men alla med samma avsikt och för detta är jag tacksam gentemot var och en.

Nevertheless, there is much more to that sentence than just words.Today is important for so many reasons. For me, it signifies the end of one way of life and the beginning of another. Today marks the end of a period of freedom, of loneliness, uncertainty, trial and error, before which all accountability was mine and mine alone. More importantly, it is a beginning. To me it means new responsibilities, trust and sharing.

It can be said, that today?s younger generations are not so different from past generations. We still leave home, get married and have children? but today not in that precise same order!

Unga människor, dagens generations, är inte så olik fran tidigare generationer. Vi lämnar fortforande hemmet, gifter oss och får barn, men, idag sker det inte direct I samma ordning!

To my new parents in law, Björne and Margareta,

Till mina nya svärföräldrar, Björne och Margareta.

In a traditional way of thinking, one might say that Karin belongs to you - but as of today: She belongs to me - and I belong to her.

På ett traditionellt sätt att tänka, kan man säga att Karin tillhör er - Men från idagTillhör hon mig - och jag tillhör henne.

By giving me your consent in taking Karin?s hand and walking alongside her towards a new life, for better and for worse, you have both shown that you share faith and trust in me to be capable and responsible in that act throughout life ? that is called love. For that, I am very grateful to you both.

I och med er tillåtelse att ta Karins hand och gå vid hennes sida mot ett nytt liv, i både medgång och motgång, har ni båda visat tillit och tro att jag är kapabel och ansvarsfull nog genom den akt i livet - som kallas kärlek. För det här är jag djupt tacksam till er båda.

I thank you for the gift of your beautiful daughter, your gift to this world, and to me. I love her and I will protect her with all my heart. I will do my best to make her feel confident, secure and happy in whichever land and within whatever circumstances we find ourselves in as the months and years pass.

Jag tackar er för för eran vackra dotter, eran gåva till denna värld, och mig. Jag älskar henne och kommer att ta hand om henne med hela mitt hjärta. Jag kommer göra mitt yttersta för att få henne att känna sig självsäker, trygg och lycklig oavsett vilket land eller under vilka omständigheter vi befinner oss i genom åren.

I consider myself to be extremely fortunate in having such exceptional parents in law, but I must also include mention of my other ?new? family members, in particular, my brothers-in-law Johan and Karl, whom I now regard to be like my own brothers (which, being an only child, I have never had before). Their friendship has made my time in this foreign place all the more enjoyable since we first met.

I also wish to thank my own mother, whose maternal love, wise guidance and understanding over the years have shaped me into the man I am today. Ever since I was born I have been surrounded with love and affection. Mum, I thank with all my heart? for these gifts as well as your bravery and courage.

Not only the courage needed in making that long and uncomfortable journey from Australia to here, but for encouraging me to come to Sweden in the first place. It could only have been unconditional maternal love, which led you to support your only child to leave for a years study at a University on the other side of the Earth only a few months after the death of my father. Since that horrible time, it has not been easy and the pain persists? we both continue to miss my father very much. He was a wonderful man, whom unfortunately neither Karin nor Ingrid will ever know, who should have been at my side on this day of happiness.

Now you have a new daughter-in-law now and a new granddaughter, signifying that life, however painful, continues to renew itself. I love you mum, am proud of you and thank you for all you have done for me.

To Karin, my Karin, min älskling? my darling wife? In the year 2003, I undertook a journey of significance, to Sweden? Gothenburg to be precise? a vague and distant land populated with what seemed to be vague and distant people.

It was a very uncertain time for me; only months before my father had passed away, leaving an unfillable void in my life.Your radiance shone clearly for me from our very first meeting. Since then I have been blinded and totally dependent on it.

From the moment you walked into my world until now, much has happened. Since the arrival of our beautiful little daughter, Ingrid, I have known true happiness? but it is a happiness that is incomplete without your love. In front of us, we have boundless plains to explore together, side by side. In light and darkness, in summer, autumn, winter and spring ? always. You give me security, joy and happiness. I have come to learn that without you, I am only half a man.

The joy and strength you give me is like the relentless Australian sun, the whitest and brightest light imaginable which melts all doubts and darkness on Earth. Then, like the much milder Scandinavian sunlight, you shine with a watchful and far more delicate beam of gentleness, which extinguishes all ignorance, fear and uncertainty.

I have no idea as to what the near and distant future has in store for us ? but as you always say, ?life is full of surprises? and all we can do is wait and watch, hand in hand.-Today, two very important questions have already been answered with a simple ?yes? from us both and it is an answer which will hold good for us always.

If ever we need light in our search for answers, all we need to do is to remember all we have learned from the people who love us, the good advice which will illuminate the path of life that is sometimes lost.

Idag, har två väldigt viktiga frågor redan besvarats med ett enkelt "Ja" från oss båda och det har bundit oss samman för evigt. Om vi någon gång behöver hjälp i vårat sökande efter svar, behöver vi bara minnas allt vi lärt oss från dom människor som älskar oss, de goda råd som kommer att lysa upp vår väg i livet som ibland kan ta villovägar.

Karin, jag älskar dig. From now until eternity, a strong and unconditional love awaits us both. Today is ours and ours alone. This moment is ?us? - the two of us ? newly together, young together, in love together ? simply ?together?.

Karin, jag älskar dig. Från denna dag och all framtid, väntar en stark och vilkorslös kärlek. Idag är det vår dag. Denna stund är "Vi" -oss två- nya tillsammans, unga tillsammans, kära tillsammans - helt enkelt "tillsammans".

My dear friends and family?May I ask you all to rise, and join me in drinking a toast to my bride.