The woman behind the groom's ironing

Good evening, everyone! I'm [Your name], [Groom's name]'s stepmum. Now, when I married his father eight years ago, I inherited quite the package deal: a wonderful husband, a cat with an attitude problem, and a teenage boy whose bedroom looked like a crime scene.

[Groom's name] and I got off to a slightly rocky start, mainly because I had the audacity to suggest that perhaps socks shouldn't live on the kitchen counter. Apparently, that was a controversial opinion. But once we established some ground rules, namely that I would not throw away his things and he would not eat my emergency chocolate, we found our rhythm.

What I discovered pretty quickly was that underneath the mess, [Groom's name] had a heart of gold. He'd carry my shopping without being asked. He'd make me tea when I'd had a bad day, always too strong, but always with love. He once surprised me with flowers on my birthday when even his father had forgotten. I'll never let his dad live that down.

[Bride's name], you're getting a man who is thoughtful in the most unexpected ways. He'll forget anniversaries but remember the name of your childhood pet. He'll burn dinner but set the table with candles. That's just how he's wired.

To [Bride's name] and [Groom's name], may your home be full of love, may your socks always make it to the drawer, and may your chocolate stash remain untouched. Cheers!