reception photos 1

photos 2

photos 3

Now I had never been to the Custom House while I was in Dunedin. It is right near the harbor and it was a very beautiful night. I went outside a few times and looked and was just totally blown away by the view and the water. It was great weather that night. It was an open bar so I was drinking Speight's all night.

I was so happy that my friends were now officially man and wife.

While we were waiting for the dinner to be served. I started to talk to Fraser. He likes US Sports and I found out that we were both huge fans of the HBO show "The Wire" he had not seen season 5 yet, I told him that when I returned that I would mail him a copy of season 5 (Which i did). I offered to tell him updates but he passed.

He is studying geology and i hope that he graduates one day. I really enjoyed talking to him for the 2 days that I could.

I told Dan and Greer many times that night, that I was so happy for them. I told Greer, Well he's yours now!

It was finally time for dinner, I sat in the back and just watched with amazement with all of the people that were there. My friends looked so happy and I was so happy for them.

Then a few things happened that i was not expecting.

Richard gave a speech about how happy he was. a bit later someone asked who knew the couple and he should say something. I told Richard, I'd do it and he said ok.

I got up and said this (or as close as I can remember)

Hi, my name is Mike McStay. I have know the happy couple probably the least amount of anyone here. I met the couple when they worked in Korea.

I said, I remember when I first met Dan and Greer, I thought that they were a nice cute couple, I wonder how they would survive in Korea. i then talked about how I saw these 2 interact, When Dan was weak Greer would be strong and when Greer was weak, Dan would be strong. I looked at them and thought, Wow, this is love.

I then told them about how I saw Dan mature in front of me (DAN joked,no way) but I have seen it with my own eyes. I saw their love grow. I told them about some of our times together, IMAX, birthday, Dan's mother seeing and liking the photos of Dan's no pants episode. I said, I should be honored but it was his mom I had no idea what to say.

I told the crowd, that I told the couple that if they got married that I would be here and that I would suit up. I also stated that Uncle Mike would more than be happy to baby sit any future children that they would have (later on Kim,the brides-maid said in her speech that, like Mike stated, Auntie Kimberly would love to baby sit also)

I then had a quick idea on how to end the speech.

I said, at the end of your journey together, where ever you might be, living on the moon or living in Dunedin, when that time comes, may you 2 look at each other and be able to say to each other, thank you for selecting me. To Dan and Greer, I love you 2 both very much. I raised my glass and said, to Dan and Greer.

(Later in the evening Richard and Greer both told me that they loved the speech and that a lot of the crowd comment that they did also. I told them both that it came from the heart and what I said was very true)

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(Now here is where I am going to take a break and tell something that I did not tell Dan nor Greer. I kept trying to get the couple into a Karaoke bar.The reason was that if they had this one song that I would personalize it for them.)

I can love you like that


(I told the couple that in Texas we don't have singing room and that we sing in the open, at bars. I told them a few of the songs that I sing, Johnny Cash, Kid Rock, Rick James, Comedy Songs and other songs. If we were able to go, I wanted to sing the above song for my friends. This is the song with the extra words added to personalize it for my friends, I hope you 2 like it.)

I CAN LOVE YOU LIKE THAT By John Michael Montgomery.

They read you Cinderella

You hoped it would come true

That one day your Prince Charming

Would come rescue you

You like romantic movies

You will never forget

The way you felt when Romeo kissed Juliet

All this time that you've been waiting

You don't have to wait no more...

Chorus:

Dan can love you like that

Dan would make you his world

Move Heaven and Earth if you were his girl

Dan will give you his heart

Be all that you need

Show you you're everything that's precious to him

If you give Dan a chance

He can love you like that.

Dan will never make a promise that he don't intend to keep

So when Dan says forever, forever's what he means

Dan's no Casanova but he will swear this much is true

He'll be holdin' nothing back when it comes to you.


You dream of love that`s everlasting

Well baby open up your eyes

Chorus...

Dan can love you like that

Dan would make you his world

Move Heaven and Earth if you were his girl

Dan will give you his heart

Be all that you need

Show you you're everything that's precious to him

If you give Dan a chance

He can love you like that.


BRIDGE

You want tenderness-Dan's got tenderness

And Dan will see through to the heart of you

If you want a man who understands

You don't have to look very far.

He will love you, Dan will love you like that.





(My friends, my wedding song to you 2)
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Then the second thing happened that I flat out was not expecting.

Greer's Speech. (Once again, I am doing this from memory and I did not record it.)

