Kevin + Aubrey | Wedding Speeches

Hello, everyone. Hi. Hi. Hey. I just wanted to give a little, little speech here to the two, and I'm gonna try to get through it, and already I'm not doing very well. So just bear with me. I do want to thank everyone for coming out today and spending this amazing day with these two. It's a long time coming. It makes it even better. Some of you may know that our family is a bit crazy. We're loud. And we laugh a lot, and we lean on each other. Our family is very loyal with each other. The first time I met Aubrey, we were having our pre-Thanksgiving night out family that we do every year, and we showed up on time, and Aubrey showed up on time, and Kevin. Was an hour and a half late. Who was she? I'm not sure. And I said, you're Aubrey? And she said, yes, Kevin's supposed to be here. I said, that's usually how it goes. She hung out with us for an hour and a half and she was so laid back. I said, where's Kevin? I don't know, he said he's on his way. But she was so calm about it. She hung with us, she laughed with us, she talked with all of our family, she drank with us, which was awesome. I knew then there was something special about her, that she was going to be able to take Kevin as he is, flaws and all, and love him. I just knew there was something there. She's been a part of our family for years, and she's again she's laughed with us game nights, but she's also been a part of some hard times that our family's been through. We've all leaned on each other, and she was there, and Kevin leans on her, and she leans on him. I see the love all the time when they come over and they visit. I've seen these 2 grow so much individually and as a couple, and I'm in awe of their love every time I see it, and it makes me smile. So what I want to say to you two is continue to lean on each other, cry with each other, communicate, support each other, and continue to grow. And I say this with Ben, that we love you. I'm so happy to have you a part of our family, and just keep loving each other. Thank you.

Okay, this is the hardest part of the day for me. So happy to see all the faces of the family, friends. This is amazing. Oh, I need a bigger, bigger thing than just a phone. My eyes are so bad, so bear with me. Thank you. Um, first of all, what a celebration. The vows were wonderful. Kevin, you amazed me. You were poetic and honest, and it was heartfelt. And Aubrey, as always, you have such a sensitive soul, and it came through in your vows. And it's obvious that the two of you have been through a lot, and the support you have for one another Is something that 10 years takes to build. So thank you very much. So in particular, this last week Aubrey lost her kitty of 15 years, Eli, and it tore her apart. And Kevin was there as a solid rock. They leaned into each other, like Donna was saying. So amazing the way they adapt and change and support and encourage each other. So, I'm so proud of you guys. Aubrey, you are a unique soul with a balance of beauty and intellect and faith and trust, and you are just Chill. This week I was asking her how she's doing. She's like, it's okay, as long as we're married by the end of the day, we succeeded. So I love that about you. And when we've gone through hard times, you've been the support for me that I wish I could have been for you. So thank you. And as I walked her down the aisle today, which should not have been my job, I whispered that Al was on her other arm. And I know that he would be up here making you all laugh and saying some very clever things. So in honor of him, I found the letter that he wrote to Aubrey when she went to college. It was a 3-page letter, and I'm going to spare you all the details and give you the highlights. Hold on, my iPad went to sleep. Okay. So in the letter, he outlined 33 things that were highs. We used to do highs and lows, which the kids hated. But he did highs and lows in the letter, and he did 33 highs and 1 low. I'm going to give you a snapshot of the highs. Reading Dr. Seuss together. Reading Dr. Seuss together. Building forts, dancing like crazy to Huey Lewis and the News, and lots of children that were also in the household got to do that because that was Al's favorite thing to do with kids. Watching you dance in the rain in a new dress with your mother's approval and your father's disapproval of your mother. Hearing you play piano. Celebrating February 26th every year and washing your feet at Lenz's Cottage. He only listed one low, and that was leaving you at Wisconsin Lutheran College. It was a tough day for both of us to let our oldest leave us, but she came back every weekend, so it wasn't so bad. He also gave you fatherly advice. This is his cleverness coming through. Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died. That's the Rockman family laughing over there. In the Rockman family, the funniest child wins because that was Mona's Favorite. So, vegetarian is an old Indian word that roughly translates to lousy hunter. And this was a dig at me. Buy yourself bras and underwear whenever you need to or want to and send me the bill. They were expensive and, you know, just make them last. But of course, he also turned serious, and I'll read this verbatim for you. As you turn the page on this chapter of life and enter into the beginning of the rest of it all, always see yourself as a student of life and remember to start with the end in mind. At the end of my journey, I will meet God. I cannot imagine doing anything at that moment but to fall face down in worship. And if I can speak at all, I hope I can say, I used up everything you gave me. 2 weeks before he died, Ana was at our house, and he said, I'm ready to go any day now. The only thing I wish I could do is walk you down the aisle. So he was there on the other arm. You didn't see him, but we knew he was there. So I promised you I would ugly cry today, and I did. But it's only because so many of our tribe are missing. Al and Callie and Ben, my mom. My brother, my sister, Mona and Jerry. But look at all the people who are here. Look at this celebration. You're not alone. And although some of us have gone, so many of us are still here. And boy, is this a big wedding. God. Wow. Okay. All right, so your lives are forever intertwined today, no matter what. May it be filled with love, acceptance, forgiveness, humility, joy, triumph. There's so much in front of you, and I know you guys are going to do wonderful. And if I had a third hand, I would raise a glass, which I can't do, so I'm going to ask you to do that. We toast to the love that brought you guys here today. We toast to the love that brought you guys together. And we toast to the love that will carry you through all the years to come. To Aubrey and Kevin.

Cheers! Uh, hello everybody. My name is Jeremy. So I met Kevin back in high school. I didn't know him prior to then. And back then, the group of guys in our friend group, we would get together what seemed like pretty much every weekend for what we called guys' night. What would that entail exactly? Lots of video games, sugary sodas, Mountain Dew, Coca-Cola. Lots of pizza, whether it was Godfather's, Jack's, anything we could really get our hands on. And we would laugh, and we would have a great time, and it would usually end with all of us passed out, like scattered on the floor, like throughout the room. We'd do this like basically every weekend, and it was a lot of fun. It was a lot of fun. And looking back on all those nights, I had a A couple realizations. One, I think Kevin was probably there every weekend. You know, every weekend throughout the school year and summers, that's— it's kind of hard to make all of those dates, especially in high school. You know, we've got family commitments, other things. And I think Kevin was there most of the time. And the other realization I had is that I think he was almost always The last person to go to sleep. I'd like to take that crown for myself, but I guess I'll give that to you today. So fast forward, even like the last few years, we're not able to hang out every weekend like we did in high school, but, you know, we find the time to do so. It's not even just guys' nights anymore. It's everyone's welcome. And there's something that still happens is that Kevin is always the last one to go to bed. We could be at an apartment, we could be out and about at bars, it doesn't matter. Kevin is still the last person to go to bed. And if I want to go to bed, I know that it being 3:00 AM and seeming like a good bedtime isn't enough. I have to convince him that Perkins is not the better idea and that we shouldn't rally the troops and go and get some snacks and some more late-night chats. Yeah, it's still stayed the same. So I don't bring this up to brag about how long Kevin can stay up for. I'm proud of you for your energy. It's great. But I will brag about something I've always admired about Kevin, and that is his drive and desire to really connect with people, those close with him and those he has barely met. He lives for those, those great connections. He didn't, he didn't stay up all night just because. He stayed up because there were still others of us up. He wanted to be awake for the time that we were all awake. And that is a wonderful thing. It's definitely stood out to me. That's, that's for sure. The amount of love he has for all those close to him is massive and Where he finds all the energy to give all that love, I generally— I genuinely don't understand. It's a wonderful thing. Like I said, it's not just the people close to him. Kevin has a way of connecting with those he's even just met. Last weekend, we were out at a bar somewhere playing pool. All of a sudden, we were getting hustled by someone who clearly plays way more pool than us. And Kevin is out here asking him for his best life advice for somebody just starting in their 30s and trying to learn from him and really get to know the guy. And it's, it's beautiful to watch, really. Truly. Every person he interacts with, he's making a connection. And yeah, I don't know. I can't say it enough. It really shines through. It's a defining quality of you for me. So enter Aubrey. Somehow, with all of the weekends I spent sleeping over at your house, I tried to think, and I don't know if we ever had a conversation while I was in high school together, just like the two of us, which is pretty wild in hindsight. And I do recall the first time we did, we were going over to Madison to visit Kevin and Jordan. And I was like, wow, you're— one, it was awesome you gave me a ride, but I was like, oh, I've never actually had a conversation with you. Luckily, in the years since, we've had many wonderful