what a week

What a week of celebrations!!   Getting to work this morning and having to go through 4 days worth of emails and messages was not the best way to end things but as they say "all good things must come to an end" but (second but) on the other hand (Darren) as David and Lucie may say "all good things come to those who wait".  The wedding was wonderful and Friday I think was probably the warmest day the Scottish contingent had had all week.

Having the huge house for the whole week of the wedding was a bonus.  We were able to work together and party together.  Everyone had their job to do and we had fun doing what had to be done.

Arranging flowers next to the pool

Lots of space to work

Ginny worked wonders with the flowers for the church

Proteas, roses, oak, yellow-wood - to get the whole

SA / Scottish theme going

The tent getting erected on Thursday morning

Percy and Nic - brilliant wedding singers having a rehearsal on Thursday night

Dalene and I spent the night at the venue on Thursday.  We have not shared a room on our own for many a day.  I woke her up looking for the light to find my way to the toilet at 3.15.  She could not go back to sleep and woke me up. "Come, lets go set the tables" (nevermind the fact that we had a table crisis).  Crazy woman, pitch dark and imagine how popular we would be waking the whole house and the parrot up at that time of the morning.  Eventually we got up at 5.30, made a cup of tea and headed for the main deck to watch the sunrise.

The first clear day all week

The light hitting the mountain and the beautiful foliage

I bought a SA and Scottish flag to hang from the balcony overlooking the pool

First major hiccup was that the tables were 8 seaters and when the caterer's showed me the platters that they were using we had to ask the hiring company to please change the tables to 10 seaters.  So we had 10 seater tables for 8 guests, which worked out well.  Wonderful to deal with such an accommodating hiring company who delivered the bigger tables at the crack of dawn so no time was wasted.

With the many family helpers the tables did not take long to set.  Each setting had it's own

jam-jar flower arrangment.  A band of the Douglas clan tartan around the napkins was the only colour on the table

I fell in love with this fridge in the bar.  An antique Philco fridge, exactly the

same as what my Aunty Babs used to have

The freezer compartment

The privet flowers that Ginny and I collected in the forest.

What an amazing idea of Ginny's.  We had a car load full of these wonderful free flowers.  Not without some anxious moments though, when everytime a warden drove by Ginny told me to "drop the branches".  When asking why she said "sometimes they moan and want to fine you but it is a noxious alien weed which should be removed!!".  I now have the two arrangements on my dining room table.  On returning home from work this evening (it was a loooong day) my house smelt like a forest and I wished that I could just press rewind and do it all over again. It has been sad saying goodbye to all the great people I have met this week.

I am waiting for pictures, so you are going to have to hold your horses for a bit until you see the beautiful bride and handsome groom.  Okay, will spoil you a bit.  A sneak shot of the groom and bestman:-

and...

Amy and Kelly about to say their parts

That is all for now.  I am off to bed and hopefully will have the pictures for you tomorrow.