The Art of Public Speaking Video Blog

During this amazing Toast to Cash Rommel’s baby sister and new brother in law he tackles some meaningful life topics. Such as: cigars, football, homosexuality, carmen electra, and marital advice.

David Axten’s Best man speech at Mark & Dawn’s Wedding… The relief on your face at the end still makes me laugh! Well done mate … Funny best man speech

Cheers to Gerry and Val!

My wedding / toast speech for my sister, Emma. October 22, 2005

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Due to popular demand, here’s a copy of the speech:
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Good evening. For those who don’t know who I am, I’m the bride’s favorite brother. And although I’m not much into speeches as well or any form of public speaking for that matter, I’m here to say a few words to my sister.

Coco… you know I don’t like doing things like this. And how I usually get you to do these types of things for me. But you’ve always inspired me to do great things and I’ve always looked up to you (not literally cuz you’re shorter than me). But this speech won’t be that great, since I couldn’t get you to edit it for me, like you normally do with most of my stuff that I write, but hopefully it’ll be fine.

This whole wedding thing didn’t hit me until last night when I started thinking how sad it will be when you finally leave for California and how empty the house will be without you. I think most siblings would have killed each other by now after having lived together for a few months, let alone a few years. Although we came close to killing each other several times, it worked out because of our closeness, our openness, and because Mom’s always said that no matter what, we have to watch out for each other since it’s just the two of us.

I just want to take a few minutes to tell you about some of the things I’ll miss by not having you around… I’ll miss:

- when you introduce me to your friends… new friends, old friends…. You always say, “And this is my brother” followed by something very nice about me … even if it revealed how much of a geek I am
- being able to say or use the “I’ll have to check with my sister to see what she has planned” as an excuse to get away from doing things I don’t want to do
- calling you and asking you if you’re home
- when you call me asking if I’m home
- the days when you’d call me and ask me if I was on my way home and if I could stop by Safeway or Costco to get you something (or Walmart)
- when complain about the wireless connection not working or countless computer problems you want fixed on your laptop
- the messages you leave me on the alarm system telling me to have a good day at work and that the baon you made me is on the kitchen counter, or that you didn’t have time to make me baon, so there’s some TV dinner in the freezer
- me leaving you messages as well telling you I’d be home late
- the days when we watched movies down in the rec room and you’d cry over the stupidest movies like Armageddon
- the nights we’d eat on my bed watching TNG, CSI, Stargate, or one of those stupid TV shows we love, except those nights when you left my room early when Smallville was on because you hated seeing that pretty Lana Lang
- when you getting ready for bed every day at 9:45 telling me you’re going to your room because your honey’s about to call or you’re about to call your honey… (and that’s gone on for 7 years straight, everyday, since I’ve known them to be together)
- the little house projects that we worked on
- seeing a pile of dirty dishes in the sink
- when I was out of clean underwear or blacks and I’d remind you to do laundry
- cleaning up the house when visitors were coming over and you’d stash all your junk in my room, like it is now
- all the times you made one of your experimental salads for dinner. I’d usually tell you it was ok, but it’s actually pretty good!
- the late night talks we’d talk about the smallest or the biggest of things, when we’d laugh about stuff, or when I’d hug you when you cried and I told you things were going to be ok

But most of all, I’ll miss just having my sister and best friend around. Although you’re older than me and you’ve taken care of me since we were little itty bitties, somewhere in the middle of it all, I started taking care of you too. And though I have no doubt RJ will do a great job of now taking care of you and your new family, I just want you to know that I am always your brother and your best friend, and I’m just a phone call or an email away if you ever need anything. I know I haven’t always been the greatest brother, but you’ve been the best sister.

And I know you hardly hear me say it, because of my stubborn self and mainly because it goes without saying… but I’ll say it now… I love you. Thank you so much for everything and for always being there for me.

RJ, welcome to the family.

So I’d like to raise this glass for a toast… To my sister and RJ, may they have a little girl first so that the rest of their kids will know how great and lucky they are to have an older sister.