conversations. You're so kind and caring and loving and just as into making a deep connection as Kevin is. Thank you. Which is really great. You're also a great tour guide when it comes to all the different glassware that resides in the cabinet of the Rockman household. I know way too much about glassware. So connecting to the people close to them, caring and being for them, and building them up is a quality I think both of you share. Seeing you guys go through life together with all its highs and lows and still continuing to build up those around you and your relationship together has been a beautiful thing to witness. So it's a privilege to be here to celebrate with you guys today. Your friendship is— it means so much to me. I love you guys. The highs, the lows, both inevitable, and everything in between. Excited, you know, I'm excited for what's next. So They say it's about the journey and not the destination, and the journey with you guys in it through life has been great. So yeah, if I've learned anything from the band Mayday Parade, it's that champagne is for celebrating. So if everyone could raise a glass, and it's Kevin and Aubrey.

Hi, everybody. I'm very scared to be here. I'm Anastasia. For those of you who don't know, I'm Aubrey's maid of honor and also her favorite Jacobs. I have somehow managed to dodge giving a speech at the last 6 weddings I've stood up in because I hate public speaking and I'm a big, big ugly crier. But luckily this is a really small wedding and I'm not scared at all to be up here. Aubrey and I have been a part of each other's lives for essentially their entirety. I've spent the last few weeks mulling over in my head what I wanted to say in this speech to try to capture that feeling. What I would have the mental capacity to say without weeping. What would be the best story to share. But I realized I couldn't possibly pick one story or get through this without tears. So I decided to write in the form of a letter instead. Aww. Bear with me. This is going to be really ugly, guys. I'm shaking so bad. Aubrey, I cannot believe this day has finally and already come. Not only because it took Kevin so long to pop the question, but also because it seems like just yesterday we were running around in each other's backyards playing capture the flag before any of us even hit an age in the double digits. When I finally got myself to sit down to write this, I began to sob like I knew I would. To really set the mood, I tossed on Jon Prine's I Remember Everything. If you haven't listened to it, you should. Aubrey, when it comes to sitting with my memories and gently touching the past, I really do remember everything. And those memories are some of my absolute favorites. From the Jacobs-Rochman kids playing hours of night games, groundies at the park, recording music videos, and performing Broadway-quality plays for our parents. I remember when your mom finally let go of those old classic Rockman couches, and we spent a summer evening using them as shields and running into each other full speed. I remember the time we were searching for something on the shelf in the garage as kids and Callie bumping an axe that fell inches from my face. The shock that we all experienced realizing we didn't need to get a parent or clean up any blood. I remember week-long sleepovers, walking to Highlands Park for fireworks on the 4th of July, and pretending we were Pokémon. I remember Jace's guys and thinking we were going to marry each other's brothers, and our childhood plans to essentially start a commune that we would all live on happily ever after. I remember that we both got our first boyfriends on the same day at the same time one summer, and that we were both broken up with by the fall. Out of all the wild memories from our childhood, I think the craziest realization for me was as an adult walking through a parking lot on a random day that kindness stones didn't actually grow in your sandbox. Your parents just placed them there for us to find. If I could go back to any day of my life and relive it forever, it would be a summer Jacobs Rockman's Day that turned into the perfect summer evening. We would all be on Patio 1900, our parents drinking wine and discussing life, and all of us still kids, untouched by grief and hopeful about the future, chasing each other playing night games. Joseph, or Jophis as Callie lovingly called him, would be explaining the rules of the games in detail while not being even a little bit bossy. Obs, you are and always have been more than my friend. You are my sister. Your siblings, my siblings. Your family, our family. We have walked through incredible joy and unspeakable grief together, and I have seen you remain steadfast and solid through it all. To know Aubrey is to know patience, loyalty, and pure love. I know that your dad and Callie are watching you together dancing to Garments of Praise and celebrating how consistently you have remained you and chosen I know they are both so incredibly proud. I am so proud of you and Kevin for the love that you've built together, the patience that you've displayed for each other throughout your relationship, and the excitement that you both have to spend the rest of your lives together. I can't wait to see where life takes you. I can't wait to stand by your side today. I love you. I love you. I love you. Let's dance.

