Carol Rosen’s Wedding Speech For Her Daughter

Wedding Speech Example

2020 was the hardest year my family ever had to get through. On April 2nd, my father died. On October 10th, Sam’s mother also passed away. We desperately needed some good news to pull us through. Well, Jerusalem gave that to us, when she announced her engagement to Matthew. Now every single one of us is smiling again.

But let’s go back to the beginning.

I remember the leaves burning red and gold as they do every year. They were especially bright and beautiful that fall. Then, on September 21st, those warm, harvest colors made a perfect setting for the birth of my baby girls, Jerusalem and Monet.

In keeping with our Russian heritage, although I ordered layettes for my daughters, and my friends wanted to give me a shower, I couldn’t pick anything up before the babies were born. Then, because the stores where I shopped for baby clothes were shut for Rosh Hashona, when I gave birth, all Sam and I had to welcome two miracles into our arms was one blanket each from Mount Sinai Hospital.

As a mother, it’s hard for me to talk about Jerusalem without Monet, because my little girls did everything together and we did everything as a family. But today is Jerusalem’s day.

Although very, very smart, my daughters didn’t speak until they were three. The speech therapist quickly found out why. Sam and I speak Russian at home. The girls watched TV in English, and our babysitter was Polish. So wouldn’t you be confused, too, about how to ask for kishka?

Jerusalem was only two minutes older, but was and always is the big sister. When the girls were three, Monet was frustrated by not being able to make herself understood using a combination of many languages. And she would start to cry. But Jerusalem stepped right up, held her sister tight, they’d “talk” for a minute, and then Jerusalem calmly turned to us, like she was at the United Nations, translating what they “discussed”.

At four, she was a passionate skier, so every other weekend we drove to Vermont. Jerusalem was very small but carried her own skis and poles just like a pro. She was serious about her sport. Then Sam thought she should try snowboarding, but oh no – Jerusalem wasn’t interested. Not even a little. Eventually, she gave it a shot, became the best, and being Jerusalem, was able to keep up with the boys in High School. And that, from what I understand, was very cool.

When the girls were five or six, we were at the market. I asked them to choose a few apples while I got tomatoes. Half a second later, I heard my children singing “Hava Nagila” to a standing ovation, right there in the Fuji’s.

As a family, we never missed an evening meal together. No matter how late it got, or how hungry Sam and his girls were, Jerusalem always said “I’ll wait for you”. And she still does.

Although Sam loves his daughters with his whole heart and ten more, he always wanted a boy, too. And now, Matthew, he has you. But who ever thought that boy would be so big – so six foot six? It’s almost like having a second set of twins, but with mustaches.

As lucky as Sam and I have been with our own mishbucha, we couldn’t have picked a more gracious or loving new one for our daughter than the Goldstein’s. Bryna and Dan, like us, I know you don’t want to nag too hard for grandchildren right away, but wasn’t it fun last night, assembling that crib?

My first daughter, my new son – Sam, Monet and I are a fountain of dreams for you. We want you to love each other, be strong for each other, be there for each other, and believe, that no matter what, you were meant to be together, forever.

Congratulations! Solniyshko! We love you! L’chaim!

Wedding Speech Example © 2022 Molly-Ann Leikin