A Single-Again Toast to a Happy Couple

My dear friend, Chase, asked me several months ago (actually, the same week that my marriage ended) to be in his wedding. I immediately agreed, because he is an awesome guy and had been in my wedding. I would do anything to help him out. 

I was finally able to meet his bride-to-be the day after Thanksgiving, just over a month before their wedding. I knew at once why they were getting married. Not only is she very beautiful, but their personalities are so compatible. This meeting was exactly what I needed to get me excited for the wedding. Frankly, until this point, I had been biting my tongue to keep from trying to talk Chase out of what I was sure was going to be a mistake. Afterward, however, I knew that they would be fine.

Fast forward one month, I load my car and begin the 10.5 hour trek to Tallahassee, where the happy couple were to be married. I arrived the morning of the bachelor party and met Chase, his bride, and the other groomsmen.

Later that afternoon, Chase sprang giving the first toast on me. Of course, I consented (I would do anything to help him), but I was worried. I had been so involved in my negative attitudes on marriage that I was unsure if I could come up with anything positive to say on his wedding day. Thankfully though, I was able to observe Chase and his gal for the next few days, which reminded me of just how in love with one another they are.

I searched and searched for appropriate quotes for my toast to this happy couple. I settled on an Aristotle quote, "Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies,” which embodied what I felt their relationship symbolized. Additionally, I decided to excerpt portions of an Irish Wedding Blessing in honor of Chase's blazing red hair.


After drafting and revising the toast numerous times, it was finally time for the wedding and reception. I gave my toast, but I felt as if I had failed miserably with it. Kindly, however, both the mother of the bride and mother of the groom complemented the toast. In fact, the mother of the groom asked me to give another toast at the second reception in Virginia. We are not even one week into the new year, and I have already written 2 toasts--something strangely ironic given my luck with and outlook on love. 


Nevertheless, I do find myself profoundly happy for Chase and his new wife. They are both spectacular people and deserve only the best. I have never witnessed two people more perfect for one another than them. Admittedly, however, I do feel pangs of sorrow for I fear that I will never experience such a love for myself.