Yahoo Movies Katie Couric Shares Heartfelt Speech from Daughter Ellie's Wedding: Your Dad 'Would Be Beaming'
Katie Couric is sharing the heartfelt speech that she gave at her daughter Ellie Monahan's July 4 wedding.
Ellie, 29, and Mark Dobrosky tied the knot this month at Cedar Lakes Estate in Port Jervis, New York. During the reception, Couric stood before attendees and delivered an emotional speech, telling the bride and groom that her late husband Jay Monahan "would be so proud" of them.
"For the past 11 years, the center of Ellie's universe has been Mark. Now, I have to be honest. Throughout her 20s, I urged — OK begged Ellie to date around, play the field. God knows I did in my 20s. But Ellie wasn't having it. She knew," Couric, 64, said in the speech shared to her official website. "Ellie — this warm, kind, sensitive, sentimental, perceptive, empathetic, determined, spirited young woman just knew that she had already found the yin to her yang, the peanut butter to her jelly, the Jack to her Jill. Mark — she knew. And now, this we all know: You are a treasure."
"My parents, adored by both Ellie and Carrie, would have called you a 'fine person' — the highest praise in our family," she continued. "It's been a privilege to get to know you and I feel even closer to you now, after hearing the reflections of your friends and family. Your effortless talent, your humility, your loyalty, your steadiness, your patience. But most of all, we love you for loving Ellie with all your heart."
RELATED: How Katie Couric's Daughter Ellie Honored Late Dad Jay Monahan at Her Wedding
After praising Dobrosky's own family, Couric admitted that she'd been "dreading" her daughter's wedding day "for many years" due to those who were unable to be at the ceremony.
"Ellie's maternal and paternal grandparents. Mark's maternal and paternal grandparents, although Whitey almost made it. Ellie's aunt Marilyn. My oldest sister Emily, who adored Ellie," the journalist said. "But most of all, the father of the bride, Jay Monahan."
"Jay would be so proud of you both and so thrilled that Ellie married a lacrosse player. And a terrific guy," she added.
Katie Couric/Instagram
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Couric then recalled a conversation she had with her late husband — who died in 1998 from cancer — toward the end of his battle.
"He looked at me and said, 'You know, nothing really matters except your friends and family.' When everything else was stripped away, Jay understood what was essential to a meaningful life," she continued. "Ellie, he would be beaming to witness the woman you've become … and somehow, some way, I hope he is."
Concluding her mother of the bride speech, Couric said: "Here's to Mark and Ellie — I wish you sunny skies and the fortitude to get through stormy weather. But most of all, I wish you a life bursting with love, light, and laughter. Cheers!"
Ellie recently told PEOPLE there were "too many" special moments that occurred on her big day, including how she walked down the aisle in her Monique Lhuillier gown to one of her late dad's favorite songs.
"[It was] so significant to our family because my late father Jay Monahan was a huge fan of their music when it was featured in Ken Burns' PBS documentary series on the Civil War," she said of the musical moment, which was performed by roots music duo Jay Ungar & Molly Mason. "I walked down the aisle to 'Ashokan Farewell,' which was incredibly emotional for me."
Read Couric's full speech from Ellie's wedding on her official website.
