Best wishes to Shaun & Carissa Sparrow

May 14, 2010 is now a date marked on the calendar as a very special memory. Two of my best friends got married! It was a wonderful day with beautiful weather, a drop-dead gourgeous couple, and a lovely ceremony and reception. Shaun and Carissa will return home from their honeymoon this weekend, and I would like to wish them all the best as they get settled into their new life together. The following is my matron of honour speech...

Today was a beautiful testament to the love that has grown between these two people. Carissa, you are an absolutely stunning woman with qualities that make you an amazing friend. Shaun, you are an honourable man with a very giving heart, and it’s been wonderful to watch you sweep Carissa off her feet.

I’ve been given this chance to stand here and speak about what an amazing and incredible woman and friend Carissa is. How much she’s influenced my life and all the memories we’ve shared, yet I find myself at a loss for words. It’s impossible to describe the impact that she has had on my life.
Carissa, you are more than my best friend; you’re a sister at heart. We’ve been through so much together, shared so many moments and memories. Moments that have brought us to tears and moments that have brought us to the floor we’ve laughed so hard. Looking back on my life, and in particular starting with high school I cannot imagine what it would have looked like without you by my side. We were inseparable throughout those 4 years. We took the same classes, moved our lockers beside one another, ate lunch together and often went home together. In fact, we were so frequently together, we acquired the nickname Katrissa. On Friday afternoon’s the only question we had was “your house or mine”? One of the places where we shared the most laughs was at youth group every Friday night. We made some incredible life-long friends while growing spiritually and supporting each other every step of the way. We’ve shared some crazy adventures, a lot of firsts and a million laughs. From our pre-teen years singing in a children’s choir, to our teen years which were filled with concerts, camping, bonfires, taco nights, shopping, the drive-in, and falling in love. Some of the wonderful memories we share include mission trips to Guatemala and spending a summer working up north at camp. I may also recall something having to do with running through a corn field late at night or belting out the spice girls while singing into hair brushes, but we’ll leave the embarrassing moments between you and I.

One of the hardest things that Carissa and I faced was saying goodbye the summer after highschool. She was leaving to work in Switzerland, and I was moving away to start school in Waterloo. At that point in our lives, we could not fathom six months of separation. It was an extremely tearful goodbye. However, we survived, and we’ve done the distance thing a few times since then. But, our friendship has grown, strengthened and transformed over the years.

We’ve always enjoyed predicting the future, and anticipating the years to come. I have to say, I’m pretty excited about our plans to join the red hat society and retire in California, so we can sit in rocking chairs on our front porches.

Carissa, I would like to say thank you for always being here for me through the good times and the bad. In moments of celebration or sadness your arm was always around my shoulder. You’ve been an incredible encouragement in my life, and somehow you always have the right words to say.

No matter how much distance or time comes between us, it always feels as though not a second has passed when we’re back together again. You know me in a way that no one else ever will, and you understand my heart. I could not imagine a more incredible woman to call my best friend.

In the past few years, the friendship that we share has grown to include the men in our lives, and we’ve shared many wonderful times together as couples. It’s been amazing to watch Carissa and Shaun’s relationship grow into something marvelous. My heart is bursting with happiness that you’ve chosen to spend the rest of your lives together. Your love and enjoyment of one another is contagious, and the way that you look at each other always makes me smile. You really share something special and I am confident that your marriage will be a remarkable testament of God’s love. Shaun, I trust that you will always take care of Carissa, that you will make her laugh and that you will kiss her goodnight.
I pray that you will learn to love each other more and more every day and that God will always be at the centre of your home. Carissa, I will always be here to support and encourage you along every step of this wonderful adventure. You are a part of a million memories, and I’m certain that you’ll be a part of a million more. Remember to always make time to appreciate the little things in life; to hold hands and to surprise each other.

Now, I would like to propose a toast, to the bride and groom: Cherish your yesterdays, yet believe in your tomorrows, because tomorrows are what forever is made of. Congratulations Carissa and Shaun, I love you guys!