Celebrating Eli & Emily

What a beautiful day filled with love, laughter, and cherished moments shared with family and friends from near and far! 

Introducing the groom and his beautiful bride - Eli and Emily Haddad! 

Grateful for our family that were able to travel the distance to help us celebrate.

I think my wedding speech best tells you the story........

Eli has taught me many life lessons over the years, and I’d like to share a few of them with you tonight.

As a young child, he taught me to completely give up on personal space — because lots of hugs, and cuddles was a must.

He taught me to give without judgement. If someone needs help, you help them. One of my fondest memories of this was when we were at the bank one day. As we walked back to the car, we passed a homeless woman sitting on the sidewalk. Without hesitation, Eli took money from his wallet and handed it to her. Confused, I asked him if he’d still have enough money left for what he needed. What I didn’t realize was that he had noticed her on the way into the bank and had taken out extra money specifically so he could help her.

He also taught me that saying “I love you” is never embarrassing. It never mattered whether we were alone or standing in the middle of a crowded high school full of teenagers. Eli would always say “Love you!” 

As Eli has entered your lives, I’m sure you’ve noticed he is one of the most thoughtful people you’ll meet. It doesn’t matter whether he has known someone for years or just met them five minutes ago — he treats everyone with kindness, care, and respect, and he genuinely appreciates the people around him.

Now, as endearing as Eli is… there is some quirkiness too.

If you missed his Phantom of the Opera era, I encourage you to speak with some of his west coast friends tonight. They can probably tell you exactly how many versions they were forced to watch… repeatedly. And east coast friends — beware. 

Eli has quite the skull collection. Which is not a sentence most people casually say about someone they love, but here we are. Honestly, I think he enjoys people’s reactions almost as much as he enjoys collecting them and is never shy to show them off.

Along his journey of life, Eli met a core group of friends in high school — and within that group was Emily.

One of my earliest memories of Emily was when she and Eli were on the badminton team and I’d pick Eli up. Eli would always ask if we could drive Emily home, even though she lived just down the road. Emily would politely insist she could walk, and Eli and I would politely ignore that and insist right back. She was shy, quiet, and always incredibly polite.

Over time, the transition from friendship, to dating, to a serious relationship happened so naturally that in our family, Emily quietly stopped feeling like a guest and simply became family. Whether she realized it or not, she became another child, grandchild, and niece with complete ease.

When we made the decision to move to Nova Scotia, we were so excited that Eli and Emily decided to join the adventure. I’m not entirely sure Emily’s family shared our excitement about that part.

But it has been such a joy watching the two of them grow together — navigating adult life, learning how to build a home together, figuring out what matters most in their relationship, and learning that communication and partnership really are everything.

And through all of it, one thing has always been obvious: they truly enjoy life better together.

So please join me in raising a glass to Eli and Emily — wishing them a lifetime of love, laughter, happiness, and maybe just enough room for the skull collection.

Cheers!