Toast to Caleb and Samanta

               

Good Evening Family and Friends of Caleb and Samanta,

I would like to request that you all fill your glasses with your beverage of choice at this point and join me at the end of my speech in a toast to Caleb and Samanta.

With that said…

                For those of you who do not know me, my name is Ricardo Rhone and I am the best man and friend of Caleb for 7 years. I would first like to thank you Caleb for the honor of being your best man, for it is an honor indeed. I would like to thank the parents of Caleb and Samanta as well as everyone who had a hand in making this a momentous and memorable occasion, for this wonderful couple.  To the wedding party and the rest of the guests thank you for partaking in this special occasion.

While I have never been married, I would like to start by offering the newlyweds some advice on what it takes to make a marriage successful. Now some of you may be wondering what makes me qualified to give the newlyweds advice on how to make a marriage successful, having stated that I have never been married. Well! the basis of my advice comes from the lessons I have learned from my past relationships, the advice I have received from some of the older, excuse me, “some of the more mature” individuals in my life, and from my observations of the relations of others. 

·         First, effective communication is a key ingredient for a successful marriage – for example many couples fight over their spouse’s failure to take out the garbage simply because they did not effectively communicate. To demonstrate let’s examine the following situation.  Sam! You come home from work to find the garbage in less than desirable state, so what do you do? You walk over to Caleb and ask Honey can you to take out the garbage please? To which Caleb naturally responds yes dear, snukkums, honey dew melon drops I will take out the garbage for I love you that much, hmm! Then you come home from work the next day to find the garbage in slightly worst shape. So begin to feel disappointed in Caleb…but Woww Sam!!…  Don’t be disappointed in Caleb instead take this time to reflect, ask yourself did you clearly express to Caleb your expectations of him?

 In doing so you will come to the realization that you didn’t for you merely asked Caleb if he could take out the garbage to which he responded yes dear, snukkums, honey dew melon drops I will take out the garbage for I love you that much, hmm! You did not specify that you wanted the garbage taken out that very same day. For Caleb fully intended to take the garbage out, two days later, for in Caleb’s mind, an engineer’s mind, the capacity of the garbage CAN is here! The contents that lie within are here! There is about a 10% differential between the capacity of the garbage CAN and the contents that lie within, so Caleb figure he had about another two days in which he could dispose of garbage within said container. So Sam, Caleb, the lesson here is whenever you end a conversation, ensure! that you are both walking away with the same understanding.  

·         Second sacrifice is vital to the success of a marriage – So Caleb you are watching the game and it’s the bottom of the 4^TH, 2mins left in the game, in which the Patriots and Colts are tied and Brady is driving down field.  However, it just so happens that the season finale of Bridezilla, one of Sam’s favorite shows, has just started and Sam has been anxiously waiting all day to watch it. Now you can see Sam approaching from the corner of your eye. I know what you are tempted to do, probably half the men in this room would be tempted to do the same thing, and that is to turn up the TV volume to very max so as to pretend not to hear her.

But don’t you do it Caleb...Instead turn to Sam and look deep into her eyes and say dear, snukkums, honey dew melon drops, it is the bottom of the 4^th, 2mins left in the game, the score is tied, it’s the Pats and the Colts, and Brady is driving down field but honey I will forgo the remainder of the game so that you may watch your show, for I love you that much, hmm! Caleb, Sam will forever remember this great sacrifice you have made and tell all her girlfriends of the time you gave up watching the Pats and Colts at the bottom of the 4^th, 2mins left in the game, in which the score was tied, and Brady was driving down field and allowed her to watch Bridezilla. She will be envied by all her girlfriends for having such a considerate husband…. However, Caleb what Sam does not know and doesn’t need to know is that you had set the Tivo hours in advance to record the remainder of the game in anticipation of her request.  So Sam, Caleb, the lesson here is that at times you may have to sacrifice your own happiness for the happiness of your spouse but in the end you will both benefit.

With all jokes aside, I would like to say a few words about my friend Caleb and his bride Samanta. It is not often that you find someone the same age as you that you admire. But Caleb is one of these people in my eyes. He has grown exponentially from first meeting him the summer of 2003. Caleb is a very driven individual with tremendous faith in the lord.  He is not opposed to dedicating the time and energy required to be successful in all facets of life. He is a very passionate, focused, generous, responsible individual. And he has found in Sam a wife that is all these things and more. In the time I have known Sam she has proven to be a very Kind, gentle and caring person and is always joy to be around. She is very supportive of Caleb’s dreams and aspirations, as he is of her dreams and aspirations, and together they make perfect match.

Sam it goes without saying that you found a great man in Caleb one that will honor, respect and cherish you the way you deserve. And Caleb you have found a wife in Sam that will honor, respect and cherish you the way you deserve.

The most noteworthy advice I can give you both is one that a mutual friend of ours, who is actually here today, gave me several years back and that I have grown to see the significance in and that is to uphold a relationship based on Love for God is Love and Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things; believes all things; hopes all things; and endures all things.  

Would everyone please raise your glasses and repeat after me…To Caleb and Samanta, I wish you, everlasting Love. Thank you!