Speech material: Not a bed of roses

Wedding speech material for you to adapt, for when you want to remind the happy couple that marriage is all fun...

By the best man

'Marriage is not always a bed of roses. I learnt this when, after a fearsome argument with my beloved, I was forced to sleep in the flowerbed for the night.'

As you embark on your journey together as man and wife, I know everyone here joins me in wishing you health and happiness over the coming years. That said, it's important to recognise that there are likely to be lows as well as highs, as anyone who's ever got hitched will tell you, marriage is no bed of roses. And bearing in mind Brendan's excruciating sax playing, these may come sooner than you think...'

By the father of the bride

'In many ways all marriages are like a bed of roses. But not in the traditional way that most people think of when they hear that phrase. I'm talking more from a horticultural point of view. Just as roses do, a marriage needs constant attention, careful maintenance and wholesome sustenance. Each rose needs to be monitored and checked, so that any sign of blight can be quickly nipped in the bud. Each rose needs gentle, calm encouragement. And, if all of those things happen, each turns into a wonderful, awe-inspiring thing that radiates beauty and brings pleasure and satisfaction to those who are lucky enough to witness it...'

'My wedding to Helen's mother wasn't always a bed of roses. It was something that, at times, we had to really work at. Over the last 20 years we've shared some wonderful times, but we've had our sorrows too. Our first married Christmas, moving into our first home; Anna being born; Sunderland winning the FA Cup in 1973. But we also had our rocky times as well. Helen's illness; the car crash; the burglary; and, of course, Sunderland getting relegated in 1983. But, I guess what I'm trying to say is, even though it hasn't been a bed of roses all the way through, it has been a truly wonderful experience. And I hope and pray that yours is the same, because I wouldn't change a single minute of mine...'

By other speakers

'Your marriage may not always be a bed of roses, but in my experience that's a great thing. Because if you don't have low points, you're never going to fall out with each other. And if you never fall out, you can't spend a whole Saturday afternoon making up. And where would a marriage be without that?'