Despite being shy and quiet, 26 year old Jenni Houghton from Drogheda has decided to face one of her biggest fears on one of the biggest days of her life. She’s going to make a speech at her wedding.
After ten years on and off, boyfriend Chris proposed to Jenni on New Year’s Eve 2011 in London – and their wedding will be a celebration with deep significance, because the couple have been through some very harrowing times together. In 2010, Jenni was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma, and all throughout her treatment, Chris stood by her side. Their wedding has been scheduled for November 19th, a very special date for the two of them, as it marks Jenni’s two year anniversary of being in remission from cancer.
Although Jenni can’t wait to get married, the idea of being centre of attention at her own wedding terrifies her. But she’s determined to overcome her fear and get up and thank Chris and the others who helped her get through the worst time of her life.
Helping Jenni to take on the challenge of speaking from her heart is Rory O’Neill, aka Panti Bliss, whose highly acclaimed speech on homophobia was viewed by three quarters of a million people online.
From teaching school girls about pigs to trying her luck as a bingo caller, Rory has several ideas designed to help Jenni overcome her fear of standing up in front of a group. After a few hiccups, Rory asks Jenni to complete a rather alarming final test; to perform a comedy speech in front of a packed Saturday night audience in his bar, Pantibar…
Finally, Jenni and Chris’s big day arrives. As she stands up to take the microphone, will her weeks of guidance under Rory have paid off and will she manage to make the tribute she has longed to deliver?
