The Big Speech

Me and my friend Melanie at her bridal shower, May 2009

“According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.” – Jerry Seinfeld

I’ve been in my fair share of weddings. I love everything about being a bridesmaid – the flowers, dresses, countless conversations discussing all wedding details, and the overall joy of standing next to the bride while she marries her love. I was the maid of honor in my sister Kimberly’s wedding, but at the time I was away in college in Orlando, and unable to attend most of the vendor meetings.  I missed out on the best parts of being a maid of honor the first time around; luckily, I’ve been given a second chance. I am ecstatic to have the honor of being the MOH in my best friend Melanie’s upcoming wedding on August 9th. Melanie and I have known each other our entire lives. Our mothers worked together years ago and we grew up one block away from one another when we were younger. When we were six years old, Melanie’s family moved to a suburb of Philadelphia about 20 minutes away from our house. Luckily, we built a friendship strong enough to sustain anything, and 26 years later, here we are; helping each other plan the weddings of our dreams to the men we adore.

Melanie’s Bachelorette Party, May 2009

When you have a friendship as long and amazing as ours, a wedding speech should come easily. In my case? Not so. I’m struggling to find the perfect words–funny without cheesy, sentimental without corny, romantic and lovely. I’ve jotted down my ideas on post-its and in my journal, hoping to find a three minute dedication to our friendship and the marriage of Melanie and her fiance, Eric. I’m confident I’ll figure something out, but in the meantime, I’ll continue to watch romantic movies and listen to sappy music hoping to find inspiration for the perfect speech.