We love you.

All right, okay, yeah, I'm— I did actually want to say something. Yes, um, wrote a little something by the pool this morning. So first of all, I want to thank everyone for coming here tonight and sharing in our happiness. It means the world to both of us that each and every one of you in this room is here. Our lives have only been enhanced by the love brought into it by all of you. We want to first thank our parents. We would very much not be the people we are today without our parents' love and guidance. So, Mom, I am not doing it justice when I say that you are the most selfless person I know. I only wish that someday I can be half the parent that you have been to Courtney, Mitch, Nick, Ben, and I. You have taught me to be kind, to respect others, to give even more love than you expect to receive, and as a young innocent child, how to pick a lock, which has come in handy more than once. Mary, you have always welcomed me into your family with open arms. You continue to love, support, and care for me as if I were one of your own before this even. And I am so excited to officially join the Rockman fam. Your deep family connection and love for your children is infectious, and you are an actual saint. Thank you to you and Al for raising such a perfect woman for me. We also want to thank everyone who's helped us on this journey together. To our wedding party, all of you are so important in our lives. Obviously, you were chosen here, and we are so grateful that we could share this day with you. Thank you for sweating with us all day long through all the photos and everything. And I do want to extend a special thank you to my groomsmen, my ring bearers, and my ushers. For those of you who don't know, most of us have been best friends for 15 years since the beginning of high school. We all stayed close friends and stay in touch by playing video games every week on Wednesday on Discord. That's pretty crazy. That's wild. These guys helped shape me in some pretty important developmental years, and I'm so proud of the men we've grown into and continue to grow into. grow into. And to my wife— Wow. That's, uh, that feels pretty good to say. I like that. Uh, Aubrey Kyser. Wow. Um, Aubrey Kyser. Yeah. Uh, I was told to find true love, you must first find a true friend. And I have without a doubt found my best friend in you. You look absolutely outrageously beautiful tonight. I think we all agree on that one. Not a shock. I'm always— I'm sure everyone always wonders how I was able to pull this off, and I really have no idea. I think it was just luck. Aubrey, you are the most beautiful person inside and out. You're smart, And you're clever and even more kind in so many more ways than me. Whether you're a friend or family, her love is unconditional. And most importantly, you love me for who I am. I never really know how to handle the, you know, what's your greatest achievement question. I usually sit there like racking my brain trying to find an answer because it's hard to be proud of things. And now without a doubt, I can always say hand over heart that my greatest achievement is and always will be marrying you. Finally, we want to thank everyone who's joined us today. We know some of you have traveled some pretty far distances. I wrote here California, Colorado, Washington, Oklahoma, D.C., Florida and more because I wanted to stop listing things. So thank you. We do. We thank all of you, and we totally understand. We thank you for your sacrifice to be able to celebrate with us. We value you guys being here so much. You are all truly very special to us, and we would not be here without everyone in this room. So I'm gonna have everyone raise their glass. Thank you all for your love, generosity, and presence in our lives. We love you all, and I'm ready to party and celebrate a marriage long time coming. Cheers! Cheers!