Greer stood up and gave a very simple but great speech, I darn near cried my eyes out.

Greer started by saying that there was one person missing and that it was Rebecca, due to a their former boss, that she could not be their.

Greer then talked about the family that they made back in Korea. (I was not expecting what came next) She personally thank me for flying down for the wedding and that they could not believe that I was there. (The crowd cheered and I was just in shock) She also mentioned people that they wish could have been their but could not (Trey, Mark, Megan, Nichole and Marta) (I emailed the above people and told them about this speech and said you may have not been there but you damn sure were not forgot)Greer then thanked some more people. I was just in shock by her speech, I was not expecting it. I really felt like crying but I did not.

Dan even said a few world, but Greer's words are what I will remember for the rest of my life.
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We finished eating dinner and then we mingled a lot more.

I talked to Phil Morey (He is living in England and he flew back home for the wedding. I have no idea when he will come back to New Zealand, to me, he has some more traveling to do.) I found him to be a very interesting person.

I also talked to Abey. She has been one of Greer's friends since there were in middle school together. She was a very interesting person to talk to.

Later on in the evening Greer gave me a big hug for the speech I gave. I told her how humbled I was by her speech. I told her, Well Dan is now your and what are you going to do with him. I told her to love him and take care of him and did they give a frying pan as wedding gifts. I told her that in Texas frying pans were given as wedding gift to cook and to hit the man upside the head if he steps way out of line.

I was their when someone gave Greer a plate that had a bird on it. The person stated that these birds mate for life and that they (D & G) had matted for life. I thought it was such a cool looking plate. If you click the photos at the top of the page you will see a photo of the plate.

Then later on Dan looked like he was taking off his pants, I rushed to him and was going to join him. I had already told Dan, that if he drops his pants tonight that I was his man and that I would drop mine also. (I even wore Spongebob boxers in case we did the Dan "No Pants" Dance.) He kept the pants on. I have no idea if he believed me but I was ready to go pant-less for my friend. It sure would have been funny.

I took a lot of photos of that night with the happy couple together. They make such a great couple and their love was showing and it really showed on the photos.

I told more stories of those 2 about their time in Korea with me and all of the crazy things that we did, The IMAX stories, the hooters stories, the baseball stories, (my 40th birthday story and how they saw me dancing with the female cheerleaders on the big screen)I told Dan's mom the story behind the photos that she liked of how I saw the "full Monty" on DAN (Which I never want to see ever again). Though out the night I kept looking at the happy couple and I was smiling every time I saw them look at each other with love in their eyes.

I also noticed how happy Richard was (Greer's Dad) He told me that he liked the speech and that a lot of his friends told him that they loved my speech also. He was really happy that some of the people that were at his wedding were also at the wedding of his daughter. I heard that a lot from his friends also, they they were happy to be at Greer's wedding also.

When someone said that,I was thinking about "The Lion King" and the "Circle of Life" The wedding was at the the brides grandparents home. Friends of her parents were at their wedding and their daughters wedding. part of Greer parents wedding reception was also held at the Grand parents home. It was very nice weather and I kept thinking that the great weather was a gift from heaven from her grandparents. I was also thinking about the big Moa bird story at the museum. Greer's grandmother had taken her their as a child and that she would take their children their also.

I then took a lot of photos of the happy couple and I took a lot of outside photos with their friends. (Click on the top page link too see them all)

Near the end of the reception, I took, what I called the money, shot of the reception.



Abby gave me her camera and asked me to take a photo of (Kim,Greer and Abby)together I still can not believe how great the photo turned out and, once again, someone used a photo that I took as the main photo on their Facebook page (Abby's). I love this photo of these 3 friends together.

Dan and Greer were going to spend the night at a Bed and Breakfast, it had the title of Great view in its name. (I forgot the name of the place, Dan said the breakfast was so-so but the place had a great view.) I was due to leave tomorrow at noon, so i said good-bye to Dan and Greer both (I was not sure if I would see them again in the morning) I was so happy about the speech and that i loved them both.

Richard drove me back to their home and I got the sofa sleeper ready to go.

I went to their computer and logged onto Facebook and updated my profile with this simple line all in caps.

"DAN AND GREER ARE FINALLY MARRIED"

I went to sleep and when I woke up I logged back onto Facebook and read the comments congrats to Dan and Greer about their wedding.

The reception was great at the Customs house, It was a great party and we were all happy that our friends were married and ready to start their life together.